News

Regional Secretary: Rodolfo Benítez N° 57 – MAY – 2008



COLOMBIA AND PERU : STRONG UNIONS TO FACE MULTINATIONALS

Throughout the week of May 19 - 23, 2008, the Liaison Committees of Colombia and Peru carried out a “Review, Analysis, Inquiry, and Proposal Formulation Mission.” Bro. Raúl Requena, who leads the Development and Regions’ Department at world level, and Sis. Marie Kilhberg N., from UNIONEN-LO-TCO of Sweden, participated actively in this mission. They were accompanied and assisted at all times by Bro. José Molina, Head of the UNI-Americas Trade Union Development Department. The purpose of this mission was to evaluate the activities of Collaboration Project 40025 “Organizing and Trade Union Development to Face Multinational Companies in Colombia and Peru .”

Contact: jose.molina@uniglobalunion.org



UNI-AMERICAS FINANCE STEERING GROUP MEETING

After the successful Sub-Regional Seminar “Organizing and Framework Agreements in Multinational Companies” held by UNI and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation of Mexico, the 5th Meeting of the UNI-Americas Finance Steering Group was held. The Mexican unions of BANAMEX, GNP, and FENASIB along with a delegation of Comisiones Obreras from Spain attended the meeting as guests. Participants insisted on including respect and the right to life, as well as a dignifying job and gender equity in the sector as key issues of the Action Plan to be executed, with an emphasis on multinational companies and their compliance with framework agreements.

Contact: marcio.monzane@uniglobalunion.org



UNI-FES PROJECT: SUBREGIONAL SEMINAR IN MEXICO

With the participation of twelve countries from Central America and South America in addition to Mexico and Panama , the Sub-regional Seminar “Organizing and Framework Agreements in Multinational Companies” was launched in Mexico on May 27. The seminar addressed the following topics: Labor Standards, Latin America and Globalization, ILO and the International Labor Standards, and OECD Practices and Implementation of OECD Guidelines in Mexico . These topics will be reviewed in two future workshops and a presentation at the Labor Congress in Mexico City .

Contact: marcio.monzane@uniglobalunion.org



CHILE : 10th CONGRESS OF BANK WORKERS

On May 16 and 17, the Confederation of Trade Unions of Banking and Related Companies of Chile (CSTEBA) held its 10^th National Congress in San Felipe, a city located 80 km northeast of Santiago . Under the slogan “In Defense of Wages, Working Hours, and Unity of Wage Earners”, 50 delegates from all parts of the country representing 23 unions of the financial sector convened to discuss important issues as well as to elect the Board that will take the helm of the Confederation for the next two years under the leadership of Sis. Andrea Riquelme. We wish Sis. Riquelme and the other Board members all the best. Click on this news headline to view the full report on this activity.

Source: CSTEBA confederacionbancaria@gmail.com



CONSOLIDATING OUR GENDER VISION

“With the effective participation and the firm commitment of both men and women, we will succeed in consolidating a gender vision, integrating women into our society’s change processes,” said the participants of the Seminar “Training of Trainers in Gender and Equity in the Trade Union Movement.” Launched in Panama within the framework of the project sponsored by the Paz y Solidaridad Foundation of Comisiones Obreras of Andalucía, Spain, and technically supported by the Trade Union Institute for Latin America and the Caribbean (ISACC), this seminar is the first of 7 seminar-workshops that will be held in Central America and the Dominican Republic. The mixed training program came to fruition thanks to the initiative of the Sub-regional Trade Union Women’s Expanded Committee (CSACC), reported María Antonia Medrano, head of research at ISACC.

Contact: briceida.gonzalez@uniglobalunion.org



CAMPAIGN AGAINST DEPRIVATION OF RIGHTS OF TRADE UNION LEADER LEONIDAS TRUJILLO

The Panamanian Workers’ Union of the Dairy Company Estrella Azul (SITEEA), a member of UNI’s affiliate the National Federation of Labor Organizations (FENOSIT), accuses the company of violating: 1) freedom of association, 2) the collective bargaining agreement, 3) the right to due process of law, and 4) human rights, to the detriment of trade union leader Leonidas A. Trujillo B., who was unfairly deprived of his rights at the request of Industrias Lácteas S.A. The union has appealed this decision before the Third Division of the Supreme Court of Justice, which, in our opinion, must decline the request for deprivation of rights, given that the company did not follow all the steps of the due process of law.

Contact: marcio.monzane@uniglobalunion.org



BANCO SANTANDER ACCUSED OF FINANCIAL COMPLICITY

While the Spanish bank Banco Santander Central Hispano (SCH) is the largest private financial institution operating throughout Latin America and the Caribbean , its lending activities are usually devastating. Within the scope of the Permanent Court of the Peoples, the bank is being accused of being jointly liable for financing the construction of four dams and a water highway over the Madeira River , which will have an environmental impact on Brazilian and Bolivian territories. The people who have reported this situation warn that this mega-project will expel some 5,000 families from their lands, turning them into “environmental refugees with no land or compensation whatsoever.”

Contact: marcio.monzane@uniglobalunion.org



UNIONS REPORT ABUSES BY SECURITY COMPANIES IN CHILE

Last May 19, in Santiago, Chile, several trade union organizations of the private security sector, including the Federation of Security and Services Workers of Chile (FETRASECH), convened with socialist senator Alejandro Navarro and working mothers from the sector to denounce the systematic violation of the rights of security workers in Chile. The senator stated that “security guards in Chile are workers whose rights—maternity leave, Sunday rest, minimum wage, maximum working hours, right to join a union, among others—are violated, rendering them helpless and putting them in condition of near slavery.

Contact: alberto.barrow@uniglobalunion.org



POLLA CHILENA DE BENEFICENCIA UNION RESISTS CORPORATE MEASURES

The workers of the state-owned company Polla Chilena de Beneficencia (lottery), grouped in the union under the same name, have reported to the UNI-Americas Regional Office that they are under considerable pressure from the company, which is trying to lower the wages of a significant number of workers by establishing new individual contracts with workers that stipulate long working hours distributed from Monday to Sunday. The union has put up resistance to these pressure measures. The situation is expected to become more complicated as the permanent staff has refused to sign the proposed contracts.

Contact: alberto.barrow@uniglobalunion.org





CONCLUSIONS AND ACTION POINTS OF THE 3RD UNI-AMERICAS WOMEN’S CONFERENCE

The 76 participants representing 50 affiliated organizations from 22 countries that met in Panama City from April 21 to 23, 2008, for the 3rd UNI-Americas Women’s Conference adopted action points after discussing the three central topics of the Conference titled “Trade Union Women of the Americas Reaffirming our Commitments.” We invite our readers to review the five documents drafted by our sisters by clicking on this news headline.

Contact: briceida.gonzalez@uniglobalunion.org



27 WORKERS LAID OFF FROM TELGUA – GUATEMALA

The Workers’ Union of the Telecommunications Company Telgua, STTELGUA, has publicly denounced 27 layoffs, which were disguised as offers to develop micro undertakings to provide services to the company or as transfers to other companies. The union believes this is part of a downsizing policy that the company is implementing to protect its economic interests, indiscriminately affecting workers who are already overwhelmed with the prevailing economic and social crisis.

Contact: cenise.monteiro@uniglobalunion.org



R.R. DONNELLEY HARASSES WORKERS

Dozens of R.R. Donnelley workers, trade union leaders from ten countries of the Americas , Asia and Europe and representatives of GCC-Teamsters and UNI Graphical Global Union brought the plight of workers to R.R. Donnelley’s headquarters in downtown Chicago . “We came to meet with Thomas Quinlan, the CEO of R.R. Donnelly, because there are workers at this company trying to become labor union members who are being discriminated against,” said Joe O’Connor, Vice-president GCC-Teamsters Union. “Building a dialogue about responsible corporate practices and improving employee relations is our goal.”

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



UNI @DONNELLEY GLOBAL WORKING GROUP CONDEMNS ANTI-UNION POLICY

The Second Global Conference of the Donnelley Working Group held in Chicago on May 15, 2008, condemns the company’s anti-union policies and, in particular, the recent actions at its site in Pontiac , Illinois , which are contrary to international and US labor standards. The Working Group was informed that the workers of that site had tried to set up a union with GCC/IBT (Graphic Communications Conference/International Brotherhood of Teamsters), but the company harassed, coerced, and threatened them with closing the plant, which would result in the loss of customers. The company also hinted that it was watching the workers’ union activities and threatened with retaliation.

Source: UNI @Donnelley Global Working Group

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



VISIT TO MEMBERS OF THE COMMERCE SECTOR IN PANAMA

Between May 14 and 16, 2008, UNI-Americas carried out a mission to David, a city in the province of Chiriquí, Panama, with the aim of visiting its affiliate, the National Union of the Commerce and Retail Industry (SINDICOS) and learning about its activities in the region. The delegation was made up of José Molina, on behalf of UNI-Americas, and Márcio Monzane, Commerce Regional Director. They met with shop stewards of Grupo Romero, Red de Supermercados, which operates in Chiriquí and was recently incorporated into the Supermercados Rey de Panamá retail chain, bringing about numerous changes and much uncertainty among workers.

Contact: marcio.monzane@uniglobalunion.org



LAYOFFS IN ARGENTINE RADIO STATIONS

The Radio Interunion Organization of Argentina, made up of AATRAC, SAL and SUTEP, held a plenary of shop stewards in order to examine the situation resulting from layoffs at AM 910 Radio La Red and AM590 Radio Continental (Prisa Group) as well as a “voluntary retirement” offer (disguised dismissal) made by Group CIE (Mexico) to the workers of its radio stations, including América, Metro, Blue, and Rock & Pop, among others. In light of the uncertainty and concern of grassroots workers, the plenary of shop stewards not only repudiated and rejected the layoffs but also declared a state of alert, permanent assembly, and mobilization in demand for the immediate reinstatement of laid off workers. Contact: jose.molina@uniglobalunion.org



CONTRACTORS OF TELEFÓNICA CHILE SIGN COLLECTIVE AGREEMENT

Within the framework of the UNI-Telefónica Global Agreement, the National Intercompany Telecommunications Union of Chile (SINATE) has signed a collective agreement with Consorcio RDTC S.A., a Telefónica contractor. Three hundred and fifty non-unionized workers have been brought under this agreement now. Present at the signing ceremony were Mr. José Moles and Rubén Sepúlveda, Managing Director and HR Director of Telefónica de Chile, respectively; Mr. Osvaldo Andrade, Labor Minister of Chile; Mr. René Tabilo, President of SINATE, and Mr. Manuel Román, Manager of Consorcio RDTC S.A.

Contact: cenise.monteiro@uniglobalunion.org



WACKENHUT PANAMA WORKERS ISSUE WARNING

The officials of the Industrial Union of United Security Workers (SITUS) issued a press release in Panama City reporting a number of company breaches of the Collective Agreement and warning about the possibility of taking other actions in the coming days. SITUS represents the employees of Seguridad Técnica, S.A., the Panamanian subsidiary of the multinational company Wackenhut, which in turn is a subsidiary of the private security giant Group4 Securicor (G4S).

Contact: alberto.barrow@uniglobalunion.org



NEW ELECTRICAL WORKERS’ UNIONS IN CHILE

On April 21, 2008, the Union of University Professionals of Compañía Americana de Multiservicios CAM was created. The organization was set up with 49 professionals but to date, it already has 67 members. This achievement was made after many years of fruitless struggle, as the company had always opposed to it. On May 30, the union will submit its list of demands for collective bargaining. On April 23, 2008, another union was created: the UNISYS INTERNACIONAL Company Union. The company provides services to the Enersis group in Chile . The union will start bargaining collectively by the end of this month.

Source: Southern Cone Sub-regional Office fernando.mcmaster@uniglobalunion.org

NICARAGUA : 2nd REGIONAL SEMINAR ON HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT

The 2nd Regional Seminar on Occupational Health and Environment was held from May 7 to 9, 2008, in Managua , Nicaragua . This activity gives continuity to the process initiated in May 2007 that laid the foundations for the regional strategy in this area. Progress has been made towards setting up the Sub-regional Occupational Health and Environment Committee, which brings together the relevant secretariats or departments in the various trade union organizations that are part of the Trade Union Institute for Central America and the Caribbean (ISAAC). The role and operation of this body both in the region and in the preparatory process and participation at the Ibero-American Summit to be held next August. Contact: marvin.largaespada@uniglobalunion.org



WARNING BY THE GROUP 4 SECURICOR PANAMA UNION

In a press release issued on May 12 of the current year in Panama , the Union of Security Agency Workers (UNTAS) warned its members of some dubious moves by G4S S.A. and G4S Valores S.A., the Panamanian subsidiaries of the multinational Group4 Securicor (G4S) to the detriment of workers’ interests. UNTAS has pointed out that G4S S.A. and G4S Valores S.A. have set out to persuade, through anti-labor mechanisms, some workers to give their written consent to terminate their employment relationship by “mutual agreement.” Contact: alberto.barrow@uniglobalunion.org



MOVISTAR UNI-SASK PROJECT KICK-OFF WORKSHOP

The Kick-off Workshop of the UNI-SASK Project “Organization and Coordination of MOVISTAR Workers” was held from May 10 to 12 of this year in Panama City . The participants identified 30 reasons why these workers should be organized into a union. The seminar was attended by 16 union leaders—5 women and 11 men, 4 of whom were young workers—from six countries along with a MOVISTAR worker. This activity was included in the organizing action plan of UNI-Americas Telecom under the scope of the UNI-Telefónica Global Agreement.

Contact: cenise.monteiro@uniglobalunion.org



TELEFÓNICA REINSTATES TRADE UNION LEADER IN COLOMBIA

On May 25, 2007, Telebucaramanga, a subsidiary of the Telefónica Group, laid off brother Paulino Barrera, a leader of the Trade Union of Communications Workers of Colombia (USTC). On May 6, 2008 the Honorable Constitutional Court ordered the reinstatement of Bro. Paulino under the same conditions as when he was laid off. This decision protects the right to organize and the right to freedom of association; it should establish a legal precedent for the reinstatement of 27 workers who were laid off because of the same reason. Contact: cenise.monteiro@uniglobalunion.org



PRIVATE SECURITY WORKERS IN CHILE SET UP A FEDERATION

Through a press release and with the support of the UNI-Americas Regional Office, some 2,000 private security workers of Chile announced the creation of the Federation of Security and Services Workers of Chile (FETRASECH). This is a trade union organization representing security workers, private watchmen, and workers in related services. It is presided over by Bro. Carlos Jara, and is made up of nine unions from various companies that operate in the growing industry of goods safeguarding. These include the multinational cash-in-transit company Brinks, SEGEL (the local subsidiary of the global giant Group4 Securicor [G4S]), Gamaservicios, Protec Chile , Megaservicios, Inter-Con Security, Systems Chile, and Interempresas de Servicios.

Contact: alberto.barrow@uniglobalunion.org



WAGE INCREASE FOR ARGENTINE GRAPHICAL WORKERS

Last April 23, in the presence of the Argentine President, Mrs. Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, and the Labor Minister, Mr. Carlos Tomada, an announcement was made at the National Government House regarding the signing of the first four agreements on wages for the textile, wood, footwear, and graphical sectors. One of the clauses literally reads: “In accordance with the agreement signed between UNI Graphical and CONLATINGRAF on October 27, 2006, the parties state that Collective Agreement 409/05, in its entirety, must be compulsorily complied with in all sites and companies engaged in graphical activities under the scope of this agreement.”

Contact: adriana.rosenzvaig@uniglobalunion.org



DECLARATION OF THE 3RD CONFERENCE OF RADIO PRESENTERS

The 8^th Broadcasting Conference was held In Montevideo, Uruguay, on April 1, 2008. We invite our readers to view the full text of the “Montevideo Declaration” issued by this important sector of communications workers. Similarly, we invite them to visit the website where they will find more information about these two activities, such as documents, photographs, videos, etc.

Source: http://www.locutorespanartes.blogspot.com:80/ http://cuyano.blogspot.com/

Contact: jose.molina@uniglobalunion.org



PUBLIC DECLARATION IN FAVOR OF DEMOCRACY, JUSTICE, AND POWER BALANCE IN COLOMBIA

Twenty-three trade unions and social and human rights organizations of Colombia have subscribed a bold declaration whereby they publicly acknowledge the Criminal Division of the Supreme Court of Justice for its brave attitude in light of the political and social degradation process facing the country. Click on this news headline to view the full text of the declaration and the subscribing organizations.

Source: CUT Colombia : presidencia@cut.org.co



CONTRIBUTIONS

We encourage our readers to send their comments, suggestions and contributions to the editor of UNI-Info via email mario.sanchez@uniglobalunion.org, by fax ++ (507) 317-0170, and by post to Apartado Postal 0819-06290, Panama , Republic of Panama .