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UNI's Breaking Through and Freedom from Fear prizes have been awarded at the World Executive meeting in Dublin. The Breaking Through Awards are given in recognition of outstanding union growth, whilst the Freedom from Fear Awards for exceptional courage in difficult circumstances.

The winners are as follows:

UNI Global Union Breaking Through Awards - In recognition of outstanding membership growth

The UNI South Africa Liaison Council: In recognition of the remarkable improvement of the South African affiliates in affiliation fees’ payment and the increase of the number of members they affiliate to UNI Global Union that resulted in three out of five affiliates gaining automatic titular status as UNI Africa Executive Committee members. The constant increase in membership of SACCAWU and SATAWU in the retail and wholesale and private security sectors, with tens of thousands of new members, were particularly noted.

CONTRACOPS, Chile: In recognition of their initiation of an intensive process of mergers among key unions and their integration into CONTRACOPS, thereby adding more than 14,000 members to the Confederation. As result of that and an organising process during the first months of 2013 the Confederation grew by 15,600 members from key multinational companies and multi-latinas companies. This process was financed by the UNI Organising Fund.

NUBE-BDOEU, Philippines: Following the merger-acquisition between Banco de Oro (BDO) and the EPCI Bank, making it the No. 1 Bank in terms of assets, capitalization and branch networks, the NUBE-BDOEA revised its coverage and increased its membership basis, extending the scope of bargaining to all subsidiaries of the BDO. Membership has grown to 12,000 members. In line with decentralising the decision-making and day-to-day affairs of the union, a massive programme of empowerment for union stewards was organised nation-wide to enhance their capacity to resolve grievances. General Membership Assemblies in major cities once a year gather record numbers of union members, with almost 7,000 in attendance at the Metro-Manila gathering. The collective bargaining process is membership-inclusive and the union has won the sole representative status for collective bargaining amidst the claims of rival unions. The CBA they negotiated is the best in the banking industry and has provided wage increases, bonuses, gratuity, healthcare and other benefits.

UNI Liaison Council Finance Sector Japan: In recognition of their facilitation of the affiliation to UNI in 2012 of the Japanese Trust Bank Employees’ Unions Federation (ZENSHINREN), thereby increasing membership by 8,000, the highest contribution to UNI Apro Finance sector membership in the region. Their other achievements included reaching out to the Japanese Cooperative Forestry and Agricultural Bank (NOH DAN ROH) and engaging them in UNI Apro Finance activities, and mainstreaming community-based financial services concepts introduced by the Japanese Labour Bank (Rokin Banks) and Labour Insurance (Zenrosai) as viable alternatives to increase financial inclusion and reduce income inequality across the Asian & Pacific region.

Ver.di, Germany: In recognition of ver.di’s extraordinary contribution to the “We Expect Better” global campaign for union rights at Deutsche Telekom and the joint UNI and ITF Respect@DHL campaign for global organising rights at Deutsche Post DHL. Ver.di’s support for the T-Mobile employees has been exemplary and has included the creation of the TU joint union with the CWA and constant pressure on the company and the German Government to ensure that the management of T-Mobile USA behaves in a completely “neutral” way regarding union activities of employees. Ver.di has also provided great support to workers and their unions in their fight to gain organising rights in Deutsche Post DLH outside Germany, where DP-DHL has systematically violated workers rights in many countries around the world, particularly the right to freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining. Ver.di has in particular shown outstanding solidarity to the workers in Turkey who were fired by DHL management during an organising drive. The Award also recognises ver.di’s 27,000 membership increase in the commerce sector in 2013.

UNI Global Union Breaking Freedom from Fear Awards

POSPERT, Greece: On 11 June 2013, the Greek government, under pressure from the Troika, announced the closure of the Greek public service broadcaster ERT, dismissing from one day to the next all staff and cutting off the signals of all public radio and TV stations overnight.

Since then, ERT staff, led by our colleagues of POSPERT, have been occupying the main ERT buildings across the country. In an unparalleled effort they are resisting the shutdown of ERT and providing continued programming on 3 TV channels and more than 15 radio stations. To provide the best access possible to Greek citizens, the union and workers are currently financing the transmission of programmes via satellite, after the EBU cut the satellite feed on 21 August.

Whereas a so-called interim public broadcasting serviced named DT, set-up by the government in August, offers only partial programming despite the resources of a government behind it, ERT continues to produce 24 hour programming under very difficult circumstances and with the objective to preserve independent public service broadcasting in Greece. The Greek government has made multiple attempts to intimidate and discourage ERT employees in order to silence their protest and to stop their efforts to keep public service broadcasting alive. Now they are facing discrimination. However, our colleagues are staying strong. To this day they are keeping their promise, under enormous personal and collective sacrifices, to maintain access to independent, universal public service broadcasting for Greek citizens.

Grameen Phone Employees Union (GPEU), Bangladesh: Following GP’s unilateral announcement of 250 job cuts in May 2012, GPEU launched a campaign, “Break the silence, get organised and form a  union.” In the face of numerous threats and challenges to protect the rights of jobs of workers and particularly those of GPEU leadership, the union succeeded in organising 1,600 employees and formed the GPEU, for which recognition is pending. The union has been free from fear in negotiating the workers’ agenda with management and achieved a great breakthrough in reaching an agreement with management on 5% profit sharing.

Based in the United States, the Worker Rights Consortium (WRC) is an independent labor rights monitoring organization, conducting investigations of working conditions in factories around the globe. Its purpose is to combat sweatshops and protect the rights of workers who make apparel and other products, especially those products bearing the logos of the WRC's 180 member colleges and universities. In addition to its factory-level investigations, the WRC works to develop and promote strategies to fundamentally alter the supply chain practices of major brands and retailers that perpetuate sweatshop conditions.

The Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) is an Alliance of organisations in 15 European countries which campaigns to improve working conditions and supports the empowerment of workers in the global garment and sportswear industries. It focuses on the education and mobilisation of consumers, work with responsible employers and governments, and direct solidarity support for its more than 200 strong partnership network of organisations in garment producing countries.  Its membership includes trade unions, NGOs and many others.

The CCC and WRC actively support workers and their allies in garment producing countries who are willing to stand up for the human rights of workers to organise without fear and have become loud and credible voices on factory safety.   

Both the CCC and WRC have played a key role in developing and implementing what has become the Accord, working tirelessly for years to promote a new model of supply chain accountability for Bangladesh with binding commitments from brands and retailers. WRC’s and CCC’s continuous work to expose the conditions within the factories have helped to create a public outcry and a consumer demand for supply chain responsibility.  Fearless and relentless, the WRC and CCC have been central to the drumbeat for change that has made the Accord possible.