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US affiliate PACE filed a formal inquiry to the US Contact Point over French-based Imerys’ labour conduct at a calcium carbonate operation in the state of Alabama. The inquiry hopefully will start an investigation by US and French Contact Points under OECD’s Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. Unlawful complaints issued by the US labour board have been levied against Imerys for interference in union activities and for failure to provide PACE with necessary information to process workers’ grievances. Imerys management says it will not comply with US labour board investigations of its illegal actions, and PACE is seeking injunctive relief under the labour code in a federal court.

PACE Seeks OECD Investigation on Imerys’ Labour Conduct

Canadian affiliate CEP is challenging the decision by Finnish firm UPM Kymenne to shut a kraft pulp mill in Miramichi, New Brunswick. “We have questions about this announcement and we are not getting logical answers,” said the CEP’s Max Michaud. Citing the union’s recent decision to seek mediation in bargaining with the company. CEP also is concerned about wood source policies that hamper the mill and is asking the provincial government to investigate. Some 400 high-paying and family-supporting jobs are at stake in the rural community.

CEP in Canada Seeks to Keep Pulp Mill Open in New Brunswick

South African affiliate NUM sees no harmony, only dishevel in the hostile takeover of Goldfields by smaller gold-mining company Harmony. In a statement, NUM said that considering the high gold price, companies should be investing in development and job growth rather than consolidation and shrinkage. Both South African companies have retrenched numerous workers this year alone. NUM is calling for dialogue between the two companies instead of hostile “approaches that send jitters into the market and economy,” in the words of Gen. Sec. Gwede Mantashe. NUM is also opposed to a Goldfields preferred deal with Canada’s Imagold and said the mining industry in South Africa suffers an “anti-patriotic spirit” in terms of abandoning national investment.

South Africa’s NUM Chastises Harmony’s Takeover Bid

Michelin, the world's No. 2 rubber company, last week announced a 20 percent growth in net income during the first half of this year. 
 
In the same breath, the French-based tyre giant said it was going to fire 7,500 of the workers who produced this outstanding result. 
<img height="393" alt="Cartoon: Thierry Lenoir/ICEM" src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/michelin.jpg" width="252"/>
Cartoon: Thierry Lenoir/ICEM
The news caused widespread outrage in France, including within the government. But it is unlikely that the French government's views will prevail over those of the multinational. 
 
Michelin's attitude is "scandalous" and "a provocation," say French chemical and allied workers' federation Fédéchimie CGTFO - part of the Force Ouvrière union confederation - and the FO unions within Michelin. 
 
"Michelin shares went up by 12.5 percent," Fédéchimie CGTFO points out. This will have increased the already more than ample wealth of the Michelin family, which "owns 30 percent of this stock." To achieve this boost to share value, "Michelin is cutting 7,500 jobs in Europe." 
 
"This is the true face of ultracapitalism, Michelin-style," Fédéchimie CGTFO says. "The Michelins' fortune comes from the sweat of the brow of workers who labour in appalling conditions for poverty wages." 
 
At the global level, Fédéchimie CGTFO is affiliated to the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM). The French union says it will work with the ICEM and with the European chemical and allied workers' federation EMCEF to "defeat this umpteenth restructuring plan, which goes way beyond the previous ones."

Michelin Man Gets Fatter - And Greedier: 7,500 Sackings After Profits Boost?

French unions have called for protest action at Michelin tyre plants throughout France tomorrow, 21 September. 
 
At issue are the company's plans to restructure and to cut thousands of jobs. 
 
On 8 Sept, Michelin announced a 20 percent growth in net income during the first half of this year. In the same breath, the French-based tyre giant said it was going to fire 7,500 of the workers who produced this outstanding result. 
<img height="393" alt="Cartoon: Thierry Lenoir/ICEM" src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/michelin.jpg" width="252"/>
Cartoon: Thierry Lenoir/ICEM
"This decision is unacceptable both in its form and in its substance," says French chemical and energy workers' federation FCE-CFDT, which organises Michelin workers. It notes that neither the unions nor Michelin's workers were told about the plan before it was publicly announced. The FCE-CFDT accuses Michelin of "visceral contempt" for "both the unions and the workers, who are never considered either as partners or as people." 
 
The union recalls that Michelin brought in no less than eight "social plans" in France alone between 1982 and 1998. Altogether, these cut the workforce from 52,000 to 27,000. 
 
Michelin is also showing its disdain for small shareholders, the FCE-CFDT says, because they will not benefit from the surge in the company's share price. The profits are being taken by speculators. 
 
Not least, Michelin's announcement demonstrates "provocation and contempt vis-a-vis the [French] government and the parliamentarians who decided that the working week should be cut from 39 hours to 35 on 1 January 2000, in order to create jobs and reduce unemployment." As the union points out, Michelin has been particularly vocal in its opposition to the government's plan for work time cuts. 
 
Stressing that the company "is 'managing' its employment at the European level," the FCE-CFDT calls for the establishment of a European Works Council within Michelin, and says this "should happen within the next few days." 
 
For comments by French union Fédéchimie CGTFO, which also organises Michelin workers, see ICEM UPDATE 53/1999. 
 
At the global level, the FCE-CFDT and Fédéchimie CGTFO are affiliated to the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM). 
 
"The ICEM and its unions worldwide pledge full support to the campaign by our French brothers and sisters," commented ICEM General Secretary Vic Thorpe. "Michelin has long been known as a patriarchal, arrogant employer. If this company is to drag itself into the twentieth century, it does not have much time left."

French Unions Call Michelin Action

UPM Kymmene, one for world’s leading papermakers, is causing job loss and social destruction in its homeland—Finland—as well as in Canada. Last week, two 24-hour strikes shut production at both the firm’s wood operations and papermaking mills in Finland. A strike on 4 November by 7,500 paperworkers called by ICEM affiliate Paperiliitto and one two days earlier by 3,500 woodworkers was caused by UPM’s decision to retrench 672 jobs in the Finnish woodworking sector by closure of three operations and production curtailments at another two. Paperiliitto is also battling UPM’s hard wage and other talks in the paper sector.

UPM Kymmene Bringing Labour Unrest Home to Finland

The ICEM registered a strong letter of protest last week with the government of Serbia-Montenegro over the police beating of Electric Power of Serbia (EPS) Trade Union member Dragan Teofilovic. The trade unionist for the Electric Power Distribution Company of Belgrade was summoned 8 November to a police station where he was questioned over his participation in a strike last summer. Teofilovic then suffered head and arm injuries at the hands of a police inspector. EPS Trade Union said the incident is further proof that the government systematically violates human and trade union rights.

ICEM Protests Serbian Police Brutality over Electric Industry Strike

Swedish affiliate Sif held its Congress in Göteberg on 15-18 November and used a novel working method to discuss issues that replaced lengthy plenary sessions common to many congresses. The 180 delegates attending participated in 11 detailed consultative sessions that were aided by networked computers. The system, first introduced at the 2000 Congress but further refined at last week’s event, facilitated much greater delegate participation in producing consultative documents and summaries of spontaneous discussions. These were then put to a final plenary for approval. Delegates also re-elected President Mari-Ann Krantz and elected two new Vice Presidents, Peter Hellberg and Stefan Carlsson.

Sif of Sweden Holds Congress

China’s coal mines have come under global scrutiny due to weekly disasters that claim the lives of thousands of miners each year. But yet another mine disaster this past weekend has gained headlines. On 20 November, a mass fire spreading across five iron ore mines in Shahe city, Hebei province, claimed the lives of 57 miners with another three still missing. The fire in the privately-run mine was caused by an electric cable that ignited and then spread when flames engulfed wood pillars.

Chinese Iron Ore Operations Latest to Face Safety Deaths

Union leaders at DeBeers’ operations in Botswana, Namibia and South Africa met in Cape Town the week of 22 November for a globalisation school, and concluded the week with strong support for workers victimized by Debswana, the joint venture between DeBeers and Botswana’s government. At a Diamond Employees Network meeting on 27-28 November, the leaders pledged to work through individual DeBeers worksites in the three countries to urge the company to drop charges against 451 Debswana workers, members of the Botswana Mining Workers’ Union (BMWU) who participated in a strike last August.

Union Leaders from DeBeers Hold Conference

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