News

Regional Secretary: Rodolfo Benítez No. 64 – DECEMBER – 2008



REGIONAL SECRETARY’S MESSAGE TO UNI-AMERICAS STAFF AND TRADE UNIONS

To the staff:

As we approach the end of another year of hard work, I would like to congratulate you all on your ongoing efforts to improve conditions for our working members and friends. Ours is a highly significant task and our families play a very important role in it by understanding and supporting us along the way. I hereby embrace you all, recognizing your invaluable assistance in this crusade. I hope we can continue working in harmony and fraternity throughout 2009.

To the unions:

The coming year heralds numerous difficulties as a result of, among other things, the global economic crisis, which will undoubtedly affect our organization and its members. Many of the achievements made will be threatened, and we will be forced to take steps to weather the harsh conditions. I am confident that together we will overcome most of the hurdles successfully, as we have done in previous occasions. I hereby extend my best wishes to all the workers of UNI in this region for a Merry Christmas and a New Year full of hope and faith in the future. We should not give in to difficulties. Huge challenges lie ahead of us and we must redouble our efforts and stand strong against them together. Sincerely,

Rodolfo Benítez, UNI-Americas Regional Secretary rodolfo.benitez@uniglobalunion.org



JOSÉ OLIVIO MIRANDA: THE LABOR MOVEMENT MOURNS HIS LOSS

We regret to inform you that Brazilian trade union leader José Olivio Miranda de Oliveira passed away on December 10 in his home town of Salvador Bahía . Through a letter written by Regional Secretary Rodolfo Benítez, the UNI-Americas Regional Office expresses its deepest sorrow and consternation for this regrettable loss for the Brazilian, Latin American, and global trade union movement.

Contact: rodolfo.benitez@uniglobalunion.org



MESSAGE OF FOECYT ARGENTINA TO ITS MEMBERS

The Federation of Post and Telecommunications Workers and Employees of Argentina, FOECYT Argentina, has sent a communication to our editorial department wishing all its members in the Postal and Telecommunications sector a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. The message ends as follows: “this is the wish of all of us at FOECYT, reminding you that “only unity will make us stronger.”

Source: FOECYT prensa@foecytargentina.org



4TH REGIONAL SEMINAR OF THE UNI-AMERICAS ARGENTINE WOMEN’S NETWORK

On November 14 and 15, 2008, the 4th Regional Training Seminar of the UNI-Americas Argentine Women’s Network was held in the city of Posadas . In attendance were sisters of different regions of Misiones ( Posadas , Oberá), Santiago del Estero , Corrientes , Chaco , Tucumán, and Entre Ríos. The hosts of the seminar— the Health Workers’ Union of Posadas—warmly welcomed all participants to their premises.

Contact: briceida.gonzalez@uniglobalunion.org

CHILE : CONAGRA MOVING FORWARD!

The 20% increase in new membership achieved over the last year shows that the National Graphical Confederation of Chile, CONAGRA, is carrying out its unionization and union strengthening program successfully. This was verified by the Grafiska ( Sweden ) delegation made up of Leif Metavainio and Bengt-Ake Karlsson along with UNI Graphical officials Marvin Largaespada and Adriana Rosenzvaig, who visited Chile from December 1 to 6, 2008. During their visit they were able to confirm that the Trade Union Strengthening Project supported by LO/TCO and Grafiska is producing positive outcomes.

Contact: marvin.largaespada@uniglobalunion.org



“CLARA GONZÁLEZ” REPORT – SITUATION OF WOMEN IN PANAMA

As part of the activities to commemorate the International Human Rights Day and as culmination of the 16 days of activism for the elimination of all forms of violence against women, the 4th “Clara González” National Report – Situation of Women in Panama 2002-2007 [4° Informe Nacional “Clara González” – Situación de la Mujer en Panamá 2002 – 2007] was presented at a ceremony headed by the Minister of Social Development of Panama (MIDES), María Roquebert León. The Minister said that Gender Equity means Human Rights, equal opportunities, and access to benefits and resources on equal terms, but despite the progress made, inequalities still persist. UNI-Americas and its affiliates in the country participated in this event. The “Clara González” National Report was named after the first Panamanian woman who obtained a bachelor’s degree in Law in 1922.

Contact: briceida.gonzalez@uniglobalunion.org



CLOSER SOLIDARITY TIES AMONG KIMBERLY CLARK WORKERS

A delegation of the Kimberly Clark Union of Bolivia met with the shop stewards of the company in Argentina to exchange experiences and strengthen the practical development of the Labor Network established by UNI Graphical. The meeting, held on December 5 at the headquarters of the Federation of Workers and Employees of the Paper, Cardboard, and Chemical Industry of Argentina, was a step forward in the establishment of solidarity ties among the various unions of the company at world level. “A few days ago we had the opportunity to meet with workers and representatives of Kimberly Clark from Asia, Africa, the Americas and Europe in Hanoi , Vietnam ,” said Peter Ellis from UNITE ( United Kingdom ). “We hope to be able to establish a social dialogue with the company in 2009 as we have done at the European level through the Information and Consultation Forum,” concluded Peter.

Contact: marvin.largaespada@uniglobalunion.org



NEWSLETTER OF THE GLOBAL BANKING NETWORK

With the support of their affiliates in each country, UNI-Americas Finance and the Finance Committee of the Southern Cone Trade Union Center Coordinating Body (CCSCS)—the regional organization of bank workers—have called an International Day of Action that will be the basis for the launching of the Campaign for Protection of Employment and Working Conditions directed at all finance sector workers in the Americas and the Caribbean, which will be implemented in the form of street demonstrations between December 8 and 12, 2008.

Contact: marcio.monzane@uniglobalunion.org



CHILEAN LABOR MINISTER SUBSCRIBES ACCORD FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF SOCIAL DIALOGE IN THE GRAPHICAL INDUSTRY

On November 2, 2008, an Accord for Implementation of Social Dialogue in the Graphical Industry of Chile was signed in Santiago by the Labor Minister of Chile , Osvaldo Andrade Lara; the President of Asimpres, Carlos Aguirre Vargas; and the President of Conagra, Valentín Vega. Rubén Cortina, President of UNI-Americas, and Adriana Rosenzvaig, Head of the Graphical Sector, were also present at this historical event. “The economy should benefit those who run the risk of creating jobs and ensuring decent employment conditions. It is time to establish a social dialogue to put an end to the nightmare of crisis brought about by financial capitalism and go back to a culture of work and production,” noted Adriana Rosenzvaig during the ceremony. Chile ’s Labor Minister, Osvaldo Andrade Lara, underscored that when there is mutual recognition and respect between the parties, the culture of dialogue is possible. “If there is no culture of dialogue, relations become asymmetrical,” he said. “We are undergoing a process of change in which the value of ‘public’ is being reassessed and a different approach is being used to determine the rules that make the economy work,” he stated.”

Contact: marvin.largaespada@uniglobalunion.org



UNI-AMERICAS GRAPHICAL DELEGATION VISITS ARGENTINA

A UNI-Americas Graphical delegation made up of Leonardo del Roy, President; Valentín Vega, Vice-president, and Marvin Largaespada, Regional Director, traveled to Buenos Aires, Argentina, from November 26 to 28, to attend the 21st Latin American Congress of the Graphical Industry and the Ordinary Congress of FATIDA as well as to meet with leaders of the Union of Newsagents of the Federal District and the Greater Buenos Aires Area (SIVENDIA), the Paper Federation, and the graphical union of Buenos Aires Sindicato Federación Gráfico Bonaerense (SFGB). During the Congress, the trade union leaders expressed their views regarding the advances and challenges of the social dialogue process promoted following the Buenos Aires Declaration and the Guarujá Accord. The Minister of Labor, Employment and Social Security of Argentina, Dr. Carlos Tomada, who attended as a special guest, praised the progress made towards social dialogue through the implementation of these mechanisms and instruments as examples for the Latin American region.

Contact: marvin.largaespada@uniglobalunion.org



FIRST MEETING OF SECURITY GUARDS OF THE AMERICAS

With the murder of some twenty security guards in less than ten months as a grim backdrop, over forty representatives of trade union organizations of the private security sector gathered in the capital city of Panama for the 1st Meeting of Workers of the Private Security Industry of the Americas . Forty representatives from Uruguay , Paraguay , Chile , Brazil , Colombia , and Panama held two days of intense discussions. At the opening of the meeting, the audience heard the statement of the Minister of Labor and Labor Development of Panama, Mr. Edwin Salamín, and the candidate of the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) for the May 2009 presidential elections, Eng. Balbina Herrera Araúz offered her view of what State-labor movement relations would be like under her administration if she were elected President. Janne Ronkainen , SASK Project Lead in Latin America, and Sampsa Laine, representative of the Group4 Securicor (G4S) Workers’ Union, both from Finland , were also present at this meeting.

Contact: alberto.barrow@uniglobalunion.org



PROCEEDINGS OF THE MEETINGS OF TRADE UNION NETWORKS OF INTERNATIONAL BANKS

The Office of the Regional Director of UNI-Americas Finance has made available to our readers the Proceedings of the Joint Meetings of Trade Union Networks of International Banks held in Sao Paulo , on November 20 and 21, 2008. These include: ITAÚ – UNIBANCO; ABN-AMRO – Banco Santander; Banca Pública - Banca de los Trabajadores; Banco Do Brasil; HSBC Group; BBVA Group, and the Finance Committee of the Southern Cone Trade Union Center Coordinating Body (CCSCS).

Contact: marcio.monzane@uniglobalunion.org



CONTRIBUTIONS

We encourage our readers to send their comments, suggestions and contributions to the editor of UNI-Info, via e-mail mario.sanchez@uniglobalunion.org; Fax (507) 317-0170, or by mail to Apartado Postal 0819-06290, El Dorado, Panama, Republic of Panama.