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UNI Global Union and Sweden-based printer and publisher Elanders today signed a global agreement that guarantees international labour standards at work and employees’ organising rights and sets a new standard for working conditions and union rights in the printing and publishing industry.

Adriana Rosenzvaig, head of UNI’s graphical sector, Tommy Andersson from Swedish printing union Grafiska and Elanders President and CEO Patrick Holm signed the agreement in Elanders head office in Gothenburg in front of European Works Council (EWC) members and a UNI Graphical delegation that included representatives of Grafiska, German union Verdi, US union the Teamsters GCC, Polish Solidarnosc, Brazil’s Fetigesp, UK union Unite. The company today also signed an agreement to form a European Works Council.

“Grafiska and other UNI unions worked hard to make sure that agreement was signed and now we will do our best to make that it is followed in both letter and spirit,” said Tommy Andersson.

The accord was the result of coordinated action by UNI affiliate Grafiska, other UNI affiliates representing Elanders employees around the globe and UNI Graphical who organised the series of meetings and consultations between the company and the unions to make sure that fundamental rights of employees are respected. With local presence in eleven countries on four continents, this deal builds a solid base for organizing in a global infomedia and printing companies worldwide.

“The co-operation with Elanders and their pro-worker attitude marks a turning-point in the printing industry and sets a model we are confident other companies will follow, said Adriana Rosenzvaig. “We became a strong union and Elanders became a stronger company today because we are working together for the future of this company and the future of the industry.”

Elanders has committed to a positive attitude towards organising efforts by unions, free access to workers and monitoring the company and union interaction to make sure the agreement is followed.

The agreement also marks the first time that a company and union have developed a strong relationship between the EWC and its global trade union coordination.

This global agreement is another step in the process of building labour rules for multinational business worldwide and is one of the keys to the organising success in countries like the United States, where this agreement will help strengthen a fight by US unions to pass the Employee Free Choice Act and guarantee basic rights to join a union.

UNI is the global union for skills and services with 20 million members in 900 unions. UNI Graphical represents over 1 million workers in the printing and packaging sector worldwide.

Grafiska is Sweden’s union for graphical workers.

Elanders is a global infomedia and printing group.

For more information contact : adriana.rosenzvaig@uniglobalunion.org

Simon Nias, printweek.com, 09 February 2009

To read this article, please go to http://www.printweek.com/business/news/879566/Unite-signs-agreement-Elanders/

SWEDISH COVERAGE OF THE AGREEMENT:

http://www.da.se/home/da/home.NSF/unid/42DFC577DEB73AB5C12575460039A2D7?OpenDocument



http://www.da.se/home/da/home.nsf/unid/3F05A78483569EC2C125754D002D4456?OpenDocument



http://www.gf.se/HOME/gf2/home.nsf/unidView/42BED5EFA28B11E3C125754B0028D625



http://www.skogstrafacket.org/home/skogtra2/home.nsf/unidView/A7D8932AF97F598EC125754C003EAF3B



http://www.skogstrafacket.org/home/skogtra2/home.nsf/unidView/A7D8932AF97F598EC125754C003EAF3B



http://www.lotcobistand.org/unikt-globalt-ramavtal-mellan-uni-och-elanders



http://www.frifagbevegelse.no/arbeidslivet/internasjonalt/article4072709.ece