Secretariat Report 2011 (pdf) - International Metalworkers' Federation

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Secretariat Report for the Central Committee of the IMF 9. Regional Developments 9.1 Latin America and the Caribbean The campaigns against violations of trade union rights in Mexico and Colombia are reported in chapter 3 on trade union rights. Regional conferences and strategic planning meetings were held in Mexico City in 2010 and 2011 (also a Women’s Workshop) that demonstrated continuing solidarity of metalworkers’ unions from the region with the fight of free and independent unions in Mexico. IMF is now discussing a joint GUF union building programme with several European and American affiliates, aiming to support the democratic Mexican unions’ efforts to build up their membership. Unions in Russia come together in solidarity for Mexico week of action in February 2011. Photo: IMF Regional Office for the Commonwealth of Independent States In Honduras, the regional office participated in global action in 2009 to support the struggle of the people to re-establish institutional democratic order. The office visited Haití and Chile after the earthquakes in 2010 to offer the solidarity and support of our affiliates from the region and the world. Activities within the framework of the Swedish LO-TCO-funded project in Chile and Colombia continued. The project promotes unity among the IMF affiliates and helps them take steps towards creating unified industrial unions which would be capable of negotiating national collective agreements. In both countries, unions signed memorandums in 2011 on the roadmap towards the creation of new united organizations. In Chile, local unions advanced in their merger processes to create sustainable organizations. In Colombia, IMF affiliates have joined ICEM’s programme of united union action and ICEM affiliates have joined IMF’s project. In Peru, with support from LO-TCO and Finnish SASK, a project continued on building a union (SINTRAMIN-CUT) to organize unorganized subcontracted workers - 28 -
Secretariat Report for the Central Committee of the IMF in the mining industry. SINTRAMIN-CUT was registered as a national union in 2010. Now the challenge for the union is to organize and grow in order to have the necessary capacity to effectively defend the interests of workers. Efforts have also been made for IMF, ICEM and ITGLWF affiliates to develop a project for unity, following the model of Chile and Colombia. IMF supported ICEM in mounting an international campaign to press the Chilean government to ratify ILO Convention 176 on Safety and Health in Mines. Following last year’s mining accident, President Piñera proclaimed on TV that within 90 days, Chile would ratify the Convention and start reforming its poor mine safety laws. But as soon as the camera crews had packed their bags, the government reneged on its promises. Some changes in regulations have been introduced, but the government has still not ratified the Convention. Seminars were organized in 2009-2010 to develop capacity in the region on trade union networks in TNCs and IFAs. Since October 2010, a resource person from IG Metall has helped the IMF to build networks at ArcelorMittal and other companies. An international delegation of the Tenaris union network visited Colombia in February-March 2010 to support our affiliate SINTRATUCAR whose leaders had received death threats. IMF affiliates in the region have carried out a series of actions against precarious work, which has been an essential element in our union building projects and struggles. Workshops were organized in the Dominican Republic and Honduras to organize workers in EPZs. 9.2 Africa Key focus areas in the region have been union building, organizing, climate change, and expanding IMF’s affiliation base, especially in West and Central Africa. IMF has given support to the pro-democracy struggle in Swaziland. We have worked with the ITUC on international efforts on Malawi after civil protests left 19 people dead earlier in 2011. The regional office participated in the World Social Forum in Senegal in February 2011. A project supported by Swedish IF Metall and LO-TCO assisted TUICO in Tanzania to grow their membership from 30’000 to almost 60’000 members. Women achieved a 30 percent representation in the union structures. Another project continues in Zambia with a focus on building the education capacity of our affiliate NUBEGW. In Mozambique, planning has taken place for a gender project with SINTIME, with financial and educational support of Brazilian CNM-CUT and a union building project is in discussion for 2012-2014. In Zimbabwe, IMF is assisting NEWU and other unions in a merger process. In Angola, workshops have been organized to build cooperation between two metalworking unions towards a merger. Our Liberian affiliate is also in a merger process with the ICEM affiliate, having agreed to work jointly on organising TNCs. - 29 -
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Secretariat Report 2011 (pdf) - International Metalworkers' Federation

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