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ITALY: The SKF Trade Union World Council examined how the world financial crisis is impacting on workers and what measures the company had taken to minimise the effects at a meeting from September 2 to 4 in Turin, Italy.Attended by SKF CEO, Tom Johnstone and trade unions from SKF operations around the world, the meeting heard how production has dropped by 37 per cent in the last 14 months on a global basis. Because of the decrease in demand, 3,800 workers had been made redundant and approximately 2,000 are subject to different programmes. Additionally 18,000 workers are under some form of shorter working time programme, which have been done through government programmes in some countries and through agreements with trade unions in other countries.In June, the company announced that the factory in Fontenay, France will close and 380 employees will lose their jobs. The SKF World Council expressed their solidarity and support with the French unions on their demand to the management to review the decision.During reports from trade union representatives from Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, UK and the U.S. the main issue discussed was how the financial crisis had hit and influenced the situation at subsidiaries in the country. Most plants have had redundancies and/or short time work to be able to handle the situation in the best way for workers.The World Council also discussed how cooperation could be increased by strengthening the networking between the SKF unions by creating a database hosted by the IMF and administered by the network.

SKF World Council of trade unions meet and discuss the impact of the financial crisis on workers and how the unions can strengthen their global network.

SKF workers tackling financial crisis together

IMF Mexican affiliates, together with members of the National Council of Metalworkers CNTM-FITIM, held a national meeting in support of the IMF global campaign against precarious work on October 7 in Mexico City.  The aim of the meeting was to take stock of the disastrous consequences precarious working conditions have on workers.  In addition, this meeting was in line with implementing an IMF 2009 Congress resolution on precarious work and the economic crisis.  In fighting precarious work, IMF Mexican affiliates agreed on:  a) asking for the reopening of the IMF Office in Mexico to devise strategies and programs to reach out to more Mexican unions; b) seeking the IMF support to an organizing campaign, including the presence of union activists in unorganized working places; c) holding a meeting of IMF Mexican affiliates in Guanajuato, on 20 November 2009, to establish strategies and a program of activities for 2010 focusing on the fight against precarious work.

MEXICO

GLOBAL: In conjunction with the global week of action against precarious work, IMF today released a new report of a survey that focused on the experiences of migrant workers in the metal industry. IMF affiliates from every region of the world responded to the survey, providing vital information about the status and conditions of migrant workers in the metal industry, as well as the problems unions face in organizing them. The survey findings clearly show that migrant workers are currently being employed in all sectors of the metal industry. It also showed that overwhelmingly they are only offered precarious employment contracts.Other key findings of the survey include:<ul><li>Wages paid to migrant workers are generally less than for local workers in similar jobs</li><li>Deductions from wages for accommodation, transport etc are commonly made</li><li>Even where it is prohibited by law, migrant workers in the metal industry are being required to pay fees to recruitment agencies</li><li>Migrant workers face significant problems in accessing social security, legal and health systems</li><li>The unionisation rate of migrant workers is extremely low, in most cases less than 20 per cent</li><li>It is very difficult for unions to make contact with migrant workers</li></ul>The report provides information on ways that IMF affiliates are supporting migrant workers. It confirms that there are many obstacles to migrant workers joining a union, including cultural and language barriers, but that the biggest obstacle to unionization is workers' fear. Included in the report are many examples of how IMF affiliates are working to improve the rights of migrant workers, with the goal of ensuring equal pay and conditions with local workers. The report is available on the IMF website in <a href="../files/09100613304266/IMFmigrantworkers.pdf" target="_blank">English</a> and <a href="../files/09100714174866/IMFmigrantworkersES.pdf" target="_blank">Spanish</a>.Strategies for organizing migrant workers in the metal industry will be further discussed at an IMF global conference taking place in Bangkok on November 11-12 , 'Migrant Workers as Precarious Workers'.

According to the results of a new IMF survey, migrant workers in the metal industry work in precarious jobs, earn lower wages than local workers and are less likely to be members of a trade union.

Migrant workers in the metal industry: results of the IMF survey

New report shows disadvantage faced by migrant workers in the metal industry

INDONESIA: Unions from seven Asian countries came together in Batam, Indonesia on September 30 to share successful strategies for organizing workers in Export Processing Zones (EPZs). The island of Batam is itself an EPZ where IMF Indonesian affiliates FSPMI and Lomenik-SBSI have managed to organize many of the factories located there.Delegates once again emphasized the poor quality of jobs in EPZs and the enormous difficulties that must be surmounted in order to make contact with workers and organize them. Precarious employment is endemic in EPZs, wages are low and often underpaid and working hours are excessive, in many cases exceeding legal maximum hours. Unions are restricted from entering EPZs and so are forced to find alternative means to reach workers.Given the high percentage of women workers in EPZs, at times up to 90 per cent, affiliates reaffirmed the importance of ensuring that women take on leadership roles and are given training to be active in the union.Wages emerged as a key issue to organize around with some unions taking action in support of increases to the minimum wage. In other cases unions have discovered workers being underpaid and have motivated them to join the union by helping them ensure they are paid correct wages.All unions involved in EPZ organizing stressed the value of taking organizing beyond the workplace and into communities. Delegates from TEAM in Thailand said that organizing in the communities where workers live helps raise the profile of the union and creates a positive impression. In the Philippines, workers that have been laid off organize on the ground in their communities. One union in India has a special unit dedicated to helping members address their social needs. This can involve assistance in securing places in school for workers' children, or support in applying for a bank loan.At the same time as organizing, unions are taking action at the political level to persuade governments of the negative impacts of their EPZ policies. In India there is strong resistance from unions and other social groupings to the government's policy to promote SEZs, or Special Economic Zones. The net outcome of constructing an SEZ is often the opposite of the stated intention, namely the loss of jobs and reduction in incomes. This is because construction of an SEZ involves massive displacement of people dependent on agricultural, fisheries and related self-employment. The meeting concluded that unions must work on two fronts: to organize EPZ workers and improve their working conditions and at the same to force governments to reconsider whether their EPZ policies promote sustainable industries and employment.

Throughout Asia, EPZ workers face the worst working conditions and the most obstacles to joining a trade union. But unions in the region are developing creative ways to reach EPZ workers and improve their working lives.

Unions rise to challenge of EPZ organising

Die polnische Mitgliedsorganisation NSZZ „Solidarność&quot; hat das Flugblatt ins polnische übersetzt und wird es während der Aktionswoche in der gesamten Organisation verteilen.<a href="../files/09100109463610005/PW_Poland.pdf">Die polnische Version kann als pdf-Datei vom Internet heruntergeladen werden.</a>

POLEN

Det polska IMF-förbundet NSZZ Solidarność har översatt broschyren till polska och kommer att sprida den inom organisationen under aktionsveckan.<a href="../files/09100109463610005/PW_Poland.pdf">Ladda ned den polska versionen som pdf-fil.</a>

De globala facken IFS, ICEM. ITGLWF &amp; IMF kommer att vara i Turkiet torsdagen den 1 oktober för att träffa Turkiets arbetsmarknads- och socialförsäkringsminister Ömer Dincer i Ankara.Fredagen den 2 oktober kl. 11.00 anordnar delegationen från de globala facken en presskonferens om otryggt arbete Turkiet.Birlesik Metal-IsBirlesik Metal Is anordnar ett solidaritetsevenemang på kvällen den 3 oktober. Det kommer att kopplas till Sinter Metals kamp. IMFs film skall visas och en turkisk version av IMFs affisch och flygblad skall distribueras.

TURKIET

SIERDas Zentralkomitee der SIER beabsichtigt, eine öffentliche Sondersitzung über die globale Aktion gegen prekäre Beschäftigung durchzuführen und alle Medien einzuladen. Zudem wird die SIER eine Sonderausgabe ihres Info-Magazins herausgeben. Auf der Titelseite wird das Logo der Kampagne gegen prekäre Beschäftigung abgedruckt.Weiterhin ist vorgesehen, am 1. und 2. Oktober mit der neuen Führung der GSM Nezavisnost ein gemeinsames Seminar durchzuführen, das sich u.a. mit der Frage der prekären Beschäftigung befasst.

MAZEDONIEN

In Serbia, l'affiliata alla FISM, il sindacato metalmeccanico Nezavisnost, porterà avanti diverse attività:•·        Insieme ai colleghi della Repubblica della Macedonia organizzeremo un seminario congiunto su &quot;Il lavoro precario&quot;, che si svolgerà a Ohrid, Macedonia.•·        Dal 3 al 10 ottobre si svolgeranno riunioni tematiche nei nostri uffici regionali in tutta la Serbia, imperniate sulla tematica &quot;Il lavoro precario e lo stress che ne consegue&quot;.•·        Distribuzione di materiale promozionale relativo ai dipendenti di aziende che impiegano personale con un contratto a durata indeterminata o sulle cooperative giovanili.

SERBIA

&#160;In Ucraina, le organizzazioni affiliate alla FISM prevedono di distribuire volantini ed informare i lavoratori sulla minaccia rappresentata dal lavoro precario.

UCRAINA

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