Secretariat Report 2011 (pdf) - International Metalworkers' Federation

Secretariat Report for the Central Committee of the IMF
ArcelorMittal, last year’s performance was worse than in 2009. This year has seen
another improvement, but the goal remains zero fatalities. In some countries such
as Morocco and Brazil, greater attention needs to be given and a national strategy
needs to be further developed.
We have begun to build an ArcelorMittal Latin American trade union network which
covers six countries (Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Mexico, Trinidad, Venezuela).
The first meeting of the network took place in March 2011 in Rio de Janeiro. We will
follow up with a programme to raise union density in Brazil and Mexico.
A mission to ArcelorMittal’s partially owned steel companies in China in 2010
demonstrated the challenges facing workers. The local union leadership is
appointed by the CEO and the leading party. Local union leaders however showed
great interest in social dialogue and the role of the European Works Council (EWC).
The JGHSC may also visit China in 2012 to develop a safety programme.
In Tata Steel, a network meeting was held, with focus on organizing unorganized
plants in particular plants across Asia that were formerly part of Nat Steel. This year
a mission to Thailand took place to examine the possibility for an organizing project
in the steel industry. Of particular interest are steel TNCs mainly in the Eastern
Seaboard, such as Tata Steel, SSI, Bluescope and ArcelorMittal. SSI recently
purchased Teeside in the UK, which now gives us a foothold in the company. Our
affiliates in India have also initiated contacts with Tata to discuss an IFA or similar
global level agreement.
Tenaris still refuses to recognize the Global Union Committee, but the unions
continue their efforts to obtain recognition. Coordination meetings have taken place
in 2010 and 2011 with support from the FES. Health and safety is still a problem,
with a number of fatalities in the company. A delegation of the Tenaris Workers’
World Council visited Colombia early in 2010 to show solidarity with workers at the
plant in Cartagena. Several union leaders had received death threats, and others
problems with the management were reported. The Council have also carried out
activities on the Workers’ Memorial Day on 28 April.
At Gerdau, the Workers’ World Council met in Bilbao in 5-7 October 2010 with
financial support from FES in order to include a maximum of representatives from
the South. The Council agreed on a new plan of action that focuses on a set of
common demands which each union must put forth at any collective bargaining
round. These demands call upon the company to accept the creation of a Joint
International Health and Safety Committee, recognize the Gerdau Workers’ World
Council, and negotiate a framework agreement that regulates the relations between
Gerdau and its unions. The Council also decided to undertake organizing drives in
Brazil and the Dominican Republic.
The IMF held a joint steel industry meeting with EMF in October 2010. A joint
declaration was adopted on the five pillars of sustainability for the steel industry.
This agreement was subsequently presented to the OECD High Level Committee on
Steel. The IMF highlighted in our submission to the OECD Steel Committee the
need for government intervention on issues concerning fair trade, the raw material
supplier monopoly and their poor track record on labour rights. We also called for
greater employment stability in the industry and for funding to be made available for
improving educational and vocational skills in the industry.
Since 2010 the IMF Steel project in India supported by Swedish and Finnish
affiliates continues to progress with good results in organizing and cooperation
amongst our affiliates. So far they have organized 15,000 workers in three different
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