Secretariat Report 2011 (pdf) - International Metalworkers' Federation

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Secretariat Report for the Central Committee of the IMF NUMSA struggle to phase out the use of labour brokers in South Africa. Photo: IMF / 2011 In South Africa, NUMSA made significant bargaining gains in the automotive and engineering sectors in 2010, notably in phasing out the use of labour brokers. An IMF-ICEM delegation visited the Umicore plant in January 2011 within the framework of the IFA monitoring process. IMF President Berthold Huber visited the regional office and South African unions in July 2011. The BlueGreen Alliance and United Steelworkers were key contributors to a climate change workshop held in July in South Africa, following the launch of a regional policy paper in 2010. To improve communications, we have invested in new content on IMF’s regional web site and helped affiliates to develop their communications capacity. In May 2011, IMF held a regional communicators’ workshop in Nairobi to launch a communication network in the region. The regional newsletter Umoja has been published twice a year. New affiliations were approved by IMF’s Executive Committee from South Africa (Solidarity), Democratic Republic of Congo (Council of Metalworkers’ Unions encompassing a number of unions), Guinea (FISMIG) and Malawi (BCCEAWU). There are also opportunities in Nigeria, where IMF has worked to promote a merger between two blue-collar unions and two staff associations with a view to affiliating them. The IMF Africa Regional Conference and women’s workshop were held in Johannesburg in July 2011 with participants from 16 countries plus ICEM and ITGLWF representatives. Debates took place on equal opportunities, women’s representation, trade union rights in Swaziland and Zimbabwe, and the creation of the new global union federation. The participants launched a discussion on the priorities of African unions, including pro-working class macroeconomic policies, alternative industrial, labour and trade policies, campaigns against TNCs, action on HIV/AIDS and climate change policies, and influence in African regional institutions. - 30 -
Secretariat Report for the Central Committee of the IMF Sub-regional meetings were organized in October 2009 and April 2010 in Johannesburg and in October 2010 in Nairobi. 9.3 North Africa and Middle East (MENA) A peaceful popular movement against repressive and corrupt regimes in Tunisia, Egypt and other Arab countries began in January 2011, thus opening a process that has progressively involved several key countries in the MENA region. For many years corruption and lack of democracy affected the societies in that region, where corrupted trade union structures were part of a powerful repression machinery that denied workers their fundamental rights. But trade unions have also been at the forefront of the movement, protesting against oppression and exploitation. Our affiliate FGME-UGTT has played a key role in Tunisia. Although our work in Maghreb has been affected by the uncertain situation, we have also been able to profit from the new opportunities that have opened up. While continuing to strongly support our affiliates in Tunisia and Morocco, we have put in place new initiatives to promote freedom of association and support the establishment of new independent unions in Egypt. Our key focus in Maghreb for the past three years has been on TNC networking, IFA monitoring and union building, bringing concrete results. Representatives of our affiliate in Morocco are now part of the ArcelorMittal global health and safety network. Our members in Morocco and Tunisia are now represented at Leoni’s EWC. Linkages of cooperation and solidarity have been established between IMF affiliates in Maghreb and unions in the home countries and other countries of operation of several TNCs, with regular exchanges and coordination meetings. These IMF activities are targeting in particular companies that are signatories to IFAs, in order to monitor their concrete implementation. This is part of a four-year programme supported by the Spanish ISCOD - UGT, with the active participation of IMF affiliates in Tunisia, Morocco, France, Germany, Italy and Spain. IMF initiatives include the production of audiovisual and printed educational materials in Arabic and training in communication for trade union action. Local organizers have been provided with laptop computers and women workers targeted with education on fundamental labour rights in Tunisia and in Morocco, particularly in the electronic industry. A major trade union priority in Maghreb is to transform precarious jobs into regular and permanent ones, as in these uncertain times more workers than ever are threatened by job losses. The uprising in Egypt and its outcome have been particularly impressive given the size and the economic importance of that country. The machinery of the old government-controlled trade union structure ETUF, that was a key instrument for workers’ repression and for undemocratic control on free expression, is being dismantled. The IMF Executive Committee refused in May 2010 to affiliate the ETUF metalworkers’ federation for its lack of independence and legitimacy. That choice soon proved to be correct and paved the way for the IMF to play a key role in supporting the organization of Egyptian workers in new independent trade unions in both multinational and domestic companies in the private sector. However the path towards building a strong, independent and democratic trade union movement in Egypt remains long and not without obstacles. - 31 -
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