World conference sets course for IndustriALL Materials Sector

Global labor affiliates re-elect IP Jones, adopt action plan

THE MATERIALS INDUSTRIES Sector of IndustriALL Global Union unanimously re-elected International President Newton B. Jones as Chairman, adopted resolutions, and approved a new action plan during the organization’s world conference in Bangkok, Thailand, November 12-13. The sector includes unions involved in cement, ceramics, and glass industries.

The conference also unanimously elected Rosemeire Theodoro dos Santos of CNQ-CUT of Brazil as Vice-Chairperson and established a steering committee that includes the chair and vice chair along with Peter Schuld from IG BCE of Germany and Bambang Surjono from FSP-KEP of Indonesia.

Pres. Jones delivered the keynote address to the conference. Director of Industrial Sector Operations Tyler Brown and Director of Health & Safety Services Mark Garrett spoke to the delegates about organizing and safety issues, respectively.

Also attending the conference for the Brotherhood were International Secretary-Treasurer Bill Creeden, International Vice President - Great Lakes Larry McManamon, International Vice President - Eastern Canada Ed Power, International Vice President - Southeast Warren Fairley, and Communications Director Mike Linderer.

Founded in June 2012, IndustriALL is a federation of 50 million workers from 140 countries. It was established by the merger of three global labor groups: the International Federation of Energy, Mine and General Workers’ Unions (ICEM); the International Metalworkers’ Federation (IMF); and the International Textiles, Garment and Leather Workers’ Federation (ITGLWF).

The Boilermakers union has long been involved in global labor unions as a way to challenge the power of multinational corporations and support world-wide solidarity.

Prior to the IndustriALL’s founding, Pres. Jones chaired the ICEM Materials Section, which created a ground-breaking network of U.S. unions in the cement industry, including Boilermaker cement lodges.

Delegates voice concerns, speak of challenges

DELEGATES FROM SIX continents spoke about job security, organizing struggles, health and safety concerns, shifting economic forces, and other issues impacting workers around the world.

A frequent topic was the growing use of precarious workers (temporary or sub-contracted employees). Such workers are typically paid much less than permanent employees and have virtually no rights or protections. Unscrupulous employers use precarious workers to slash labor costs and compete with full-time employees for work opportunities. Immigrants often become precarious workers because they are in a vulnerable position.

Delegates also addressed difficulties in establishing a united labor front. Either by institutional design or through poorly crafted laws, organizing in countries like Indonesia and Colombia has been fragmented, with groups competing with each other and raiding from other unions. This disrupts solidarity and weakens the overall strength of the union movement. Moreover, organizers and labor leaders may be targeted for violence. Some 20 unionists have been slain in the Philippines over the last decade, with the most recent murder taking place in July 2013. Organizers in Colombia, Mexico, and Bangladesh have also been killed in recent years.

Other participants spoke about the loss of good jobs in developed countries, particularly in Europe and North America, as developed nations lose industries to lower-cost labor markets in emerging economies.

Sustainable industrial policies needed

CONFERENCE PARTICIPANTS GAVE considerable attention to the need for sustainable industrial policies. Brian Kohler, IndustriALL Global Union’s Director for Health, Safety, and Sustainability, explained that such policies seek to balance environmental, economic, and social needs. He said all three components are facing severe crises in the world today.

Peter Schuld, of Germany, noted that some governments are stressing the environmental component over the other two, with dire consequences. He cited carbon emission restrictions in Germany that are shutting down industries like cement.

“In a few years, 50 percent of all German cement plants will be gone,” he stated. “But production will be handled elsewhere in the world by other countries, so you are not getting rid of the emissions.”

Pres. Jones said the situation is very similar to what is happening in the United States with coal-fired energy generation. He noted that other countries, especially China and India, continue to expand their coal-fired energy fleets regardless of the self-imposed reductions in America. He argued that the EPA’s actions essentially achieve nothing in slowing climate change, given the magnitude of new plant construction by other nations, which typically lack the emission control systems required in the West.

He added that products made by high-emitting nations come at a significant cost to the climate.

“It makes no sense for governments to insist on cleaner power production within their own countries if those countries turn around and import products with high carbon footprints.”

IP Jones called for a collaborative world effort to fund research and development for affordable, commercial-scale carbon capture and storage technology. He cited the International Space Station as an example of what can be achieved when nations work together to take on large-scale and extremely challenging goals.

Delegates review, approve plan of action

ON THE FINAL day of the conference, delegates reviewed and unanimously approved an action plan for the sector that aligns with IndustriALL Global Union strategies. Areas of focus include the following:

• Promoting more effective international solidarity and cooperation among workers in multinational companies and their supply/value added chains;
• Fighting precarious work in all its forms;
• Supporting and reinforcing organizing efforts and activities of affiliates in multinational companies and their supply chains;
• Integrating more women and young people into the work;
• Continuing the work on multinational company strategy, including global networks and global framework agreements; and
• Promoting a sustainable industrial policy in the Materials Industries Sector.

Creating networks of unions whose members work for multinational corporations is an important tool used by IndustriALL. The networks coordinate collective bargaining strategies and share information. The global union also works to establish global frameworks with multinationals as a way of setting standards of behavior when dealing with workers and unions worldwide.

The new action plan is intended to guide the sector until the next IndustriALL world congress in 2016.