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It is not very often that we see the major French trade unions united in a common struggle. So when it does happen, it has an enormous impact, not just on the mass media, but especially on the result. 
Like the Italian and, more recently, German trade unions, the French have picked up the fight against employers and "friendly" governments for the official pension age to be retained at 60. Last week, more than 300,000 people representing both the public and private sectors walked hand-in-hand through the major cities of France to demonstrate their disagreement with the French Employers' Association (Medef) and its attempt to raise the retirement age from 60 to 65. 
The huge demonstration was brought about when the Medef walked out of negotiations and launched a campaign to persuade companies to stop paying any further contributions into their pension funds. By doing so, they would put these pension funds in a very difficult situation. 
In an attempt to excuse their behaviour, the employers, through the Medef, claimed they had actually ceased paying contributions into these funds because the previous pension agreement expired on December 31, 2000, and there was no longer an agreement in force. 
This is, of course, utter nonsense. 
The issue of pensions is on the top of the agenda of the trade union movement in Europe, and we can expect many more and important fights over pension rights in the future. Economists, liberal and conservative politicians and others as well have tried to make pension systems the scapegoat for their economic and financial problems, claiming they are too expensive, too generous, that they are the major cause for state budget deficits, etc. etc. 
These are some of the arguments which have been used to try to convince people to accept fundamental changes in the system. 
Pension funds are constituted of money that workers have given up receiving as part of their salary, that is "deferred pay." They are huge collective savings which are supposed to be used for productive investments and to guarantee retired workers a decent standard of living after a long working life. 
What we should discuss is the freedom for each one of us to be able to choose a flexible pension age within certain limits. In the Nordic countries, this type of option has existed for many years, and in Sweden it was the metalworkers' union which was instrumental in introducing such a system. This type of arrangement must also be possible in Germany, Italy, France and elsewhere. 
The other question which I believe has to be discussed is how to use the huge sums of money which are invested and which rightfully belong to the workers for productive and ethical investments. Here we can learn from the experiences of American trade unions. These funds cannot be left in the hands of a few gamblers. They have to be used for good, long-term, productive investments which do not undermine jobs and the livelihoods of the workers who contribute to them. 
Those who insist on trying to use the issue of pensions and retirement for their political purposes should take heed from the experiences of the populist conservative leader of Forza Italia, Mr. Berlusconi. When he was in power, he tried to get his hands on the pension funds, but the Italian trade unions responded by bringing one million people onto the streets of Rome. A few days later, Berlusconi's government had to leave office. 
So please, Employers and Governments, hands off the pension funds!

Retirement at 60

AMERICAS: On January 29, 2001, DaimlerChrysler, the world's fifth largest automaker, made known the next move in its aggressive plan to turn around the lossmaking Chrysler division. Blaming its problems on intense competition and the slowdown of the U.S. economy, Chrysler intends to reduce its workforce by 26,000 - or 20 per cent - over the next three years, and cut manufacturing capacity through the closure of six of its manufacturing plants by the end of 2002. 
With regard to workforce reductions, unions are pushing for early retirement incentives in an attempt to lessen the impact on the workers and their families. The company has said that approximately 75 per cent of the job cuts would occur during 2001, mostly through retirement and attrition. Some 23,000 jobs will be lost in the U.S. and Canada, 2,600 in Mexico, and 500 in South America. The company will offer early retirement incentives to about 23,700 hourly and 4,920 salaried employees in the U.S. and Canada, thus the number of layoffs will depend on how many accept the retirement programmes. 
Of the six plant closures, one is in the U.S. and five in Mexico and South America. 
The Chrysler Group president and chief executive officer, Dieter Zetsche, has said that solutions would be "in line with the framework of our current labour contracts." The 1999 four-year collective agreements reached with the UAW in the U.S. and the CAW in Canada stipulate there will be no plant closures during this period. 
CAW president, Buzz Hargrove, has stated that there will be "no concessions or opening of contracts." However, the company is planning to cut shifts or reduce the manufacturing rate in seven plants in Canada and the U.S. and hourly workers who get laid off will receive 95 per cent of their take-home pay.

Announcing extensive restructuring, the auto multinational's Chrysler Group will cut 26,000 jobs and close six plants.

DaimlerChrysler layoffs are devastating

GENEVA: In an urgent letter to IMF affiliates, its general secretary, Marcello Malentacchi, is strongly urging them to make donations to the people suffering from the recent natural catastrophes in India and El Salvador. 
Malentacchi says that the tragedies which have devastated Central America and India, with thousands of casualties and huge losses of property for people who were already living in poor conditions, cannot be overlooked. Hundreds of thousands of people in El Salvador and India have lost everything they own. 
In his letter, Malentacchi appeals to "all metalworkers in the world to make donations to the people suffering from such tragedies. Help can be channelled through humanitarian organisations which are already operating in the regions concerned, such as the Red Cross, Caritas, Medicins Sans Frontières." 
Malentacchi's letter to IMF affiliates ends with an IMF message of solidarity to all the people hit by these tragedies.

The International Metalworkers' Federation calls on its affiliates to help the victims of the earthquakes in India and El Salvador.

IMF appeals for help for victims of the earthquakes

GREAT BRITAIN: Over 10,000 people took part in a mass demonstration at the General Motors Vauxhall plant in Luton on Saturday, January 20, in protest over the unilateral decision taken by GM to close its Luton plant in 2002. The company did not consult the plant's workers or their unions over its plan, resulting in workers learning about their job loss through the mass media. 
Taking part in the march in addition to the 2,000-plus Vauxhall employees and their families were many others who will be affected by the cost-cutting measures drawn up by GM's U.S. management. There were workers from GM parts suppliers, and workers from other GM plants in the UK and the European mainland which will be affected by the GM decision. Among those supporting their British colleagues were workers from Spain, Belgium and Germany, as well as representatives from the European Trade Union Confederation and the IMF. 
During the protest rally, trade union leaders and members of Parliament voiced strong demands for GM to reverse its decision, which, they said, not only ignores GM's obligations under European law but is also contrary to the commitment given for the Luton plant two years ago when the UK government provided some £40 million to reequip the plant and secure its future. One of the speakers at the rally, the general secretary of the Transport &amp; General Workers' Union, Bill Morris, demanded of GM a "change of mind and a change of policy." He added that "the argument is not just about economics, but it is also about morality. We signed an agreement, we have delivered the productivity targets the company set, we have good industrial relations, produce cars of excellent quality, and what's more, the plant is profitable. But the 'reward' for the town, for the community and the workers is closure." 
A message sent to the rally on behalf of the United Auto Workers' GM Department in the U.S. pledged solidarity in opposing GM's efforts to downsize their operations and stated that GM decisions "seem to be made without regard to the effects on the communities of which they are a part or the families of our members who are affected. As you are aware, General Motors has closed or sold off over 40 major manufacturing operations affecting large numbers of our members... In the United States the downsizing came about because of faulty and short-term corporate decisions that cost General Motors marketshare and customers... We understand the concerns that you are facing and wish you well in your efforts to protect your members." 
A Europe-wide day of action on January 25 will see the participation of employees and their unions from all GM's European locations. They reject plant closures due to bad management and are demanding job guarantees for Luton, Ellesmere Port and other locations, plus future job guarantees.

GM's Vauxhall workers are fighting to keep their jobs.

Resistance grows over Vauxhall Luton plant

10,000 attend protest rally

GENEVA: Marcello Malentacchi, IMF general secretary, has welcomed the new Porto Alegre initiative as an alternative to the World Economic Forum in Davos. He has for some time proposed establishing an alternative, that is a labour movement alternative, to the Davos forum. 
Trade unions, he says, with all their experience and pragmatism, provide the only realistic counterweight to unfettered capitalism. Consequently, the initiative for the World Social Forum, taking place in Porto Alegre, Brazil, during the same period as the World Economic Forum, January 25-30, 2001, can provide a new international arena for opening up a debate about globalisation from a social perspective. 
Read the entire opinion by clicking on the first associated link.

In his new opinion column, the IMF general secretary welcomes the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre, Brazil, as a labour movement alternative to Davos.

Marcello Malentacchi's opinion column

Davos or Porto Alegre?

Every year trade union leaders discuss the question of whether or not we should go to Davos. It is always exciting to have access to the "crème de la crème" of the capitalist system which rules the entire world. 
In the past, some trade union leaders have decided to participate in the World Economic Forum, while others found it more interesting and useful to give priority to other activities. This, I should point out, has nothing to do with ideology. It is simply a question of how we allocate our resources. 
The IMF has never participated in Davos. Nevertheless, many presidents and general secretaries of IMF-affiliated unions have done so and have provided some positive contributions to the debates which have taken place. So, also, have leaders of other international trade secretariats (ITSs) and the ICFTU. 
I am afraid, however, that the results are not as good as we would have hoped. For some time, I have proposed establishing an alternative to Davos -- not just an alternative, but a labour movement alternative to Davos. 
It is somewhat disappointing that we, in the trade union and wider labour movement, have been unable to agree to take such an initiative. Global unions -- that is the ICFTU, the ITSs and TUAC -- attempted to raise this issue at the Socialist International, to initiate a dialogue that could have resulted in such a gathering, but sadly, the Socialist International has not awakened to our call and not even had the courtesy to reply to our letters. 
Trade unions, with all their experience and pragmatism, provide the only realistic counterweight to unfettered capitalism. Consequently, I welcome the Porto Alegre initiative -- the alternative to the Davos World Economic Forum which is called the World Social Forum -- to open up a debate about globalisation from a social perspective, but this cannot and must not be restricted to just the Third World. Trade unions from every continent must participate and contribute to the conference in Brazil. 
The major force behind this initiative is the local government of the Rio Grande do Sul. But local government cannot by itself successfully carry on the struggle against the enormous power that the decision-makers in the capitalist system can bring to bear, who will do whatever is necessary to destroy this attempt to coordinate opposition to their freedom to exploit the world's natural and human resources. We, in the trade union movement, must lend our support. 
Trade unions have much more in common with the organisers of the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre than those who organise the World Economic Forum, or even those who coordinate the demonstrations outside the congress hall in Davos. 
And while the ticket to travel to Brazil might be more expensive than the one to Switzerland, you will not have to pay an exorbitant fee just to listen to all the nonsense and economic dogma that will be produced in Davos. 
There can only be one sensible conclusion: go to Porto Alegre.

An alternative to the World Economic Forum is the World Social Forum.

Davos or Porto Alegre?&lt;br&gt;

SOUTH AFRICA: The South Africa Labour Court has overturned the January 23 decision of the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA), which had ruled that Volkswagen South Africa had to reinstate 1,300 dismissed workers at its Uitenhage plant. The company fired the workers in February 2000 for having organised what a Labour Court Order declared as illegal strike action in July 1999. 
The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa), which presently does not represent these workers, declared that the ruling was "regrettable and unfortunate," and that its doors were open to all the dismissed workers. 
Numsa wants to be sure that the workers find jobs and has said that the union "will endeavour with other role players to find other forms of gainful employment projects in the form of cooperatives and negotiate a social plan to ensure that we alleviate poverty and unemployment in Uitenhage."

South Africa's Labour Court rules in favour of VW South Africa.

VW must rehire workers

Ruling on VW overturned

SLOVAK REPUBLIC: The blockade of a number of border crossings between the Slovak Republic and its neighbours on Friday, March 2, was aimed at highlighting the current poor social and economic conditions in Slovakia. 
About 300 trade union members from various Slovak companies took part in the blockade of the Czech-Slovak Drietoma-Stary Hrozenkov border crossing. "We managed to attract media attention. Now we will wait to see how the government will react," Pavol Adamek, representative of the KOVO Metalworkers' Federation of the Slovak Republic, said to the Czech News Agency, CTK. 
"One company after another is collapsing. They are bankrupt, and the diverting of company funds for personal use is no exception. The government promised a solution but so far nothing has happened. If the blockade remains without any reaction again, we are ready to strengthen our protests. Then they could cause more harm to the Slovak economy. One possibility is a 'real' strike," declared Adamek. 
Besides the Czech-Slovak crossing, trade unions were also blocking another four border crossings on borders with Hungary and Poland. About 2,300 people participated. 
In this way, the trade unions want to force the government and employers into a dialogue about solving the most urgent problems, such as the real wage decrease and high unemployment. They nevertheless said they were willing to stop such pressure actions if the government submitted a timetable of steps leading to the lowering of unemployment and promised to increase tax deductibles and raise wages by 8-9 per cent. 
The government has thus far not reacted.

Slovak trade unions are satisfied with  last Friday's blockade of border crossings.

Metalworkers' union to block Slovak borders

Big turnout for Slovak border blockade

JAPAN: Following DaimlerChrysler's January 29 announcement of an extensive restructuring plan for its Chrysler Group in the Americas, with 26,000 job cuts and the closure of six plants, a major restructuring plan for the Japanese car firm Mitsubishi Motors has now been made public. Mitsubishi, whose largest shareholder is DaimlerChrysler, will slash approximately 9,500 jobs, or 14 per cent of its workforce, globally. 
The plan will include the closure of one of Mitsubishi's four car assembly plants and a decrease of 20 per cent in the company's production capacity.

The major shareholder of the Japanese car maker is DaimlerChrysler.

Restructuring hits Mitsubishi

MALAYSIA: The IMF has been informed by its Malaysian affiliate, the Electrical Industry Workers' Union, that negotiations at Matsushita Air-Conditioning Group of Companies to conclude the 9th Collective Agreement are deadlocked. The EIWU organises the 6,000 workers at MACG, and has already in the past concluded eight collective agreements with the company. 
In an unprecedented move, the minister of human resources has referred the dispute to the Industrial Court for arbitration, which will mean a considerable delay for a hearing to take place. 
Due to the deadlock, the EIWU has now started to picket the company. 
The IMF has written to its affiliate in Japan to raise the matter with the Matsushita union there as well as with Matsushita management, so as to find an early settlement.

Negotiations to conclude a collective contract with the Matsushita Air-Conditioning Group of Companies in Malaysia are deadlocked.