28 May, 2015On 19-20 May, IndustriALL Global Union held its Executive Committee meeting in Stockholm. Former trade union leader and now Swedish Prime Minister, Stefan Löfven, addressed the 200 participants, saying trade unions and organized workforce have an essential role to play in the fight for social justice.
Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven, former president of IndustriALL affiliate IF Metall, addressed the participants and engaged in a discussion on globalization and social justice. A new global deal based on common respect is needed.
In the discussion on globalization, Löfven praised IndustriALL’s and affiliates’ work against asbestos and Canadian union busting.
Löfven said to the participants:
You should be proud of yourselves, you are doing a great job.
A campaigning organization
During the two days, delegates discussed IndustriALL’s actions and achievements, including priority countries, campaigns, and Global Framework Agreements (GFA), in line with the organization’s strategic goals.
Among the countries discussed was Myanmar, which joined IndustriALL in January 2015. In a country where trade unions were illegal until 2012 there is a need to train new unionists on organizing and collective bargaining. Khaing Zar from IndustriALL affiliate IWFM said that the union aims to recruit 20,000 new members by the end of the year.
The Executive Committee endorsed action in China, focusing on the democratic development at local level particularly in companies with which IndustriALL has a GFA, World Works Council or network.
IndustriALL’s actions to drive the establishment of industry level bargaining in garment-producing countries was endorsed by the Executive Committee. IndustriALL is working with major global clothing brands that have signed a memorandum of understanding with the organization, to bring supplier factories and trade unions together to negotiate enforceable, industry-wide collective agreements on living wages and to ensure that brand purchasing practices enable payment of the negotiated wage. Cambodia and Bangladesh were identified as priority countries for this new approach. IndustriALL will continue to support all struggles by affiliates to increase minimum wages and bargain for a living wage.
7 October is World Day for Decent Work, and a day of action for the campaign to STOP Precarious Work. The Executive Committee approved the on-going actions and the new approach to call attention to how precarious work impacts society beyond the workplace.
Adoption of three solidarity resolutions
IndustriALL will continue to denounce protection contract practices and other labour rights violations. Two affiliated unions from Mexico were given an ultimatum to sign a memorandum of understanding against protection contracts and to demonstrated compliance, or risk being expelled by the next Executive Committee in December 2015.
UK steelworkers are fighting against one of the world’s largest steel producers, TATA Steel, as the company has decided to shut down a pension scheme. The Executive Committee adopted a resolution calling IndustriALL to engage with TATA Steel.
IndustriALL’s Executive Committee adopted a solidarity resolution supporting the struggle of metalworkers in Turkey. Several thousand auto industry workers had stopped work, demanding a living wage and rescinding their membership of the company-friendly Turk Metal trade union.