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Organising the employees of the increasing number of multinational graphical and packaging companies operating in the Asian and Pacific region into trade unions must be an intergral part of trade union response to the globalisation challenges. This is essential to counter the influence of multinationals and to prevent the race to the bottom. Tommy Andersson, President of UNI Graphical and Packaging Global Union reminded the participants gathered in Bangkok for the second UNI Apro Graphical and Packaging Multinationals Working Group Meeting.



Christopher Ng, UNI Apro Regional Secretary elaborating on the challenges, pointed out the risk posed by the growth of the economic power of ASEAN, China and India driven by neoliberal economic approach and the increasing influence of multinational corporations. He reiterated the need for the global trade union movement to develops joint strategies to influence the asian regional economic integration process to ensure that process are people centered where their economic, human and social rights are respected.



The Working Group meeting chaired by Tommy Andersson, President of UNI Graphical and Packaging Global Union and moderated by UNI Apro Regional Secretary Christopher Ng was participated by twenty two union officials from 9 graphical and packaging trade union from five countries.



The participating unions reported on the challenges confronting workers and trade unions and their response. The meeting also deliberated on the analytical reports by various trade unions about the progress in their campaign to organise and empower the trade unions for Kimberly Clark, Amcor, Gieseke & Devrient (G & D) and SIG. They also reviewed the trade union situation at Tetra Pak.



The Working Group noted the positive development of the campaign to organise the employees of Kimberly Clark in Thailand and Malaysia, Amcor in Thailand, G & D in Malaysia and SIG in Thailand. The effectiveness of the respective unions is manifested by the significant improvement in the terms and condition of empoyment negotiated by the unions and the regular consultation by the management on issues affecting the employees. The two Kimberly Clark Unions attributed it to UNI Graphical and Packing effort in securing the "Joint Statement" with the Kimberly Clark Corporation and their strategic approach to develop partnership relations with the Management.



The Working Group agreed that UNI Apro Graphical and Packaging must make focus effort to intensify contact with the Kimberly Clark Employees' Union in India and Indonesia and provide support to develop their capacity and capability to represent their members.



Lorraine Cassin, Assistant National Secretary, AMWU Printing Division that represent the AMCOR employees in Australia informed the meeting that the AMWU is prepared to provide comprehensive support to unionise Amcor employees all over the world including the negotiation for a global framework agreement between Amcor management and UNI Graphical and Packaging Global Union and the establishment of the UNI Global Alliance of Amcor Unions.



The Working Group appreciate the solidarity support of AMWU and agreed that organising Amcor employees in India, Indonesia and Malaysia will be the prioirity for 2013.



The Working Group noted the potential membership to be organised agreed that mapping be initiated to prepare for the unionisation of employees of G & D, SIG and Tetra Pak in the region.



The Working Group agreed that the experiences of the various unions in organising and developing their trade unions as reported during the meeting should be documented and published. This will enable their experiences to be shared with other unions. It will also serve as record of tangible outcomes of UNI Graphical and Packaging organising campaigns to inspire and motivate other trade unions to initiate and persist in such campaigns.



The Working Group appreciates the solidarity support provided by the Swedish Union of Forestry, Wood and Graphical Workers and the LO TCO Sweden in the campaign to organise the employees of graphical and packaging MNCs operating in the Asian Pacific region.