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Global worker No1 2022

Global worker No2 2022

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In countries where national unions are vulnerable or enterprise unions predominate, the IMF will work with affiliates to promote national unity and strengthened national structures.  This includes developing strategies to prevent workers' organisations from being played off against one another or becoming dependent on management. Using tools such as Country Councils, the IMF will work to avoid competition and encourage co-operation and solidarity between workers. Given that strong national unions are often born out of different historical backgrounds, it is necessary to seek unity of action even when unification into a single national union is not realistic. The IMF will focus its attention on ensuring that the unions we support have the capacity to organise, bargain and prioritise work on a national level, and that different unions within a country work in concert in the interests of all metalworkers.In countries where labour legislation does not permit national unions, the IMF will work with national centres, other global unions, and the ITUC to assist workers and their unions in overturning laws that prevent workers from forming national unions.To assist affiliates in achieving unity at the national level, the IMF will:<ul><li>Utilise IMF Country Council structures to build greater unity and solidarity in action; and</li><li>Focus its union building activities in countries where affiliates are predominantly enterprise-level unions in TNC's on the strengthening of national structures, and on building unity among unions by encouraging changes in union structures.</li></ul>IMF affiliates will:<ul><li>Work with other affiliates at the national level to build common positions and platforms on issues affecting metalworkers, particularly collective bargaining.</li></ul>

Preface

3. GLOBAL SOLIDARITY IN ACTION

3.3 Defend and protect workers rights

1. OUR MISSION

2. THE WORLD TODAY

2.1 Profits over people

2.2 Unemployment and job insecurity

2.3 Unions under attack

2.4 Fundamental workers´ rights denied

2.5 Spreading influence of Transnational Corporations

2.6 World trade system in disarray

2.7 An unsustainable future

2.8 Alliances, resistance and opportunities

3.1 Build strong national trade unions

3.1.1 Organise the unorganised

3.1.2 Strive for trade union unity at the national level

3.1.3 Build unions through education, training and effective exchange of information

3.2 Strengthening collective bargaining

3.3.1 Fight for trade union rights

3.3.2 Fight for Equal Rights

3.3.3 Fight for safe workplaces

3.4 Build a counterweight to the power of transnational corporations

3.4.1 Strengthening union solidarity and cooperation across sectors and TNCs

3.4.2 Advance fundamental rights through International Framework Agreements

Given the enormous challenges working people face in today's globalised economy, organising remains a basic task for all trade unions and organising drives should be carried out by IMF affiliates themselves.The shift from secure to insecure forms of employment, the attacks on trade union rights and the fragmentation of collective bargaining systems has seriously eroded our capacity to organise and effectively represent the interests of workers.  In addition to that the structural change in employment, in particular in the developed countries has resulted in a decline in the proportion of blue-collar workers who are traditionally well organized and an increase in the proportion of highly educated and non-manual workers.  The trade unions have found it more difficult to organise these workers.To win and defend metalworkers' rights, we need strong, national unions in all countries. Therefore, one of the key objectives of the IMF is to encourage workers to build independent, democratic and representative national unions that are autonomous from employers, political parties and governments. This includes overcoming weaknesses in existing unions and, where required, building new unions capable of tackling the challenges of today.However, it is not only a question of what unions do. In some countries, such as Belarus, Colombia, Thailand and the Philippines, governments and companies actively work to eliminate trade union structures, murder and intimidate activists or alternatively to fragment union structures and encourage enterprise level unionism, which seriously undermines the possibility for trade union strength.  All workers, regardless of their status, must have the right to organize.  The IMF and its affiliates must fight for legislation that allows workers to make their own decisions regarding their representative structures, and will pressure companies to always respect workers' decisions instead of hiding behind national laws when these do not conform to internationally recognized labour rights.IMF affiliates will:<ul><li>Prioritise organising as a key means of building union strength at the national level;</li><li>Utilise organising strategies at the sectoral level and in key TNCs;</li><li>Provide practical solidarity support to unions attempting to organise workers anywhere, particularly along the supply chain of TNCs, and including in the affiliate's home country; </li><li>Fight to remove legal barriers which prevent precarious workers from joining national unions;</li><li>Step-up organising of non-manual workers, who account for a growing part of the workforce, to build greater solidarity and bargaining strength; and </li><li>Push for the elimination of legal restrictions on the right to organise for non-manual workers. </li></ul>To assist affiliates in organising, the IMF will:<ul><li>Support unions in developing their own organising campaigns and strategies, particularly for organising women, migrants, youth, and workers in precarious employment;</li><li>Strengthen its efforts to raise awareness about organising non-manual workers' in all regions, promote the exchange of information and experiences on organising tools and policies, and address topics of special relevance to non-manual workers; </li><li>Identify and develop union organising opportunities with affiliates, especially where TNC investments create new or growing concentrations of workers. The IMF Executive Committee, informed by the Regions, will prioritise the countries which should be the focus of this work. This will include countries such as China where the IMF currently has no affiliates;</li><li>Utilise IFAs or other means to develop cross-border organising campaigns;</li><li>Co-ordinate organising activities:</li><li>throughout supply chains by targetting contractors and workers in different forms of precarious employment;</li><li>in EPZs, where workers' rights are ignored and exploited; and</li><li>wherever multi-company, or multi-plant organising campaigns could be co-ordinated;</li><li>Provide forums for the exchange of information and experiences;</li><li>Provide training on issues relevant for organising and keeping members; and</li><li>Support national efforts to bring about changes in legislation to protect the right to organise and bargaining collectively by working together with other GUFs, the ITUC, the TUAC, and the ILO.</li></ul>IMF will provide assistance to trade unions that:<ul><li>are committed to activities leading to self-reliance;</li><li>have established their own priorities and identified their needs;</li><li>are working in accordance with the IMF Action Programme;</li><li>are building union structures that respond to workers' needs locally and internationally and that include women at all levels;</li><li>are able to organise activities or are prepared to closely co-operate with the appropriate IMF regional office;</li><li>are building union structures that are democratic, and independent of political parties and employers;</li><li>are ready to co-operate with other IMF affiliates at local, national and international level; and</li><li>are confronting and fighting repressive governments.</li></ul>

The IMF will only be as strong as its affiliates and will only have the power its affiliates give to it. Therefore, our priority is building strong national trade unions that, in a permanent democratic relationship with workers, are capable of achieving real gains through collective bargaining, by organising the unorganised, striving for trade union unity at the national level and building unions through training, education and effective exchange of information.

The global economy is in the throes of a unique crisis. The ideology that unbridled greed for profits is the driving force behind human progress has been discredited. What we need is a new approach where politics and economics serve the development of society and quality employment. The current crisis is not only the result of misjudgements and misguided developments in the market, or the result of overheating financial markets. It is entirely the result of the ideology of an unrestrained market and economic and political policies directed at maximising  short term profits.  On a positive note however, while undoubtedly the next four years of the International Metalworkers´Federation work will be tough and difficult, the current economic situation also provides us with a real opportunity to create a new international development model that rivals that of neoliberalism and is based on regulation, fairness, equality, sustainability and decent trade union and labour rights.Therefore, the fundamental mission of the trade union movement is more than ever to improve workers' wages, working and living conditions, and to ensure that workers and workers' rights are respected. The mission of the IMF is to work towards the achievement of these goals in metal­working and related industries by working with its  affiliates and on the global level.Today, corporate-led globalisation is still massively infringing on the rights of workers. The policies promoted by employers, most governments and the international institutions they dominate have resulted in increased economic inequality, precarious employment and a reduction in the bargaining power of working people around the world. Recognizing that union building/organising and collective bargaining are at the heart of our work, metalworker unions must organise and mobilise union members to challenge the neo-liberal agenda of corporations and most governments, and ensure working people have a fair share in the wealth generated through economic growth. The goal of the IMF is to support, coordinate and strengthen the activities of its affiliates to:<ul><li>Improve workers' wages, working and living conditions;</li><li>Organise new members into democratic workers' unions throughout the world;</li><li>Build and strengthen national metalworking unions;</li><li>Ensure that internationally recognized Core Labour Standards are applied in every country and that national laws are changed to reflect these standards; </li><li>Defend and protect workers' rights; </li><li>Fight for safe and healthy working conditions;</li><li>Make women's rights, interests, and representation one of the highest priorities;</li><li>Struggle for sustainable economic growth that protects the environment and improves social conditions; </li><li>Strengthen the power and unity of trade unions to build a counterweight to the power of transnational corporations (TNCs), including their power over the allocation of employment and investment; </li><li>Struggle for fair trade, social justice and the elimination of poverty; and</li><li>Support and build solidarity with countries and governments who promote progressive policies aimed at delivering fairness, equality and social sustainability.</li></ul>It is clear that trade unions cannot achieve these goals only at the national level.  National initiatives must be complemented with international action in order to be successful For this reason the role of the IMF is to:<ul><li>Unite national metalworking trade unions in a global union structure capable of mobilising its membership in solidarity at all levels wherever and whenever required;</li><li>Bring unions together to share information, overcome conflicts of interest and build common strategies;</li><li>Coordinate solidarity and support for affiliates during major disputes or when fundamental workers' rights are infringed;</li><li>Provide information on developments that affect the activities of metalworker unions; </li><li>Actively voice the concerns and interests of metalworkers in effective and innovative ways that involve and mobilise trade union members and bring the IMF into the daily activities of affiliate unions; </li><li>Direct resources and solidarity support towards building strong national unions in countries where unions are weak or non-existent;</li><li>Support trade union education that tackles core trade union activities such as organising, collective bargaining, defending workers' rights and international solidarity;</li><li>Coordinate an international strategy for building unionism in TNCs and their suppliers at the sectoral and enterprise levels.  Challenge the power of TNCs by developing the capacity to bargain collectively at the international level - based on a case by case mandate from the affiliates and by such means as sharing information and experiences among affiliates  and building on the work of negotiating, implementing and monitoring International Framework Agreements (IFAs);</li><li>Expose and challenge governments that violate fundamental trade union rights or interfere in the functioning of independent trade union bodies;</li><li>Represent the interests of metalworkers in international bodies which take decisions affecting jobs and employment conditions, such as the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), International Monetary Fund, World Bank and the World Trade Organization (WTO);</li><li>Work with other Global Union Federations (GUFs), the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and the Trade Union Advisory Committee (TUAC) to the OECD to pursue closer cooperation and action in the interests of affiliates; and</li><li>Build, whenever possible, dialogue, alliances and joint actions with appropriate political and social organisations. </li><li>Affiliates of the IMF will make significant contributions to the attainment of our goals by:</li><li>Strengthening their political influence, capacities, and resources through organising and collective bargaining at the national level;</li><li>Sharing information and actively communicating with the IMF and other affiliates at the national, regional, and international level;</li><li>Engaging in the regional and global structures of the IMF;</li><li>Supporting each other during disputes or when fundamental workers' rights are violated;</li><li>Participating in international actions and international networks organised through the IMF; and</li><li>Giving visibility to international trade union action by incorporating IMF co-ordinated activities in day-to-day trade union work. </li></ul>Ultimately, to achieve our goals, the IMF must go beyond simple coordination and become a truly global trade union organization that is able to counteract social and economic challenges and is based on the principles of independence and democracy following the mandates given by the decision-making bodies.

In the process of developing a new Action Programme we see the strengths of the International Metalworkers' Federation. We find that the things that unite us are much greater than the things that divide us.  In the borderless world of today, we share common experiences, challenges and an analysis of the situation facing workers globally. This common ground helps the IMF family to decide upon the direction we will take in order to tackle the problems metalworkers confront every day. The fact that this Action Programme was adopted in the midst of a global economic crisis is not insignificant. But we didn't need the global crisis to understand that the neoliberal model that used to dominate the world was destructive to workers' rights and social development. This IMF Action Programme adopted at the 32nd World Congress puts increased emphasis on concrete action and what IMF affiliates can accomplish together through global solidarity. In order to maximise our influence we need to mobilise the forces of the whole IMF family.We have to invest more resources in organising everywhere.  We will systematically target transnational companies that are reluctant to allow workers to exercise their fundamental rights.The campaign against precarious employment becomes solidified in this document.  The Programme recognises that we need to say and do more on the question of sustainable development and combating global warming. Building trade union networks in transnational companies offers a possibility for exchange of information and joint action to make sure that enterprises behave well wherever they operate.  Union building programmes help us strengthen trade unions where they are weak.This Action Programme contains exciting and challenging new commitments for IMF affiliates to respond with real and effective action to build stronger unions and when workers' rights are violated.  If we work together to implement this Action Programme, we can achieve our mission. In solidarity,Jyrki Raina, IMF General SecretaryJune 2009

PREFACE

GENEVA: Union Roadshow: Organisning EPZ workers in Indonesia hit the big screen this year at the third annual Geneva Labour Film Shorts Festival. The film, produced by the International Metalworkers' Federation, was one of fourteen films selected to be shown.&quot;It has always been extremely difficult for unions to organise EPZ workers, with employers and even governments crushing unionisation attempts,&quot; said Jenny Holdcroft, IMF's Director of Equal Rights and EPZs and one of the film's producers. &quot;But in Indonesia, unions are helping workers to move from temporary contracts to permanent employment. Wages are increasing and so is union membership.&quot;The video showcases the successful organising strategies that Indonesian unions are using to organise EPZ workers. The IMF is hoping that the lessons learned in Indonesia may inspire unions in other parts of the world to intensify their efforts to organise EPZ workers.Other films screened at the festival include a Bollywood meets 1970s horror flick health and safety training video for Indian mine workers; a satire on U.S. immigration policy; the story of Palestinian migrant workers living in an abandoned mall outside of Tel Aviv; and the festival's winner for Best Labour Film Short, Abandoned, not forgotten: the plight of Burma's migrant fishers which exposes the brutal treatment of migrants working in Thailand's billion dollar export fishing industry. The event took place on June 16 and was hosted by all global union federations, the ITUC and TUAC. For more information visit the festival website at: <a href="http://www.labourfilmshorts.org/">http://www.labourfilmshorts.org/</a>.Union Roadshow can be viewed online here.<object></object>

The third annual Geneva Labour Film Shorts Festival debuted fourteen films made by, for and about unions.

IMF&#039;s Union Roadshow screened at film festival

<img src="" alt="" title="Berthold Huber" width="120" height="134" align="right" />Berthold Huber was elected President of the International Metalworkers' Federation in May 2009, at the 32nd World Congress in Gothenburg.Born in February 15, 1950, in Ulm/Donau Germany, Berthold Huber has been a member of IG Metall since 1971. He completed his apprenticeship as a toolmaker and was employed at Kässbohrer (now Evo-Bus) in Ulm. In 1978 he became head of the Kässbohrer works council and general works council. In 1990 he became a full-time officer for IG Metall in East Germany and in 1991 the Director of President's Office. In 1998 Mr. Huber became Regional Director for Baden-Wuerttemberg before becoming Vice President of IG Metall in 2003. He has been President of IG Metall since 2007.

Berthold Huber, IMF President

MEXICO: The IMF calls on Mexican authorities to urgently investigate the assassination of a well-known workers' rights advocate, Dr. Manual Arroyo Galván in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, on May 29.Dr. Arroyo cooperated with the IMF on a range of worker rights projects and research on working conditions in the maquiladoras. Dr. Arroyo was a professor of sociology at the Autonomous University of Ciudad Juárez and had been involved for many years with different social justice organizations, including the &quot; Organización Popular Independiente&quot; which he formed.He was  currently writing a book to call on the social movements to join forces to improve human rights and working conditions in the maquiladoras and was a long time advocate and coordinator for the campaign to defend freedom of association and labour rights in Ciudad Juárez.Dr. Arroyo was 44 years old and was shot six times in the head on the open streets in Ciudad Juárez, but so far no perpetrator has been arrested. According to the Friedrich Ebert Foundation in Mexico D.F (FESMEX), Dr. Arroyo is the seventh university professor killed in the last two years. All of those killed have been involved in non-government organization activity or human and labour rights projects. Ciudad Juárez is one of the most violent cities in Mexico. In the last year around 1600 people have been victims of violence and in most cases these crimes have not been investigated and have gone unpunished, despite the fact that some 8500 soldiers are stationed in the city.The IMF joins the international labour movement in mourning Dr. Manuel Arroyo Galvan's death and  demands  that the State of Chihuahua and the Federal Government  take urgent action to identify and punish those guilty of his murder, and to guarantee the right to life and physical integrity of human rights defenders and the population in Ciudad  Juárez.

The international labour community mourns the death of labour and human rights defender, Dr. Manual Arroyo Galván, and calls for an immediate and transparent investigation.

Renowned social activist assassinated in Mexico

GLOBAL: On the third day of the IMF World Congress, delegates debated and adopted section 3.4 and section 3.5, thereby adopting the IMF Action Programme 2009-2013 in its entirety unanimously.Speaking in support of section 3.4 Build a counterweight to the power of transnational corporations Bernardo Rangel Sergio (SITIMM, Mexico) said, &quot;We need a global policy to counter the power of TNCs with increased cooperation between unions to ensure greater equity.&quot;Bob King (UAW, USA) pledged his personal commitment and urged others to join him in engaging and involving members in direct action in the fight to build union power.Valter Sanches (CNM-CUT, Brazil) introduced section 3.5 Fight for sustainable trade, development and employment and argued that while countries have the right to protect themselves during this time of crisis, indiscriminate protectionism was not the answer.Wolfgang Rhode (IG Metall, Germany) supported section 3.5 and the work of the IMF on this topic and stated that, &quot;For weaker countries we need exceptions, developing countries need enough room to develop.&quot;Upon adoption of these two sections, the IMF World Congress thereby unanimously adopted an action programme focused on building strong national unions, strengthening collective bargaining, defending workers' rights, building a counterweight to the power of transnational corporations and fighting for sustainable trade, development and employment.As first introduced by Julius Roe (AMWU, Australia), the chair person of the Action Programme Committee, during the Congress on the second day, &quot;the things that unite us are much greater than the things that divide us. This is an action program which can lead to more effective solidarity, better rights for workers, growing union power and a real challenge to neo-liberalism.&quot;

Building strong national unions, strengthening collective bargaining, defending workers' rights, building a counterweight to the power of transnational corporations and fighting for sustainable trade, development and employment will be at the heart of IMF's work over the next four years.

&quot;A real challenge to neo-liberalism&quot;

CANADA:  More than 5,000 members of the United Steelworkers went on strike on July 13 in defense of theirs jobs and conditions achieved over 20 years at Vale Inco, the Canadian operations of Brazilian multinational Vale.The workers went on strike after the company would only accept to renew the collective agreement if the workers represented by USW agreed to a drastic reduction in conditions and increased job insecurity. Despite having made US$13.2 billion profit last year, and currently with US$22 billion in cash assets on hand, Vale's final offer insisted on creating a two-tiered pension plan, slashing the nickel bonus and seriously damaging seniority rights.The members belonging to USW locals in Sudbury, Port Colborne and Voisey's Bay have created a campaign website at <a href="http://www.FairDealNOW.ca">www.FairDealNOW.ca</a> where details and updates about the dispute are available. In a letter to the community published on their website the striking USW members write, &quot;Vale, the new owner who currently is a massively profitable multinational from Brazil, has chosen to use the current economic conditions as simply an excuse to extract deep long-term cuts with little regard for maintaining the family incomes that sustain our communities.&quot;The IMF, affiliates CNM-CUT and USW, and other unions present in Vale are continuing to work together in support of the striking USW members and urge you to also show solidarity by sending letters of support to the workers in Canada. A copy of a template letter is published on the IMF website.Send letters to:<ul><li>USW Local 6500 (Sudbury)</li><li>USW Local 6200 (Port Colborne)</li><li>USW Local 9508 (Voisey's Bay)</li></ul>By email to: <a href="mailto:communications@usw.ca">communications@usw.ca</a> or <a href="mailto:info@fairdealnow.ca">info@fairdealnow.ca</a>  or By fax to: +1 416 487 8479Please send copies to IMF at: <a href="mailto:info@imfmetal.org">info@imfmetal.org</a>Or by fax to: +41 22 308 5055

IMF calls on affiliates to send letters of solidarity to striking Steelworkers at Vale Inco in Canada.

Template solidarity letter to striking Vale workers in Canada

Vale solidarity letter IF Metall

Vale solidarity letter MMWU

Support striking workers at Vale in Canada

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