12 September, 2013The IndustriALL Global Union sectoral activities in the paper industry now include the newly formed trade union network of workers of International Paper worldwide.
Meeting in New Orleans, USA on 9 September, hosted by the United Steelworkers, 120 participants from Brazil, France, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the USA took the decision to build solidarity and power throughout the company’s global operations.
IndustriALL Director for the Pulp and Paper industries Anatoly Surin stated from the meeting:
The creation of a trade union network of workers organized at the International Paper Company worldwide has long been in the planning stage. The development is in line with IndustriALL policy and the sector’s Plan of Action adopted at the World pulp and paper industry Conference in Stockholm.
Solidarity with our colleagues, leading a constant struggle for decent working and living conditions and wages, is the number one priority for us.
The International Paper network will also include trade unions from Chile, India, Poland, Turkey and elsewhere in Europe.
The other company level trade union networks being built in the sector are at Sappi, APP and Smurfit Kappa. IndustriALL and the affiliated trade unions representing workers at the MNCs are establishing the mechanisms for continuous information exchange within each of these networks.