americas info
No borders, no limits. All together!
UNI americas on International Labour Day. Once again, we make a call to summon men and women of the labour world to honour and strengthen the revindicating struggle initiated by the Chicago martyrs. This May Day is not so different from others; the unfair socio-economic circumstances and the increase in abuses keep the workers subject to degrading conditions.
The times we are living in, times of globalisation, competitivity, productivity, of opening of frontiers, technological interventions, have completely modified the relation between capital and work, the relationship company-employees and the concept of production, but the act of working or undertaking a project have not been modified.
The art of working ratifies, today more than ever, that the human being, either men or women, continue to be the fundamental piece in the whole process of development. That is why we are and we will always be concerned about the failure of the economic model and about the fact that this circumstance endangers the people’s well-being. We share the opinion that modern times force us to face special challenges in the sense of safeguarding work as a fundamental good, but not in any way, that is why UNI Americas supports and defends the concept of decent work, because we consider it ethical, fair and basic. That is also why, on this May Day we ratify that our first commitment is with employment and dignified salaries. UNI Americas insists on the fact that the victory in the fight for decent employments will not be achieved unless collective bargaining is not reinforced and globalised.
We cannot just make a salutation. UNI Americas denounces the permanent harassment of employers and governments of the region, who shall not stop in their determination to depreciate and flexibilise labour relations so as to favour translational and national capitals. For that reason we invite you to demand respect for human and union rights for working men and women with no borders, no limits. All together!
UNI Americas makes a call to its affiliates of North America, Central America, South America and the Caribbean to join together to remember and never forget why we celebrate May Day, why it is necessary to strengthen our historical responsibility to fight every day for the right to achieve decent work, in freedom, without any form of discrimination and our labour freedom on full effect, like the right to organize unions, negotiate collective agreements with all the private or public employers, no matter whether they are national or international companies.
A fraternal embrace to all working men and women of America and the whole world.
Contact: raul.requena@uniglobalunion.org
Newspaper La Capital intimidates graphic workers on legal strike
Buenos Aires. Workers of the newspaper La Capital received hundreds of intimidating messages urging them to go back to their work and threatening them with dismissal. This is the response of the employers in the face of the strike the workers are carrying out in demand of the reinstatement of 26 dismissed colleagues. Even though the problems between the Group Vila-Manzano and its employees constitute a long-lasting conflict, it deepened when 26 multimedia workers received dismissal notifications and the deposit of their severance payment was made effective. The 296 intimidating notifications take place in the framework of the employer’s unfulfilment of the conciliation pronounced by the Ministry of Labour, which rectifies the dismissals. The workers will continue their struggle against the company, and for that purpose, they remain in permanent assembly to evaluate the labour actions to develop. UNI Graphics expresses its solidarity towards workers and their representatives affiliated to the Argentine Federation of Newspapers and related activities, FATIDA.
Contact: marvin.largaespada@uniglobalunion.org
Peruvian electricity unions subscribe collective agreements.
Lima. The Unique Union of Electricity Workers and Related Activities of Lima and Callao, SUTREL, and the Unique Union of Workers of Electrolima, Concessioned and Related Electricity companies, SUTEECEA, after three months of hard negotiations, achieved the subscription of a Collective Agreement corresponding to the period January 1st to December 31st, 2010 with the Company LUZ DEL SUR S.A.A. This new Collective Agreement is applicable to workers represented by SUTREL AND SUTEECEA union branches of LUZ DEL SUR S.A.A.
Contact: fernando.mcmaster@uniglobalunion.org
Meeting of the Union Alliance Unión Fenosa (Gas Natural)
Panama. Due to the funding of the Project UNI-ISCOD/UGT, representatives of the Union Alliance Union Electrica FENOSA /Gas Natural from Colombia, Panama, Nicaragua and Guatemala, held a meeting in the headquarters of the Regional Office of UNI Americas, with the aim of elaborating strategies to contribute to the defence of the worker’s rights and to seek through their organisations the achievement of Social Dialogue with the companies of the sector.
Contact: fernando.mcmaster@uniglobalunion.org
Chile, Be Strong! UNI americas Solidarity Committe for the earthquake’s victims.
Santiago. The Regional Secretary, Raul Requena, and the President of UNI Americas, Rubén Cortina, visited Santiago on April 5th, 2010 in a solidarity mission, to hold a meeting with the Chilean Liaison Committee, which was attended by 22 union leaders in representation of 7 affiliated organisations. On behalf of all the affiliates, UNI Americas expressed solidarity with the workers and the Chilean people who have been affected with the violent earthquake and tsunami on February 27th, with a definitely tragic outcome. Material Losses exceed 32 million dollars, and the irretrievable losses of human lives rise to almost 500 people. The meeting allowed getting information on the situation of different UNI America’s Sectors, to create an Emergency Committee, to elaborate a plan and to provide effectiveness to the solidarity measures.
Contact: raul.requena@uniglobalunion.org
Electrocaribe Company disregards rights contained in Collective Agreement
Panama. A note subscribed by the unions integrating Union Alliance Gas Natural at Panama City, was delivered to the Human Resources Manager of that multinational in Colombia, Mr. César Borrás Gómez. The note expressed solidarity with the difficult situation the workers of the Company Electrocaribe are going through, due to the intention of the employers of taking away the minimum guarantees and conventional rights lawfully achieved by the employees. The note also made a call for the immediate cessation of these policies and urged the company to grant a privilege to a process of respectful and effective dialogue with the union representatives of SINTRAELECOL.
Contact: fernando.mcmaster@uniglobalunion.org
Foecyt celebrates its 53 years of existence and union struggle at the postal sector
Buenos Aires. UNI Americas and the Postal Sector greet the Federation of Workers and Employees of Argentine Post and Telecommunications, Foecyt for their 53 years of labour fight. On April 1st 2010, FOECYT has renewed one more time its unbreakable commitment to continue to serve the interest of the argentine postal workers.
Contact: cenise.monteiro@uniglobalunion.org
Social Dumping in the Postal Sector in Costa Rica
San Jose. Is the company DHL promoting social dumping in Costa Rica? This question was part of the analyses carried out jointly by UNI Global Union, the German Union Ver. Di, and the Union of Industrial Electricity and Telecommunications Workers, SITET, which represents postal workers. In a press release, SITET, expresses its doubts about the behaviour of the company, because officers at high levels of management at DHL Deutsche Post in Germany flatly refused to allow union representatives to hold meetings with the local management of DHL, or to visit the DHL Centre of Finance Services with headquarters in Costa Rica. The European union delegation has criticised this attitude and have asked themselves: what does the company have to hide? Why do neither do they allow the visit of an international delegation or the local union to the Services Centre nor permit any contact with workers? Why DHL refuses to start a dialogue with the Unions in Costa Rica? Unions in Costa Rica are afraid not to get the answers to these questions and that human labour and union rights should not be respected.
Contact ivonne.jackelen@uniglobalunion.org
UNI americas signs important agreement with Argentine Government
Buenos Aires. With the aim of promoting a model of integration of environmental issues to the labour world in the Americas and the Caribbean, UNI Americas Regional Office, represented by its Regional Secretary Raul Requena, and the Secretary of Environment of Argentina, Homero M. Bibiloni, subscribed a cooperation agreement to extend and promote this model in America’s countries. Moreover, this significant ceremony taken place on April 8th 2010 counted with the participation of the Minister of Labour of Argentina, Carlos Tomada.
Raul Requena highlighted the importance of the agreement, and its relation with UNI America’s policies. He pointed out that its spirit is associated with the development of Corporate Social Responsibility and the necessity of creating Decent Work. Besides, he enhanced the role of UNI America’s Young Workers in the concretion of the agreement’s subscription.
Contact: raul.requena@uniglobalunion.org
Statement of the ITUC for the International Donor’s Conference towards a new future for Haiti
Brussels: In a statement dated March 31st, 2010 at the framework of the International Donor’s Conference towards a new future for Haiti, the United Nations and the ITUC have made a call for an major mobilisation of international aid focused in the devastated infrastructure and economy of that country. UNI Americas supports the criteria that social protection, the creation of decent work and the respect of the worker’s rights should at the program’s highest priorities, so that Haiti may start moving in a new path towards development in which wealth shall be generated for the people, safeguarding its fair distribution.
To read the complete declaration of the ITUC:
http://www.ituc-csi.org/IMG/pdf/Statement_to_UN_conference_on_Haiti_FINAL__2_.pdf
CUT Colombia denies information
Bogota. The Unique Central of Colombian Workers, CUT, emphatically rejects the statements of Dr. Luis Carlos Villegas, published by the newspaper El Portafolio of Bogota, and contained in a note sent to OIT and to the main diplomatic representations of the world, in which he declares that in Colombia the increase of unionised workers rises to a 76%, information that according to the CUT is completely fallacious. Click at the title of this article to see the text expressing the statement of denial.
Source: CUT Colombia presidencia@cut.org.co
Painful loss
Santiago. On April 12th 2010, at the age of 78, Mr. Raúl Requena Martínez, father of the Regional Secretary of UNI Americas, colleague Raul Requena Martínez, passed away victim of a long disease. UNI Americas thanks the numerous condolences messages delivered to our offices from different places of the world. Thanks to everybody for this great chain of solidarity and companionship.
Contact: mario.sanchez@uniglobalunion.org
New UNI Graphics Global Network
Córdoba, Argentina. Delegates from Brazil, Venezuela, Peru and Argentina held a meeting a that city to create a network which will join together the South American plants of Tetrapak, as a part of a strategy of UNI graphics to create a global network. Marvin Largaespada, Regional Director of UNI Americas Graphics; Steve Walsh, UNI Graphics Head of Department; Ronny Larsson, President of the Tetrapak Plant Union (the plant Sweden, the largest in the world), and Leif Mettavino, International Secretary of GS, participated in the seminar. Ronny tackled the issue of the European Company Committee and mentioned that there were 27 worker’s representatives at the Committee. The idea of creating a regional network for South America filled the delegates with enthusiasm and they developed a strategy to make it possible. Apart from this, this seminar offered the delegates a great opportunity to share experiences through the different plants in South America.
Contact: steve.walsh@uniglobalunion.org
UNI americas Commerce defines strategy for Carrefour and Wal-Mart
Buenos Aires. On April 9th and 10th, 2010 a meeting of Strategic Planning was carried out at FAECYS headquarters, to face the situation on Wal-Mart and Carrefour multinationals. Unions of Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and USA attended the meeting. The event enabled the union leaders to identify the problems of labour relationships in these two big multinationals of the commerce sector in the continent, and to set UNI’s objectives in the search of solutions for those problems in the following years. The realisation of a research study was discussed for this two multinationals to provide support to the development of union action in UNI Americas Commerce, ant to contribute to a better knowledge of the presence, and commercial and labour strategy that Wal-Mart as well as Carrefour develops in the Americas.
Contact: marcio.monzane@uniglobalunion.org
Delegation of UNI Graphics visits Elanders Plant in Brazil
Sao Paulo. A delegation of UNI Graphics visited Elanders plant in Brazil, in which they were well received by managers of the company. The President of the CONATIG Leonardo del Roy, Steve Walsh, UNI Graphics Head of Department, Marvin Largaespada, Regional Director of UNI Americas Graphics and other members of CONATIG integrated the UNI delegation. Jonas Brannerud, National Director of Brazil and Mattias Olofsson, Director of Operations of Brazil, representatives of Elanders carried out a presentation on the operation of the plant. The representatives of Elanders highlighted the importance of keeping a good relationship with the union. On his part, Leonardo del Roy valued the importance of the global agreement and the necessity of continuing to comply with that agreement. Steve Walsh mentioned his recent meeting with the CEO Mr. Magnus Nilsson, to whom he denounced the lack of response in the operations in USA, in complete contrast with the rest of the Elanders’ operations.
Contact: steve.walsh@uniglobalunion.org
UNI Young Workers’Argentine network in action
La Falda, Córdoba, Argentina. On April 13th, 14th and 15th, 2010, UNI Argentina’s Young Workers’ Network carried out the VII Training Seminar called “Young Workers Organised and Strong, Breaking Through”. More than 80 young leaders and union representatives from different cities of Argentina attended this successful event. The main objective of the activity was to promote the training of young union leaders and to raise awareness among the young people about the problems affecting the insertion of young workers in the labour market. Different panels were programmed to tackle with the most relevant issues for the training of new leaders: what is a global union? And what is UNI?.
Source: UNI Americas Young Workers’ Network.
Mobilisation of Peruvian Electricity Workers
Peru. In the framework of the XLVII National Executive Council of the Federation of Electricity Workers of Peru, on April 15th 2010, around 80 union leaders of the electricity sector from all around the country made a protest headed by the Minister of Economy Mercedes Araoz before the authorities of FONAFE due to the refusal of the Board of Directors to answer the request of updating the salary scale (outdated since 5 years ago) and the list of demands made during 2010 of the workers of the 13 distributing companies subjected to FONAFE. During the development of the protest a delegation of workers led by their General Secretary Nazario Arellano, spoke with the Executive President of FONAFE Dr Jorge Villasante, who after the insistence of the workers committed himself to speak with the Board of Directors of FONAFE with the aim of providing a solution to their demands by the end of April.
Contact: fernando.mcmaster@uniglobalunion.org
Private Security Unions elaborate strategies to defend life
Panama. On April 20th a Planning Workshop called “Elaborating the strategy for the private security workers in the face of the debate and approval of the government bill which will regulate the industry in Panama”. The activity was carried out in the framework of the proximity of the legislative debate. The Workshop was attended by the National Union of Workers of Security Agencies (UNTAS) and the Industrial Union of United Workers of Security (SITUS), whom, from the labour perspective, are the main actors who have been interceding for this legal instrument’s coming into force which can organise the industry in the country by including important demands from the workers of the sector. The workshop’s main objective was the articulation of a strategy to achieve the approval of a law oriented to the objectives before mentioned.
Contact: alberto.barrow@uniglobalunion.org
Collective Agreement proposal presented in DHL Panama.
Panama. On April 19th, 2010 the SIELAS presented the list of petitions to the Ministry of Labour to initiate the process of collective bargaining with DHL AERO EXPRESO S.A. From that moment and for the period of negotiation, all the workers of DHL AERO EXPRESO are under protection or negotiation privilege, which means that as long the negotiation is being carried out no worker can be dismissed. Being acquainted with the anti union policy of the company, the union constantly monitors its behaviour and will disseminate any attempt prevent the workers from exercising the right to affiliate to a union or to negotiate collective agreements. “With the aid of the Global Union Federations, UNI and ITF, and the global network of DHL workers for the respect of their rights, we will fight to improve their labour conditions in Panama”, said Edgar Díaz, General Secretary of SIELAS. Organising DHL workers is difficult but not impossible”, added Fernando Parfait, Secretary of Education and SIELAS Activist.
Contact: ivonne.jackelen@uniglobalunion.org
Argentine Liaison Committee holds meeting with Japanese union representatives
Buenos Aires. On April 26th 2010 a meeting between representatives of Japan, who responsible for the realisation of the Third World UNI Congress, and the Argentine Liaison Committee was carried out at the headquarters of UNI Americas Southern Cone. Colleagues Takaaki Sakurada and Yoko Ogawa are visiting different countries to hold conversations with the different unions affiliated to UNI at the region in order to inform on the details of the event to take place in Nagasaki. In this opportunity, the President of UNI Americas, colleague Ruben Cortina, offered the visitors the kindest welcome and gave a brief summary the socio-political situation of the country. Afterwards, colleague Takaaki took the floor and thanked the kind greeting and the opportunity of getting in contact with local unions, and made a presentation on the preparations being carried out for the development of the World Congress. Once his presentation was concluded, and after answering to various questions, he thanked the attending organisations, the President of UNI Americas and Fernando Mc Master for having given them the possibility of being there, and stressed the importance of being able to count with the largest number of delegates for the event.
Contact: fernando.mcmaster@uniglobalunion.org
Banco do Brazil acquires Banco Patagonia
Brazil. The Banco do Brazil acquired a 51 % of the stocks of Banco Patagonia, the sixth biggest bank in Argentina. In an interview with a Brazilian newspaper, Aldemir Bendine, President of the Banco do Brazil, asserted that “this has been the first fulfilled project, but new acquisitions are going to be achieved in the future, with a strong presence in South America. In the case of USA we are not going behave as local banks, we’re going to make good use of specific business follow-ups, like the presence of Brazilians and Latins in that country, as well as working as a support for Brazilian companies operating there.” UNI Americas Finance, through its affiliate in Brazil CONTRAF-CUT has established dialogue with the bank executives, and requested a specific negotiation at the Banco Patagonia. The Bank admits the importance of discussing this merging process and the incorporation of new companies with the labour movement; however, they declare that the meeting will only be held once the Brazilian as well as Argentine authorities approve the negotiation.
Contact: marcio.monzane@uniglobalunion.org
Solidarity Campaign UNI helps Chile
In accordance with the Solidarity Campaign adopted at the extraordinary meeting of UNI- Chile Liaison Committee on April 5th 2010 in Santiago, Chile, dealing with solidarity help UNI and its affiliates in the world would provide to thousands of Chilean men, women and children who lost their houses and basic personal goods due to the overwhelming earthquake and tsunami, which hit a great part of Chile on February 27th, 2010, we want to reiterate our call to collaborate with all our generosity and solidarity in this campaign led by UNI- Chile Liaison Committee, and the Regional Office of UNI Americas.
The account in which you can deposit your contributions is the following:
Raúl Requena Martínez
Banco Estado de Chile
Number 29560023780
Branch Santiago - Lyon
Swift BECHCLRM
Contacts: mario.sanchez@uniglobalunion.org raul.requena@uniglobalunion.org
andreriquelme@yahoo.es
UNI, Global Unions push for economic reform on May Day
Jobs, Justice and Public Services – Getting the Economy to Work. The Council of Global Unions, the voice of the global labour movement, has issued the following statement to mark May 1, 2010.
On today of all days, trade unionists around the world demand fresh steps to reform the global economy in favour of social justice, investment in jobs and fairness in society. This is no time for business as usual. Neo-liberal economists and reckless financial dealings have created a crisis that has put millions of people out of work and forced many more into precarious employment to survive. Social safety nets are being torn apart. Public spending that provides for cohesive communities is being savagely cut. With all of this in mind, Global Unions call on policymakers and democrats everywhere to support a new paradigm of recovery and social justice that will:
- Reassert in government at all levels the primacy of public interest over private gain and ensure that the protection of citizens’ rights is made a cornerstone of social and economic development;
- Defend the rights of workers and trade unions;
- Mobilise for the creation of sustainable, secure and good quality jobs for all workers, that allow workers and their families to live in dignity;
- Ensure that social justice is a central mission of government and take concrete measures to reduce income disparities and increase equality, in particular gender equality;
- Eliminate market abuse through short-term speculation and manipulation of financial markets by imposing binding and effective regulation;
- Promote sustainable development with job-centred policies, effective social protections and reversal of global warming and environmental degradation;
- Renew commitment to public service values in society and enhance the contribution of quality public services to fairer and more efficient societies, and to finance these services through progressive systems of taxation that provide sufficient resources while improving social equity;
- Commit to education for all and provide resources needed to achieve the enrichment of society that comes from high quality education and training;
- Improve the quality of people’s lives by providing universal access to health care and other vital social welfare services, as well as such fundamental issues as clean water and adequate nutrition, and breathing new life into efforts to achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals.
May Day 2010 is a moment to change course, to meet the aspirations of workers and communities for a new beginning, to put to flight self-serving politics and corporate greed, and, above all, to build a new solidarity in society in support of people-centred values that will enrich the lives of all.
Source: www.global-unions.org
Contribution
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