IUL
La FAO confirme l'ampleur mondiale de la crise de l'ESB
11-Mar-2001Dans un communiqu� de presse �mis en d�cembre dernier, l'UITA avait attir� l'attention - et ce n'�tait pas la premi�re fois - sur les origines mondiales et syst�miques de la crise de l'ESB. Dans ce communiqu�, nous avions soulign� l'importance du fait que l'approche improvis�e et partiale adopt�e par l'Union europ�enne face � la crise n�gligeait les besoins des travailleurs/euses de la viande et des secteurs connexes et ne s'attaquait pas � la cause profonde de la crise, � savoir le soutien apport� par les gouvernements aux m�thodes de production hyper intensives, dont on peut maintenant percevoir les cons�quences funestes.
Nos affirmations sur la nature mondiale de la crise viennent d'�tre confirm�es par l'Organisation des Nations unies pour l'alimentation et l'agriculture (FAO) (une organisation avec laquelle l'UITA continue d'avoir des diff�rends importants au plan des politiques). Dans le communiqu� de presse, distribu� avec la pr�sente circulaire (en fran�ais, en espagnol et en anglais, les trois langues dans lesquelles il a �t� diffus� par la FAO), la FAO estime que de 1986-1996 � ce jour, des farines de viande et d'os (FVO) en provenance d'Europe - que l'on estime �tre le principal vecteur de la maladie - ont �t� export�es vers plus de 100 pays, tandis qu'un nombre similaire de pays importaient des animaux sur pied. Dans les deux cas, les chiffres r�els sont �videmment plus importants, puisque ces pays ont � leur tour r�-export� ces farines et ces animaux vers des pays tiers.
Selon la FAO, "Tous les pays qui ont import� du b�tail ou des FVO en provenance d'Europe de l'Ouest � partir des ann�es 80, peuvent par cons�quent �tre consid�r�s "� risque". Les r�gions qui ont import� des quantit�s importantes de farines animales du Royaume-Uni, dans les ann�es 80 et par la suite, sont notamment le Proche-Orient, l'Europe de l'Est et l'Asie."
Bien qu'il soit difficile de faire des pr�dictions sur l'�volution future de la maladie et de la crise dans le secteur de la viande, on peut sans risque de se tromper affirmer que :
� les craintes pour la sant� des consommateurs et la sant� publique vont certainement contribuer � la poursuite des pertes d'emplois dans le secteur de la viande de b�uf;
� les interdictions d'importations reli�es � l'ESB (comme les r�centes d�cisions par le Canada et les �tats-Unis d'interdire les importations de b�uf br�silien) vont se multiplier et risquent de devenir une cause majeure de frictions au sein de l'OMC, avec des cons�quences graves pour les travailleurs/euses et leurs syndicats;
� les seuls b�n�ficiaires de la crise sont susceptibles d'�tre les soci�t�s transnationales qui font la promotion des aliments incluant des organismes g�n�tiquement modifi�s (OGM) comme solution de rechange aux farines carn�es. Le cours de l'action Monsanto a augment� de plus de 50 pour cent au cours des trois derniers mois, en bonne partie sur la foi des projections de ventes de graines de soja g�n�tiquement modifi�es pour l'alimentation animale.
L'UITA continuera de diffuser de l'information sur l'ESB dans le cadre de ses efforts pour mobiliser les syndicats en vue d'une action internationale pour combattre la crise.
FAO confirma la dimensi�n global de la crisis de la EEB
11-Mar-2001En un comunicado de prensa emitido en diciembre del a�o pasado, la UITA llam� la atenci�n - no por primera vez - acerca de los or�genes globales y sist�micos de la crisis de la EEB. En ese comunicado de prensa, destacamos la importancia del hecho de que la actitud improvisada e incompleta de la Uni�n Europea con respecto a la crisis desatend�a las necesidades de los trabajadores en el sector de la carne y afines, a la vez que fracasaba en abordar la causa original de la crisis, o sea, el apoyo gubernamental para los m�todos hiper-intensivos de la producci�n que hoy en d�a se considera acarrean consecuencias fatales.
Nuestra insistencia acerca de la naturaleza global de la crisis se ve actualmente confirmada por el reciente comunicado de prensa de la Organizaci�n para la Alimentaci�n y la Agricultura (FAO) de las Naciones Unidas (una organizaci�n con la cual la UITA contin�a teniendo diferencias sustanciales en las pol�ticas). En el comunicado de prensa que se anexa a esta circular (en ingl�s, franc�s y espa�ol, los tres idiomas puestos a disposici�n actualmente por la FAO), la FAO estima que entre 1986--96 y hasta hoy en d�a, las harinas de carne y huesos - consideradas como el vector principal para la propagaci�n de la enfermedad fatal - fueron exportadas desde Europa a m�s de 100 pa�ses, en tanto que un n�mero similar de naciones importaron reses vivas. Las cifras en ambos casos son, por supuesto, m�s elevadas, ya que tanto los alimentos para animales como los animales vivos fueron re-exportados hacia terceros pa�ses.
Seg�n la FAO, "Todos los pa�ses que han importado reses o harinas de origen animal procedentes de Europa Occidental, antes y despu�s de la d�cada de los 80s, pueden considerarse, por consiguiente, expuestos al peligro de la enfermedad. Las regiones que han importado cantidades notables de harinas de origen animal del Reino Unido, durante y despu�s de la d�cada de los 80 son el Cercano Oriente, Europa Oriental y Asia".
Es dif�cil realizar predicciones acerca del futuro curso de la enfermedad y de la crisis en el sector de la carne, pero se puede afirmar sin temor a equivocarse que:
� la aprensi�n de los consumidores y de la salud p�blica ha de contribuir ciertamente a la p�rdida continua de puestos de trabajo en el sector de la carne bovina;
� las vedas a la importaci�n inspiradas en la EEB (como las recientes decisiones de EE.UU. y Canad� de prohibir la carne bovina de Brasil) aumentar� y probablemente se convertir� en la principal fuente de fricci�n dentro de la OMC, con importantes implicancias para los trabajadores y sus sindicatos;
� los �nicos beneficiados a ra�z de la crisis han de ser, probablemente, las CTNs que promueven los productos alimenticios gen�ticamente modificados (OGMs) como una alternativa a las harinas de carne y huesos. Los precios de las acciones de Monsanto se han incrementado m�s de un 50 por ciento durante los �ltimos tres meses, en gran medida debido a las ventas proyectadas de soja gen�ticamente modificada para su uso en el forraje del ganado.
La UITA continuar� distribuyendo la informaci�n relacionada con la EEB como parte de sus esfuerzos para movilizar a los sindicatos en su acci�n internacional a fin de combatir la crisis.
Employees Pay Cost of Unilever Acquisition of Bestfoods
08-May-2001When Unilever paid nearly 25 billion USD to acquire Bestfoods last year, it was good news for Bestfoods shareholders, but bad news for the employees of both companies.
That reckoning came due on 27 April 2001, when Unilever announced 8000 job losses and 30 factory closures directly related to the integration of Bestfoods.
These cuts come on top of the 25,000 job losses and 100 factory closures announced by Unilever last year as part of its ironically-named "Path to Growth" restructuring programme.
Since no memo was leaked to Le Monde, this announcement did not cause an immediate uproar. Yet its negative implications for Unilever employees dwarf those related to the restructuring of Danone's biscuits sector. The total of 33,000 job reductions amounts to 11% of the 295,000 now employed by Unilever
Information from company spokespersons on where the cuts related to the integration of Bestfoods would be made was sketchy and conflicting.
Spokesperson for Unilever's London headquarters Mike Haines said the cuts would be primarily in North America and Europe, that they would come both from Bestfoods and Unilever, and that "of course we would always consult with our people before making anything more public than that."
Tom Gordijn, Unilever spokesperson in Rotterdam, said that the job losses would be at Bestfoods sites in North America, Latin America and to a lesser extent in Europe.
The company spokespersons did agree that the duplicate sales forces in 18 European countries would be consolidated, that the overall savings from the reductions would be USD 750 million a year, and that a review of factory sites would be completed by the 3rd quarter of this year.
Meanwhile tens of thousands of Unilever employees are left wondering whether the ax will fall on them. It is particularly harsh on the former Bestfoods employees. Prior to its acquisition by Unilever, Bestfoods was an efficient and high performing company with profitability considerably above that of Unilever.
In fact Unilever's first quarter results for 2001 show a significant improvement in operating margin based mainly on the inclusion of Bestfoods operations, well in advance of any significant possible "synergies" from the merger of the two companies. But Unilever paid a very high price for Bestfoods, loading down its balance sheet with high interest charges and amortization of "goodwill" related to the acquisition. The pressure from the stock markets and financial analysts to more quickly realize the savings from integrating the two operations has brought about this situation in which employees are rewarded for their hard work with uncertainty, anxiety and the prospective loss of employment.
Top managers face pressure as well, but they at least are being offered substantial performance bonuses as consolation. Lower-ranking employees, and the unions and works councils that represent them, are confronted with the negative consequences of business decisions made at the top solely for company strategic and financial reasons. The Unilever European Works Council will surely demand timely and proper consultation on these plans. It will be interesting to learn if Unilever provides the necessary information in the detailed and comprehensive form that Danone has done.
EFFAT Resolution on the planned closure of 30 Unilever factories
08-May-2001Text of Resolution
The European trade union federation EFFAT most strongly condemns the Unilever management�s plans to close 30 factories as a result of its acquisition of Bestfoods. It declares its solidarity with the 8000 workers whose jobs are threatened in these factories and other locations subject to the restructuring plan.
A yet unknown number of these jobs being lost and factories being closed are at Unilever and former Bestfoods operations in Europe. Since both companies were profitable, this measure serves only to satisfy shareholder greed. Europe does not need more unemployment, it needs more jobs. Europe does not need boards of directors who only listen to the stock markets. Because of its persistently high unemployment, Europe needs enterprises that take their social and public responsibilities seriously.
EFFAT calls on Unilever management
1)to withdraw its plans to close these 30 factories immediately;
2)to propose alternative measures to save these factories immediately .EFFAT gives its support to an expertise to be ordered by the EWC to this end;
3)to restrain from implementing compulsory redundancies in other plants which are included in the restructuring plan;
4)on the basis of the above, to initiate the national and European level consultation process with the aim of saving all factories and jobs.
The Executive Committee requests the Secretariat to work with the co-ordinating trade unions and the IUF to take all the necessary measures.
Adopted by the EFFAT Executive Committee on 18 April 2001
Rapport Reunion CICEN
23-May-2001R�union du Comit� d�Entreprise Europ�en Nestl�
17 mai 2001 , Gen�ve
Rapport de Jocelyne Banfi, FGA-CFDT, France
Le 17 mai a eu lieu la r�union avec les repr�sentants syndicaux et les DRH des soci�t�s Nestl� des 15 pays suivants :
Belgique, Danemark, Italie, Suisse,
Allemagne, Espagne, Autriche, Norv�ge,
France , Portugal, Gr�ce, Su�de,
Irlande , Royaume Uni, Pays-Bas
L�UITA (L�Union Internationale des Travailleurs de l�Alimentation, de l�agriculture de l�h�tellerie-restauration, du tabac et des branches connexes)avait invit� 5 repr�sentants des pays de l�Est qui ont assist� en tant qu�observateurs, Nestl� refusant de les int�grer au CEE car ces pays ne sont pas membres de la communaut� europ�enne :
Hongrie, R�publique Tch�que, Pologne, Slovaquie, Bulgarie
R�sultats et strat�gie du groupe. R. Raeber, responsable de la zone Europe
R. Raeber a confirm� les r�sultats excellents de 2000 pour Nestl�, avec des ventes r�parties sur tous les continents, et a annonc� que le 1er trimestre 2001 se pr�sentait conform�ment aux pr�visions.
Les ventes pour 2000 sont de 81.4 milliards de Francs Suisses soit + 9,1% qui se d�composent :
+ 4,4% croissance interne r�elle (RIG : Real Internal Growth)
+ 1% Augmentation des prix de vente
+ 5% Variation du taux de change
- 1,3% Acquisition/vente (principalement Findus)
L�Europe enregistre un RIG de 2,5% :
Europe de l�Ouest : 1,6%
Europe de l�Est : 18%
Les eaux : 5,7%
Il a r�affirm� que Nestl� �tait une entreprise multiproduits et que les contre-performances enregistr�es sur certaines gammes (cr�mes glac�es, produits r�frig�r�s) n�infl�chiraient pas la politique � long terme que l�entreprise s�est fix�e.
R. Raeber a soulign� les effets n�gatifs de l�ESB, de la fi�vre aphteuse sur nos ventes europ�ennes,
mais aussi � l�exportation. Depuis l'Europe, Nestl� exporte 130 000 tonnes de lait en poudre. Certains pays, (dont l'Irak) en ont refus� l'importation. Il faut donc retrouver la confiance des gouvernements
et des consommateurs. Nestl� a limit� la chute des volumes avec des produits � base de poisson ou de
substitution : ex les raviolis � la volaille, mais il faudra du temps pour retrouver la confiance du consommateur pour les produits � base de viande. C�est paradoxal, car les produits n�ont jamais �t� aussi s�rs. Chez Nestl�, ajoute-t-il, d�s qu�il y a un probl�me de qualit�, nous intervenons dans une transparence totale. Il faut �tre responsable en tant qu�entreprise et nous nous battons pour arriver � la qualit� totale.
R. Raeber a soulign� les grandes avanc�es que Nestl� avait fait ces derni�res ann�es en mati�re de politique environnementale : la politique men�e sur l�usage de l�eau, les actions pour r�duire la consommation d��nergie, la politique visant � favoriser la r�duction � la source des emballages, �le tout consign� dans un rapport sur l�environnement.
D�claration de J�rg Lindner, Co-Pr�sident du CEE, au nom des d�l�gations
Parmi les point abord�s, le pr�sident a soulign� entre autres:
Les superbes profits que Nestl� a engrang�s cette ann�e encore (+ 22% pour les actionnaires), mais ces gains ne sont pas partag�s avec les salari�s ; nous revendiquons un partage plus �quitable.
Malgr� l�augmentation de la production, l�emploi a diminu�, ce qui se traduit dans certains cas par du surmenage et un accroissement de stress chez les salari�s qui restent, tant dans les unit�s de production que dans les services administratifs.
Dans plusieurs pays, les syndicats d�plorent l�absence de droits syndicaux, de convention collective.
Dans le cadre des mutations europ�ennes de plus en plus nombreuses, nous demandons l'am�lioration des clauses de mobilit� internationale.
Friskies
Aucun rapprochement ne peut se faire avec Purina tant que la commission anti-trust am�ricaine n�aura pas donn� son accord. Celui-ci devrait intervenir � la fin de l�ann�e.
La direction annonce : le comit� restreint qui a eu lieu � Francfort le 12 mars dernier portait sur l�annonce d�une mise en place d�un centre de gestion partag�e. De quoi s�agit-il ?
Chez Friskies, de nombreuses fonctions ont d�j� une organisation pan-europ�enne �achats, technique, marketing. Les fonctions financi�res sont dispers�es sur 30 sites europ�ens ce qui est source d�une extr�me complexit� et inefficace par rapport � d�autres entreprises. Le d�veloppement de l�entreprise augmentant la complexit�, il faut changer l�organisation.
Qu�est-ce-qu�un centre europ�en de transactions comptables ? Ce sont des services comptables dispens�s � tous les pays � partir d�un unique centre europ�en de services partag�s. Un processus europ�en standard faisant appel aux technologies les plus r�centes pour am�liorer le service et r�duire les co�ts. Il sera install� � Londres et concernera dans un premier temps le Royaume Uni, les pays-Bas, la Scandinavie et l�Allemagne. Mise en place en 2001 � 2002.
Cons�quence sociales : la mise en place de ce centre g�n�re 30% de suppressions de postes, de 144 postes, nous passerons � 104. Ces chiffres masquent de nombreux transferts.
Les principes fondamentaux de Nestl�
L�UITA a fait une proposition en 9 points pour une d�claration conjointe sur l�application des principes fondamentaux et l�am�lioration des conditions de travail des salari�s de Nestl� � travers le monde. Jusqu�ici notre interlocuteur chez Nestl�, M. Casta�er, n�a pas r�pondu favorablement � notre demande et la longue explication, plut�t � emberlificot�e � que nous avons eu en s�ance ne laisse pas beaucoup d�espoir pour la signature d'un tel accord.
Globe - Pr�sentation M. Alastair Johnston
Avec Globe, la normalisation des processus est en cours au niveau mondial. R. Raeber a annonc� que le centre r�gional europ�en serait bas� � Francfort avec deux villes satellites, Bruxelles et Varsovie. Il a rappel� que les salari�s des Nouvelles Technologies de l'Information et de la Communication sont importants et qu�il n�est pas question de les licencier malgr� Globe. Il faudra toujours g�rer au niveau local. Pour le centre de Francfort, qui vient juste d��tre choisi, il sera fait appel � des volontaires des diff�rents pays, comme on avait pu le faire pour ITOC, implant� � Bruxelles.
J�rg Lindner, au nom des d�l�gations syndicales, a demand� devant un projet d�ampleur mondiale, qu�un groupe de travail se r�unisse au niveau europ�en et soit inform� directement par Vevey. R. Raeber a r�affirm� que nous �tions inform�s pas � pas des �volutions du projet et qu�il ne voyait pas comment pouvait fonctionner correctement un niveau europ�en suppl�mentaire. Devant notre insistance, R. Raeber va r�fl�chir !!!
Nous avons soulign� l�in�galit� d�acc�s � l�information et � la formation en ligne pour les salari�s qui n�ont pas de micro � leur poste de travail. R. Raeber a r�pliqu� que la formation en ligne ne concernerait qu�une partie du personnel et que la formation traditionnelle continuerait � s�appliquer.
Evolution des effectifs (comptabilis�s en Equivalents Temps Plein - ETP)
Europe de l'Ouest 1997 1998 1999 2000 99/00
% de variation
France 12 331 11942 11874 11480 -3,3
Allemagne 12083 11746 11162 10754 -3,7
Royaume Uni 11738 11338 10454 9138 -12,6
Espagne 6105 6473 6238 5854 -6,2
Italie 5936 5021 4684 4182 -10,7
R�gions nordiques 3505 3851 3622 1440 -60,2
Suisse 3155 3055 3055 3020 -1,2
Portugal 1596 1544 1486 1418 -4,6
Hollande 1428 1425 1372 1326 -3,4
Gr�ce 635 636 613 607 -0,1
Autriche 641 572 476 402 -15,6
Belgique 961 740 491 490 -0,2
Irlande 403 417 438 402 -8,2
Malte 20 22 23 21 -8,7
Gibraltar 12 12 11 11 0
Friskies Europe de l�Ouest 1675 4648 4323 4142 -4,2
Total Europe de l�Ouest 62224 63442 60322 54687 -9,3
Europe centrale et de l�Est 12810 14546 15286 15314 +0,2
Perrier-Vittel Europe 9481 10894 10934 10933 0
Total Europe 84515 88882 86542 80934 -6,5
Pour l�Europe en 2000, - 5 608 postes. 3990 sont imputables � des transferts, principalement la vente de Findus. Nous enregistrons donc une suppression de 1618 postes, r�partis dans tous les pays.
Nos coll�gues polonais ont soulign� l�augmentation des accidents de travail : autant sur le 1er trimestre 2001 que pour toute l�ann�e 2000 et la r�duction drastique des effectifs. R. Raeber a demand� les statistiques des accidents afin de pouvoir comparer avec les chiffres officiels. Quant � la r�duction des effectifs, il faut ramener la performance des usines polonaises au niveau des usines ouest europ�ennes a-t-il dit afin qu�elles soient viables le jour de l�ouverture des fronti�res et s�il faut 500 salari�s au lieu de 2000, et bien nous le ferons afin qu�elles soient concurrentielles.
Lors de cette intervention, l�arrogance de R Raeber a beaucoup choqu� les d�l�gations. Car si les performances visent � �tre � l��gal de l�Europe de l�Ouest, le salaire moyen annuel d�un salari� polonais �quivaut au salaire moyen mensuel d�un salari� allemand.
A ce jour pour la France, aucune fermeture de site n�est envisag�e et seule cession pr�vue : les thermes de Vittel -50 Equivalent Temps Plein- la vente n�est pas encore finalis�e.
Expos� sur la qualit� de R. L. Jaccoud
R. Raeber a d�clar� qu�il faudrait r�compenser le salari� qui d�noncerait un fait qui porterait atteinte � la qualit� de nos produits ou au processus de qualit� mis en �uvre dans nos entreprises.
Cette position m�rite d��tre not�e, car jusqu�ici les directions, tous groupes confondus, avaient plut�t tendance � vouloir �touffer les propos des salari�s.
Travail forc� des enfants chez les producteurs de cacao
Alors que nous d�noncions ce scandale et demandions une intervention active de Nestl� pour faire cesser ce trafic, au travers par exemple le financement d�une enqu�te ind�pendante, R. Raeber a d�clar� que Nestl� achetait son cacao sur le march� mondial et qu�il n�avait aucun int�r�t personnel � se mettre en avant dans ce scandale. Nestl� agira dans le cadre des associations professionnelles.
Conclusions de la CFDT
Ce Comit� d�Entreprise Europ�en �tait le dernier pr�sent� par R. Raeber, qui a introduit son successeur, Lars Olofsson.
Que penser de ce comit� ? Une d�l�gation nordique l�a qualifi� de monocorde, monotone et fade, traduisant ainsi le sentiment g�n�ral des d�l�gations participantes. C�t� direction, aucune ambition sociale ne l�a anim�. A quoi peut-on attribuer cette l�thargie ?
Un constat : Nestl� s�est plus focalis�e sur la politique environnementale que sur la politique sociale. En t�moignent les r�sultats remarquables publi�s dans son rapport et qui soulignent un r�el souci d�int�grer les contraintes environnementales dans sa politique de d�veloppement.
Du c�t� social, beaucoup reste � faire.
Tout d�abord, Nestl� n�a jamais �t� socialement d�avant garde, si on compare sa politique par rapport � celle des autres grands groupes. Son attitude a toujours �t� tr�s paternaliste, nos acquis datent de plusieurs d�cennies, n��voluent plus quand ils ne r�gressent pas, et il n�y a jamais eu une tr�s grande tradition de n�gociation avec les syndicats.
L�autre facteur : c�est un CEE de � fin de r�gne � : Lars Olofsson prenant ses fonctions au 1er juillet, on suppute que R. Raeber n�a pas voulu s�engager pour son successeur, m�me si nous sommes conscients que ce n�est pas un changement d�homme qui changera radicalement la politique sociale de Nestl�. Une tr�s grande d�ception donc !
Il reste � souhaiter pour nous tous que son successeur, devant les demandes pressantes de ce CEE, fasse la d�monstration que le progr�s social peut aller de pair avec le progr�s �conomique. Car tout de m�me lors de ce Comit� Europ�en, nous avons v�cu une grande premi�re : l�unanimit� ! Au-del� de nos divergences syndicales, linguistiques, culturelles, etc. nous �tions enfin tous d�accord �contre la politique sociale europ�enne de Nestl� !
La France �tait repr�sent�e par :
FGA-CFDT Jocelyne Banfi Nestl� France Si�ge Social
Eric P�ry Perrier Vittel SA Site de Vittel
Bruno Vannoni Coordinateur UITA pour la France
FNAF-CGT Anita Binacchi Nestl� France Dijon
Christian Sommacal Perrier Vittel Site de Verg�ze
Ren� Chmileski Nestl� Produits Laitiers frais Cuincy
CFE-CGC Michel Rossi Perrier Nestl� France Saint Menet
DRH Claude Salvagnac Nestl� France Alimentaire
Christian Ruffat Perrier Vittel SA
Unilever to sell USA Brands
01-Jun-2001Unilever PLC plans to sell a number of North American brands and related assets from its Unilever Bestfoods portfolio. These include Mazola cooking oil products, Argo and Kingsford's corn starches, Karo and Golden Griddle syrups, Henri's salad dressing, and the Rit dye and Niagara starch fabric care brands. Several Canadian brands, including Canada and Benson's corn starches, St Lawrence corn oil, Crown and Beehive corn syrups, Old Colony maple and Old Tyme pancake syrup brands, are also to be sold. The sale, which is expected by the end of 2001, will cut 240 jobs.
IUF, Colsiba And Chiquita Sign Historic Agreement On Trade Union Rights For Banana Workers
14-Jun-2001The IUF, COLSIBA and CHIQUITA announced today the signing of an historic agreement on "Freedom of Association, Minimum Labour Standards and Employment in Latin American Banana Operations." Ron Oswald, General Secretary of the IUF; German Zepeda, coordinator of the Latin American Coordinating Committee of Banana Workers' Unions (COLSIBA); and Steve Warshaw, President and Chief Operating Officer of Chiquita Brands International Inc., signed the agreement. The signing was witnessed by Juan Somavia, the Director General of the International Labor Organization (ILO), which hosted the signing today in Geneva.
Through this agreement, Chiquita, which is the largest employer of unionized banana workers in Latin America, reaffirmed its commitment to respect the core labor Conventions of the ILO, including the Convention on freedom of association.
Oswald described the agreement as �historic in the truest sense, meaning that it offers the possibility for workers and employers to seek a new basis for the resolution of problems in an industry which has throughout its history been highly confrontational.� He added, �We have an opportunity through this agreement to ensure that the relationships between Chiquita and its workers are always founded on mutual recognition and respect for human rights as set out in the conventions of the ILO. We hope that this agreement will serve as a model for relations generally between international union organizations and transnational companies.�
�This agreement signals our new partnership with the IUF and COLSIBA, based on mutual respect and openness, and it sets a new leadership standard for social responsibility in the banana industry,� said Mr. Warshaw. �It reflects our continued commitment to uphold the highest standards in all of our relationships with stakeholders, including our employees and their unions. We look forward to our increasing collaboration with the IUF and COLSIBA, which are important partners in our efforts to ensure both that we live up to these standards and that our workplace practices are as efficient and productive as possible.�
In the agreement, Chiquita also acknowledges its responsibility to provide safe and healthy workplaces, and Chiquita, the IUF, and COLSIBA agree to collaborate in efforts to further improve the health and safety of the Company's banana operations.
A joint IUF, COLSIBA, Chiquita Review Committee will meet twice yearly to oversee the application of the agreement and review any potential areas of concern.
The Agreement in English in PDF
The Agreement in Spanish in PDF
ILO Convention on Safety and Health in Agriculture a Victory for All Workers
22-Jun-2001The IUF today welcomed the adoption of a Convention and Recommendation on Safety and Health in Agriculture by the 89th session of the International Labour Conference. "These instruments", said IUF general secretary Ron Oswald, "mark the first time that agricultural workers are formally guaranteed in international law the same rights and levels of protection as other categories of workers. The IUF will now be mobilizing its international membership for wide-scale ratification of the Convention and Recommendation and their effective adoption into national legislation."
Despite the fierce resistance of the employers' group at last year's International Labour Conference, the Convention and Recommendation were adopted this year with only two opposing votes: the employers' delegations of Indonesia and Malaysia. There were 41 abstentions (28 employers and 13 governments).
The strong vote in favor of the Convention and Recommendation led LeRoy Trotman, general secretary of the IUF-affiliated Barbados Workers' Union who chaired the Workers Group, to sum up the results as "A victory for all workers, not just those in agriculture, and a strong re-affirmation of the standard-setting role of the ILO."
Agriculture, which employs an estimated 1.3 billion workers internationally, is one of the most dangerous sectors in the world of work, in both industrialized and developing countries. It is also a sector in which the women and men who work to feed the world are often excluded from systems of social security, from medical insurance, from adequate workplace protections against the many hazards they face, and from the legal systems regulating industrial relations. For these reasons, noted IUF General Secretary Ron Oswald, "It is particularly important that the instruments just adopted by the ILO address in clear, specific language such crucial issues as the safe use of machinery, chemicals and animal handling and risks from biological agents. The IUF also worked very hard to insert language specifying that termporary and seasonal workers are accorded the same safety and health protection as permanent workers, and we are pleased that the Convention sets out this essential principle. Equally important for us was the adoption of language specifying the need for concrete measures to protect women's reproductive health, and - for the first time in an ILO Convention - the connection is specifically made between working time arrangements and health and safety on the job, an issue which is too often neglected."
Colombian Union Leader Assassinated
25-Jun-2001Colombian Trade Unionist Assassinated
On June 22, the president of the C�rdoba branch of the National Union of Drinks Industry Workers of Colombia (SINALTRAINBEC), OSCAR DARIO SOTO, was assassinated. The IUF has written to the president of Colombia asking that an immediate and thorough investigation be made into this deplorable act, which proves once more that one of the most hazardous occupations in the world is that of trade unionist in Colombia.
We ask that solidarity messages be sent to:
SINALTRAINBEC
Fax. (+571) 262 59 62
Santaf� de Bogot� - Colombia
Please also urge the president of the Republic of Colombia to immediately initiate an investigation to identify those responsible for this act.
Dr. Andr�s Pastrana Arango
Fax. (+571) 334 19 40
Palacio de Nari�o / Santaf� de Bogot�
E-mail: [email protected]
OSCAR DARIO SOTO, SINALTRAINBEC, Colombia, assassin�
25-Jun-2001Le 22 juin dernier, OSCAR DARIO SOTO, pr�sident de la section de de Cordoba du Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de la Industria de las Bebidas de Colombia (SINALTRAINBEC) a �t� assassin�. Les secr�tariats central et r�gional de l'UITA ont demand� au Pr�sident de la R�publique qu'une enqu�te soit ouverte imm�diatement sur cet �v�nement d�plorable qui confirme encore une fois que le m�tier de syndicaliste en Colombie est un des plus dangereux au monde.
Nous vous demandons d'envoyer des messages de solidarit� �:
SINALTRAINBEC
Fax. (+571) 262 59 62
Santaf� de Bogot� - Colombia
Et d'exiger du pr�sident de la R�publique une enqu�te imm�diate pour identifier les auteurs de cet acte:
Dr. Andr�s Pastrana Arango
Fax. (+571) 334 19 40
Palacio de Nari�o / Santaf� de Bogot�
Correo electr�nico: [email protected]
OSCAR DARIO SOTO, SINALTRAINBEC, Colombia asesinado
25-Jun-2001El pasado d�a 22, fue asesinado el compa�ero OSCAR DARIO SOTO, Presidente de la Seccional C�rdoba del Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de la Industria de las Bebidas de Colombia (SINALTRAINBEC).
La UITA ha solicitado al Presidente de la Rep�blica, la inmediata investigaci�n de este lamentable hecho, que afirma una vez m�s, que ser sindicalista en Colombia es una de las profesiones m�s riesgosas en el mundo.
Solicitamos a ustedes enviar mensajes de solidaridad a:
SINALTRAINBEC
Fax. (+571) 262 59 62
Santaf� de Bogot� - Colombia
Como as� tambi�n exigiendo la inmediata investigaci�n del caso al Presidente de la Rep�blica
Dr. Andr�s Pastrana Arango
Fax. (+571) 334 19 40
Palacio de Nari�o / Santaf� de Bogot�
Correo electr�nico: [email protected]
ILO Convention on Safety and Health in Agriculture a Victory for All Workers
27-Jun-2001The IUF has welcomed the adoption of a Convention and Recommendation on Safety and Health in Agriculture by the 89th session of the International Labour Conference. "These instruments", said IUF general secretary Ron Oswald, "mark the first time that agricultural workers are formally guaranteed in international law the same rights and levels of protection as other categories of workers. The IUF will now be mobilizing its international membership for wide-scale ratification of the Convention and Recommendation and their effective adoption into national legislation."
Despite the fierce resistance of the employers' group at last year's International Labour Conference, the Convention and Recommendation were adopted this year with only two opposing votes: the employers' delegations of Indonesia and Malaysia. There were 41 abstentions (28 employers and 13 governments).
The strong vote in favor of the Convention and Recommendation led LeRoy Trotman, general secretary of the IUF-affiliated Barbados Workers' Union who chaired the Workers Group, to sum up the results as "A victory for all workers, not just those in agriculture, and a strong re-affirmation of the standard-setting role of the ILO."
Agriculture, which employs an estimated 1.3 billion workers internationally, is one of the most dangerous sectors in the world of work, in both industrialized and developing countries. It is also a sector in which the women and men who work to feed the world are often excluded from systems of social security, from medical insurance, from adequate workplace protections against the many hazards they face, and from the legal systems regulating industrial relations. For these reasons, noted IUF General Secretary Ron Oswald, "It is particularly important that the instruments just adopted by the ILO address in clear, specific language such crucial issues as the safe use of machinery, chemicals and animal handling and risks from biological agents. The IUF also worked very hard to insert language specifying that termporary and seasonal workers are accorded the same safety and health protection as permanent workers, and we are pleased that the Convention sets out this essential principle. Equally important for us was the adoption of language specifying the need for concrete measures to protect women's reproductive health, and - for the first time in an ILO Convention - the connection is specifically made between working time arrangements and health and safety on the job, an issue which is too often neglected."
la UITA, COLSIBA y Chiquita firman hist�rico acuerdo sobre derechos sindicales para los trabajadores bananeros
28-Jun-2001La UITA, COLSIBA y CHIQUITA anunciaron hoy la firma de un hist�rico acuerdo sobre "Libertad sindical, las Normas Laborales M�nimas y el Empleo en las Operaciones Bananeras en Am�rica Latina". Ron Oswald, Secretario General de la UITA; German Zepeda, coordinador de la Coordinadora Latinoamericana de Sindicatos Bananeros (COLSIBA); y Steve Warshaw, Presidente y Oficial Operativo en Jefe de Chiquita Brands International Inc., suscribieron el acuerdo. Fue testigo de la firma del mismo, Juan Somavia, Director General de la Organizaci�n Internacional del Trabajo (OIT), la cual auspici� la firma hoy en Ginebra.
Mediante este acuerdo, Chiquita, que es el mayor empleador de trabajadores bananeros sindicalizados de Am�rica Latina, reafirm� su compromiso de respetar los Convenios laborales b�sicos de la OIT, incluido el Convenio sobre libertad sindical y derecho de sindicaci�n.
Oswald describi� el acuerdo como �hist�rico en el verdadero sentido, significando que ofrece a los trabajadores y a los empleadores la posibilidad de buscar una nueva base para la resoluci�n de problemas en una industria que, a lo largo de su historia, ha sido extremadamente confrontativa�.
Agreg�: �Tenemos una oportunidad mediante este acuerdo de garantizar que las relaciones entre Chiquita y sus trabajadores siempre se funden en el reconocimiento mutuo y en el respeto por los derechos humanos seg�n est� establecido en los convenios de la OIT. Esperamos que este acuerdo servir� de modelo de relaciones en general entre organizaciones sindicales internacionales y compa��as transnacionales�.
�Este acuerdo marca nuestra nueva asociaci�n entre la UITA y COLSIBA, basada en el respeto y la sinceridad mutuas y establece un nuevo nivel de dirigencia de responsabilidad social en la industria bananera� - dijo el Sr. Warshaw. �Refleja nuestro continuo compromiso de mantener los niveles m�s elevados en todas nuestras relaciones con los interesados, incluidos nuestros empleados y sus sindicatos. Esperamos con inter�s nuestra creciente colaboraci�n con la UITA y COLSIBA, que son importantes asociados en nuestros esfuerzos por velar que se cumpla con estas normas y que nuestras pr�cticas en los centros de trabajo sean tan eficientes y productivas como sea posible�.
En el acuerdo, Chiquita tambi�n reconoce su responsabilidad de suministrar centros de trabajo saludables y seguros y Chiquita, la UITA y COLSIBA convienen en colaborar con todo esfuerzo encaminado a mejorar a�n m�s la salud y la seguridad de las operaciones bananeras de la empresa.
Un Comit� de Revisi�n conjunto Chiquita, COLSIBA, UITA se reunir� dos veces al a�o para supervisar la aplicaci�n del acuerdo y revisar todas las potenciales �reas de preocupaci�n.
El texto completo del acuerdo se encuentra disponible, en espa�ol e ingl�s aqui:
El acuerdo en ingles en PDF
El acuerdo en espa�ole en PDF
IUF Tourism Policy
02-Jul-2001IUF POLICY FOR THE TOURISM SECTOR
For the sustainable development of tourism
Lack of consistency and of co-ordination in tourism development has resulted in the sector being controlled mainly by private interests seeking short-term profits.
A negotiated development
The development of tourism should follow guidelines drafted at the international, national, regional and local levels, after consultations with all parties concerned, including the unions representing workers of the sector. The unions should ensure that their views are duly taken into account prior to tourism projects being undertaken.
Trade unions ought to support all initiatives of an economic, social or fiscal nature aimed either at consumers or at the industry and designed to promote sustainable tourism development.
A balanced development
IUF affiliates should in particular promote the following principles:
tourism revenues should be fairly allocated and redistributed amongst the different regions;
the existing balance between socio-economic factors should be maintained (tourism should not monopolize natural resources, at the expense of other sectors, such as agriculture);
natural sites should be protected and strict provisions adopted to prevent pollution and to control the use of energy and natural resources;
existing cultural practices in such areas which are helpful to safeguarding the sites should be upheld;
eco-tourism should be promoted as much as possible particularly in small island states where the ecological balance is very fragile.
Involvement of unions
IUF affiliates should demand that they be included in the process of drafting, implementation and monitoring of environmentally-sound programs for the tourism sector.
Promotion of forms of tourism
IUF affiliates are invited to promote forms of specialized tourism that are less dependent on market forces (social and group tourism, rural tourism, etc.). They should support public efforts aimed at developing non-profit hospitality facilities, democratically operated and under the control of the trade union movement or those close to it.
that are less dependent on market forces
Governments, employers and workers� organizations should put special emphasis on �social tourism�. Low-income workers and their families should have access to domestic and foreign facilities and contacts should be established between unions and other workers� organizations in various countries which operate their own tourism services.
IUF affiliates that have their own tourism facilities should make them available to members of other IUF affiliates at the same terms and conditions as those applying to their own membership.
Local priority
Respect of the local environment requires that tourism contribute to the preservation of the local economic and social fabric. In this connection, IUF affiliates should encourage the use of local businesses and products for tourism development projects. As much as possible, local labour should be employed and trained to handle tourism projects in their locality.
IUF affiliates should seek to ensure that subsidies and loans for the development of tourist facilities are used to further their stated aims and are contingent on their recipients complying with minimum standards, including union recognition and the respect of trade union rights.
Diversified development
Balanced tourism development requires, among others, the diversification of transportation, destinations and types of tourism. IUF affiliates should call upon decision makers to provide incentives in favour of non-polluting means of transportation in tourism.
Transnational companies respectful of
basic rights, including those of trade unions
Transnational companies should be allowed to invest and operate in host countries only if they comply fully with local laws and practices, as well as with the provisions of the ILO Tripartite Declaration on Multinational Enterprises and basic ILO Conventions governing industrial relations, including trade union rights and the prohibition against forced and child labour.
IUF affiliates should ensure that companies fully respect workers� freedom of association and right to bargain collectively and, as required by the ILO Declaration, have a positive attitude towards trade union activities, including those of international associations of unions.
IUF affiliates should further see to it that the companies draw most of their workforce from the local population and provide employees with the training necessary to eventually replace expatriate employees. Affiliates should also make sure that transnational companies are not granted investment incentives that could place them at a distinct advantage in relation to local firms. They should seek to obtain that entities operated under franchise or management contracts respect the same basic rights, including union rights, as those owned and operated by the transnational companies.
or jobs and improved working conditions
A better image of the HRCT sector, which alone will enable it to attract the skilled workers it needs in the long run, requires that working and living conditions in the sector be improved.
Collective bargaining
Improvements can come about only through collective bargaining in the sector. IUF affiliates must put an absolute priority on initiatives aimed at securing recognition for unions, collective bargaining and the implementation of collective labour agreements at all local, national and international levels. IUF affiliates should seek to obtain that union representatives be granted free access to all HRCT-sector workplaces.
Stable jobs
IUF affiliates in the HRCT sector should put a priority on the creation of stable, permanent, full-time jobs. Given the seasonal nature of tourism in certain regions and/or in the case of certain activities, unions should actively support efforts aimed at extending the tourist season, or else at implementing measures to ensure that seasonal workers can return every season to jobs with the same employer. To avoid persistent exploitation of seasonal or casual labour, efforts should be made to unionise these categories of labour in order for them to have bargaining power.
Stable jobs are threatened by the growth in unreported work. This type of illegal employment undermines the job security of legally employed workers, collectively bargained wages and working conditions and organizing in the sector, while at the same time causing a sizeable loss of revenue for the social welfare system. IUF affiliates should seek the implementation of measures to fight illegal work, including through international organizations.
Conditions similar to those of other sectors
IUF affiliates should seek to narrow any differences in wages and working conditions that may exist between the tourism and other economic sectors. They are invited to urge their governments to ratify ILO Convention 172 and to use as a model the provisions contained in Recommendation 179, adopted by employer, government and union delegates at the International Labour Conference of June 1991. Working conditions within international chains should, as much as possible, be similar in all countries. For instance, where similar jobs are being performed and similar services rendered, working conditions in a developing country should not be different from those that exist in developed countries.
Minimum employment standards
for the hotel and catering sector
IUF affiliates are called upon to defend the following minimum standards:
All workers should enjoy the same rights and respect as human beings, regardless of their origin, race, sex, language and creed or religion.
All workers should receive the same pay for work of equal value, regardless of sex or age.
The working conditions, wages and fringe benefits of seasonal, temporary or part-time workers, or of the employees of subcontractors, should not be below those of full-time permanent workers.
The use of subcontracting should be limited and negotiated with the unions representing the employees of the entity concerned. IUF affiliates should see to it that subcontracting is not used by employers as a way of preventing the organizing and effective representation of employees on payroll, or to exert downward pressure on the wages and working conditions of all of the entity�s personnel, or even of all those employed in the sector.
Temporary and part-time work should not be used as a substitute for permanent full-time jobs. IUF affiliates should ensure that employers are not entitled to government assistance for the creation of casual jobs.
Workers in the HRCT sector are entitled to a decent base pay, equal to at least the average in the country. All employees are entitled to a regular wage for regular hours. Whenever compensation is dependent on the volume of business (pay based on service charge, compensation linked to sales), employees must also be guaranteed a minimum salary.
All workers in the HRCT sector should be entitled to retirement benefits providing a decent standard of living after retirement, as well as to disability insurance.
Tips and gratuities, understood to refer to sums freely given by customers to employees, are to be treated as fully distinct from wages. Workers should have access to company documents to verify the amount of tips and service charge they are entitled to.
Working hours in the HRCT sector should be set by collective bargaining and efforts should be made to eliminate differences that may exist in this respect with other economic sectors.
Any hours during which workers are required to be on call should be considered working hours and paid as such. Workers should not be restricted from entering the workplace during their rest period or on days off.
Whenever feasible, workers should work uninterrupted shifts. In the event of broken shifts, adequate compensation should be negotiated.
HRCT workers should be entitled to a rest period of at least 12 hours between two shifts and 48 consecutive hours of weekly time off.
The manner in which overtime is computed, assigned and compensated should be collectively bargained. Provisions applicable to night work or work on holidays should also be bargaining issues.
Safety and health issues should be included in collective bargaining. Emphasis should be on the need to train workers in the sector, particularly in light of the specific nature of the hotel and restaurant professions with respect to contacts with customers.
The introduction of new technologies with a potential impact on working conditions should be examined together with the workers concerned; the conditions under which new technologies may be introduced should be considered a collective bargaining issue.
The sub-contracting of jobs to outside firms shall be subject to consultation in order to prevent the deterioration of existing working conditions.
Working conditions laid out in staff handbooks written solely by the employer shall not supersede what has been agreed upon in the collective bargaining agreement.
Equal opportunities
IUF affiliates should seek to negotiate agreements guaranteeing full equality between women and men in employment, working conditions and advancement. They should encourage the adoption of programs aimed at facilitating the career development of women with dependent children.
A worker shall be protected from discrimination on the basis of union membership and enjoy all opportunities for promotion on the job, given the necessary skills.
Vocational training
IUF affiliates should place a high priority on vocational training. They should ask to be consulted on the selection standards and contents of basic vocational training programs. They should require that further training programmes be provided in the form of courses which would enable employees to progress in the jobs they are performing. Training should be financed by employers and/or the government and be scheduled during regular working hours.
Specific courses should be offered to employees based on their needs and expectations (training of seasonal workers during the off season, special courses on safety and health issues, etc.). Employers should also permit workers to pursue courses relevant to the sector by granting them paid study leave.
Fight against financial crime
IUF affiliates should take steps to help fight financial crime in the HRCT sector. This entails, among other things, more thorough checks of the qualifications of owners of tourist facilities, increased crack downs on trafficking at such locations and stricter controls of financial transactions.
Cost cutting should not be seen as a means for employers to increase profits at the expense of employees.
Regular verification should be carried out to ensure that statutory deductions of social security, provident and pension fund contributions from staff salaries and employers� contributions are properly made and paid into the relevant funds.
Politique de l'UITA sur le tourisme
02-Jul-2001Pour un d�veloppement touristique durable
La non-coh�rence et la non-coordination en mati�re de d�veloppement touristique laissent celui-ci aux mains d�int�r�ts priv�s guid�s par le profit � court terme.
Un d�veloppement n�goci�
Tout d�veloppement touristique devrait reposer sur des orientations �labor�es au niveau international, national, r�gional ou local apr�s consultation de l�ensemble des acteurs du tourisme, y compris les organisations syndicales repr�sentant les salari�s du secteur. Celles-ci devraient s�assurer que leur point de vue est ad�quatement pris en compte avant la r�alisation de tout projet touristique.
Les organisations syndicales devraient encourager toutes les initiatives de caract�re �conomique, social ou fiscal en direction, soit des consommateurs, soit des structures d�accueil, dont le but est de favoriser un d�veloppement durable du tourisme.
�quilibr�
Les organisations affili�es � l�UITA s�efforceront en particulier de promouvoir les principes suivants:
r��quilibrage et redistribution des revenus entre les diff�rentes r�gions;
pr�servation des �quilibres socio-�conomiques (�viter d�empi�ter sur d�autres activit�s comme l�agriculture, �viter de monopoliser les ressources naturelles au seul b�n�fice de l�activit� touristique);
pr�servation des sites naturels et adoption de dispositions contraignantes en mati�re de pr�vention de la pollution et d�utilisation de l��nergie et des ressources naturelles;
les pratiques culturelles de nature � pr�server les sites dans certaines zones devraient �tre encourag�es;
le tourisme �cologique (tourisme vert) devrait �tre promu par l�UITA autant que possible, sp�cialement dans les petites �les o� l��quilibre �cologique est fragile.
Implication des syndicats
Les organisations affili�es � l�UITA demanderont � �tre associ�es � l��laboration, � l�ex�cution et au contr�le de �programmes verts� dans les industries touristiques.
Encourager des formes de tourisme
Les organisations affili�es � l�UITA sont invit�es � promouvoir des formes de tourisme sp�cialis� moins d�pendantes des forces du march� (tourisme social, tourisme rural, etc.). Elles soutiendront les politiques visant � d�velopper des structures d�accueil � but non lucratif g�r�es de mani�re d�mocratique et contr�l�es par les organisations syndicales ou proches.
moins d�pendantes des forces du march�
Les gouvernements, employeurs et organisations de travailleurs devraient encourager tout particuli�rement le �tourisme social�. On devrait notamment donner aux travailleurs aux faibles revenus et � leur famille l�acc�s � des services de tourisme dans leur pays et � l��tranger et �tablir des contacts entre les syndicats et autres organisations de travailleurs dans diff�rents pays qui ont acc�s � leurs propres services touristiques.
Les organisations affili�es � l�UITA qui g�rent leurs propres services de tourisme devraient les ouvrir aux membres des autres affili�es de l�UITA en leur offrant les m�mes conditions qu�� leurs membres.
Priorit� au local
Le respect de l�environnement local suppose la contribution au maintien d�un tissu �conomique et social local. Dans cet esprit, les affili�es de l�UITA devront promouvoir l�id�e selon laquelle tout projet de d�veloppement touristique devrait donner la priorit� aux entreprises et produits locaux. Autant que possible, des travailleurs locaux devraient recevoir la formation n�cessaire pour �tre employ�s dans la gestion de projets touristiques dans leur localit�.
Les organisations affili�es � l�UITA devront s�efforcer de contr�ler que les subventions et pr�ts pour le d�veloppement touristique sont utilis�s conform�ment � leur but et sont conditionn�s � l�existence de conditions sociales minimales, et en particulier � la reconnaissance du syndicat et au respect du droit syndical.
Un d�veloppement diversifi�
Un d�veloppement touristique �quilibr� passe entre autres par une diversification des modes de transport, des lieux de destination et des types de tourisme. Les affili�es de l�UITA devront inciter les d�cideurs � encourager par des mesures incitatives l�utilisation de modes de transport non polluants dans les activit�s touristiques.
Des soci�t�s transnationales qui respectent
les droits fondamentaux, notamment le droit syndical
Les soci�t�s transnationales ne devraient �tre autoris�es � investir et � fonctionner dans les pays h�tes que si leurs activit�s sont pleinement conformes aux l�gislations et pratiques nationales et si elles respectent strictement les dispositions de la d�claration tripartite de l�OIT sur les entreprises multinationales et les conventions de base de l�OIT r�gissant les rapports sociaux, notamment le respect du droit syndical, l�interdiction du travail forc� et du travail des enfants.
Les affili�es de l�UITA seront attentives � ce que ces soci�t�s respectent pleinement le droit des travailleurs � la libert� syndicale et � la n�gociation collective et adoptent comme l�exige la d�claration de l�OIT une attitude positive vis-�-vis des activit�s syndicales y compris des contacts syndicaux internationaux.
Les affili�es de l�UITA veilleront � ce que ces entreprises emploient un maximum de salari�s locaux et leur donnent une formation appropri�e qui les mette en situation de remplacer les salari�s expatri�s. Elles interviendront enfin pour que ces soci�t�s ne b�n�ficient pas de dispositifs d�incitation � l�installation et l�investissement susceptibles de cr�er un avantage exorbitant par rapport aux soci�t�s locales. Elles s�efforceront d�imposer le m�me respect des droits sociaux fondamentaux, en particulier le droit syndical, dans les �tablissements g�r�s en franchise ou par contrat de gestion, que dans les �tablissements poss�d�s en propre par les soci�t�s transnationales.
Pour l�emploi et l�am�lioration des conditions de travail
L�am�lioration de l�image du secteur HRCT, seule susceptible d�attirer � terme les travailleurs qualifi�s dont il a besoin, passe par l�am�lioration des conditions de travail et de vie dans le secteur.
N�gociation collective
Ces am�liorations ne peuvent qu��tre le fruit de la n�gociation collective dans le secteur. Les affili�es de l�UITA doivent donner priorit� absolue aux actions visant � la reconnaissance des organisations syndicales, � la n�gociation collective et au contr�le de l�application des accords collectifs � tous les niveaux, local, national, international. Les affili�es de l�UITA s�efforceront d�obtenir le libre acc�s des repr�sentants syndicaux � toutes les entreprises du secteur HRCT.
Emplois stables
Les affili�es de l�UITA du secteur HRCT favoriseront en priorit� la cr�ation d�emplois stables, permanents et � plein temps. Consid�rant le caract�re cyclique de l�activit� touristique dans certaines r�gions et/ou pour certains types d�activit�, elles soutiendront activement toutes les initiatives qui visent � allonger la dur�e sur l�ann�e des p�riodes d�activit� touristique et, � tout le moins, la mise en place de formules qui assurent aux salari�s saisonniers la continuit� de l�emploi sur plusieurs saisons dans la m�me entreprise saisonni�re. Pour �viter l�exploitation continue des travailleurs temporaires ou saisonniers, des efforts devront �tre d�velopp�s pour syndiquer ces travailleurs et leur donner le pouvoir de n�gocier collectivement.
Les emplois stables sont menac�s par le d�veloppement du travail ill�gal. Cette forme de travail sape la s�curit� de l�emploi des travailleurs employ�s l�galement, les conditions de travail et de salaire n�goci�es collectivement, la syndicalisation dans le secteur, tout en repr�sentant pour les syst�mes de protection sociale un manque � gagner important. Les affili�es de l�UITA s�efforceront de mettre en place des politiques communes de lutte contre le travail ill�gal, y compris � un niveau supranational.
Conditions similaires � celles
existant dans les autres secteurs
Les affili�es de l�UITA devront s�efforcer de r�duire les disparit�s de salaires et de conditions de travail entre le secteur du tourisme et les autres secteurs de l��conomie. Elles sont invit�es � inciter leurs gouvernements � ratifier la Convention 172 de l�OIT et � s�inspirer des dispositions figurant dans la Recommandation 179 adopt�es par la Conf�rence internationale du travail de juin 1991 compos�e de repr�sentants d�employeurs, de gouvernements et d�organisations syndicales. Autant que possible, les conditions de travail dans les cha�nes internationales du secteur du tourisme devraient �tre similaires dans l�ensemble des pays. Par exemple, les conditions de travail pour un emploi similaire et un m�me service rendu ne devraient pas �tre diff�rentes dans un pays en voie de d�veloppement de celles qui existent dans un pays d�velopp�.
Normes minimales en mati�re de conditions de travail
Les affili�es de l�UITA sont invit�es � promouvoir les principes minima suivants:
Tous les travailleurs et travailleuses jouissent des m�mes droits fondamentaux et du respect de leur dignit� d��tre humain, sans distinction de leur origine, de leur race, de leur sexe, de leur langue et de leurs convictions philosophiques et religieuses.
Tous les travailleurs et travailleuses devront percevoir le m�me salaire pour un travail de valeur �gale, sans distinction de sexe ou d��ge.
Les conditions de travail, de salaires et les prestations sociales des travailleurs et travailleuses saisonniers, temporaires, � temps partiel ou salari�s d�une entreprise de sous-traitance, ne pourront pas �tre inf�rieures � celles des travailleurs � temps complet.
Le recours � la sous-traitance doit �tre limit� et n�goci� avec les organisations syndicales de l��tablissement concern�. Les organisations affili�es � l�UITA veilleront � ce que la sous-traitance ne soit pas un moyen utilis� par les employeurs pour entraver la syndicalisation et la repr�sentation des travailleurs dans l��tablissement, ou pour exercer une pression � la baisse sur les salaires et les conditions de travail de l�ensemble des salari�s de l��tablissement, voire du secteur.
Le travail temporaire et le travail � temps partiel ne peuvent �tre impos�s comme substitut � des emplois r�guliers et permanents. Les affili�es de l�UITA veilleront � ce que les entreprises ne puissent recevoir des aides publiques pour la cr�ation d�emplois � caract�re pr�caire.
Les travailleurs et travailleuses du secteur HRCT ont droit � un salaire de base d�cent, qui correspond au moins au salaire mensuel moyen du pays. Chaque salari� a droit � un salaire r�gulier li� � des heures de travail r�guli�res. Lorsque le salaire varie en fonction de l�activit� de l��tablissement (salaire au pourcentage/service, salaire li� au chiffre d�affaires), il doit �tre accompagn� d�une garantie de salaire minimum.
Tout salari� du secteur HRCT doit b�n�ficier d�un syst�me de retraite vieillesse lui assurant une retraite d�cente, ainsi que d�un syst�me de couverture de l�invalidit�.
Les pourboires, compris au sens d�argent donn� librement par les clients aux travailleurs et travailleuses du secteur HRCT, sont ind�pendants du salaire. Les travailleurs devraient avoir acc�s aux documents de l�entreprise permettant de v�rifier le montant des pourboires et pourcentage de service auquel ils ont droit.
La dur�e du travail dans le secteur HRCT doit �tre fix�e par n�gociation collective avec l�objectif d��tre � terme identique � celle en vigueur dans les autres secteurs de l��conomie.
Le temps de travail durant lequel les travailleurs et travailleuses doivent se tenir � disposition de leur employeur doit �tre consid�r� comme temps de travail effectif, et r�mun�r�. Les travailleurs ne devraient pas se voir refuser l�entr�e sur le lieu de travail lors de leurs p�riodes ou journ�es de repos.
Dans la mesure du possible, les travailleurs et travailleuses doivent b�n�ficier d�une journ�e de travail ininterrompue. En cas de travail en coupure, une compensation devrait �tre n�goci�e.
Les travailleurs du secteur HRCT doivent b�n�ficier d�un repos entre deux journ�es de travail �gal au moins � 12 heures, et d�un repos hebdomadaire d�une dur�e de 48 heures cons�cutives.
Les modalit�s de d�compte, d�exercice et de compensation des heures suppl�mentaires doivent faire l�objet de la n�gociation collective. Les modalit�s d�exercice et de compensation du travail de nuit ou lors de jours de cong�s doivent �galement faire l�objet d�un accord n�goci�.
Les questions de pr�vention des accidents et des maladies professionnelles doivent faire l�objet d�une n�gociation avec les employeurs. L�accent sera mis sur la n�cessit� de formation des travailleurs du secteur, notamment compte-tenu du caract�re sp�cifique des professions de l�h�tellerie et de la restauration en terme de contact avec les clients.
L�introduction de nouvelles technologies susceptibles d�avoir un effet sur les conditions de travail doit faire l�objet de consultations des travailleurs concern�s et d�une n�gociation avec les organisations syndicales sur les modalit�s de cette introduction.
La sous-traitance d�activit�s � des firmes ext�rieures devrait faire l�objet de consultations afin d��viter une d�gradation des conditions de travail en vigueur.
Les conditions de travail contenues dans des livrets remis aux employ�s �labor�s unilat�ralement par l�employeur ne doivent en aucune mani�re se substituer aux clauses de convention collective.
Egalit� des chances
Les affili�es de l�UITA s�efforceront de n�gocier des programmes assurant l��galit� des chances entre femmes et hommes tant en mati�re d�emploi, de conditions de travail que de perspectives de carri�re. Elles favoriseront l�adoption de programmes d�action positive visant � faciliter le parcours professionnel des femmes m�res de famille.
La discrimination d�un salari� pour cause d�appartenance syndicale devrait �tre interdite, et aucun salari� ne devrait du fait de son appartenance syndicale se voir refuser une promotion s�il a la capacit� requise pour le poste.
Formation professionnelle
Les affili�es de l�UITA accorderont une haute priorit� � la formation professionnelle. Elles demanderont � �tre consult�es sur les crit�res de s�lection et le contenu des programmes de formation professionnelle de base. Elles demanderont la mise � disposition de programmes de formation professionnelle continue sous forme de cours permettant aux salari�s de progresser dans le poste qu�ils occupent. Cette formation devra �tre financ�e par l�employeur et/ou l�Etat et se d�rouler pendant les heures normales de travail.
Des formules sp�cifiques devront �tre propos�es aux salari�s en fonction de leurs attentes et de leurs besoins (formation des saisonniers en intersaison, formation sp�cifique aux questions de sant� et de s�curit�, etc.). les salari�s devraient aussi pouvoir suivre des programmes de formation concernant leur secteur d�activit� et devraient avoir droit pour ce faire � un cong� d��ducation pay�.
Halte � la criminalit� �conomique
Les affili�es de l�UITA devraient s�engager dans une politique d��limination de la criminalit� �conomique dans le secteur. Elle passe entre autres par un meilleur contr�le des qualifications des propri�taires de structures touristiques, une r�pression accrue des trafics qui ont pour cadre les �tablissements du secteur, un meilleur contr�le des flux financiers.
La r�duction des co�ts ne devrait pas �tre consid�r�e comme un moyen pour l�employeur d�accro�tre ses profits aux d�pens des salari�s.
Des v�rifications r�guli�res devraient �tre faites pour s�assurer que toutes les cotisations de s�curit� sociale, de fonds de pr�voyance et de fonds de pension qui incombent tant au salari� qu�� l�employeur ont �t� pr�lev�es correctement et vers�es aux organismes concern�s.
Annual Meeting of Nestl� European Council for Information and Consultation
23-Aug-2001This is a joint statement of Nestl� and the IUF that records the proceedings of the 17 May meeting of the Nestl� European Council for Information and Consultation. This joint statement reflects only what the IUF and Nestl� could agree upon, and therefore does not include all the arguments made by delegates to the meeting.
Many delegates expressed support for the position that Nestl� should negotiate with the IUF over an agreement on global trade union rights.
There was an extensive discussion of the impact on employment of Nestl�'s continual restructuring process. During 2000 successor firms maintained most jobs threatened by divestments and closings (the largest being the sale of Findus). However two anticipated closings in Eastern Europe during the year 2001 are expected to result in considerable losses of jobs (a factory in Lviv, Ukraine and another in Samara, Russia). As the process of restructuring is accelerated in Nestl�'s operations in Central and Eastern Europe, in part in anticipation of entry into the EU, the importance of expanding the EWC to include these countries becomes ever more evident.
JOINT STATEMENT
NESTLE EUROPEAN COUNCIL FOR INFORMATION AND CONSULTATION
Geneva - May 17th, 2001
_______________________________________________________________
The annual meeting of the Nestl� European Council for Information and Consultation was held in Geneva on May 17th, 2001.
Mr. Lindner - co-chairman, representing the IUF, opened the meeting and welcomed the participants. He thanked Mr. Raeber - co-chairman - for the documentation sent in advance, as requested, and asked him to begin with his presentation.
Mr. Raeber formally introduced Mr. Lars Olofsson - his successor as Head of Europe in Nestl�'s General Management as of July 1st, 2001 - as well as the newly appointed HR Directors from Nestl� UK, Nestl� Spain and Nestl� Germany. He started by referring to the two documents "Nestl� in the Community" and "Environmental Progress Report 2000" which had been distributed in advance and which reflect in those two areas the Company's social responsibility. Both documents have their roots in the Company's "Corporate Business Principles" which had been discussed at length during the 2000 NECIC meeting.
Mr. Raeber then confirmed the Company's policy to remain a multi-product category company, maintaining activities that in the short term do not fully perform at the level expected and where continuous efforts have to be deployed. These categories include White Refrigerated products as well as Ice cream.
Mr. Raeber made reference to Food Safety and to the important and critical issues following from FMD and BSE. Important efforts at all levels of the food chain have to be deployed in order to restore consumer's confidence in food product. BSE and FMD had an incidence on the Company's performance, especially in the export of milk and meat containing products.
Mr. Raeber then commented Nestl�'s performance world-wide and in Europe in 2000 according to the charts attached. Year 2000 was for Nestl� overall a good year with real internal growth (RIG) and profit development slightly above the expectations. In Europe, business continued to be difficult with a satisfactory growth rate of 2,5% for Nestl�. There were no major international crises during the year 2000 - a fact which helped a globally active company.
Reference was also made to business performance in the first quarter of 2001, which is by and large in line with the operational plans.
Finally, Mr. Raeber commented the evolution of the employment situation in Europe, globally and market by market in the year 2000 and over the past few years. The 6,5% decrease in number of jobs in 2000 was above the average but 2/3rd of the reduction resulted from the divestment of activities (e.g., Findus, Vismara). These jobs were fully taken over by the buyers. The remaining decrease is in line with the employment development in the previous years and is the result of the ongoing continuous restructuring processes within different markets.
Mr. Lindner asked that in the future, new jobs created by acquisitions are also dealt with and commented on the same format. Mr. Raeber agreed that the impact of acquisitions should be shown in employment figures.
Charts were presented on the production sites sold/closed in 2000 as well as on the existing projects for 2001.
Regarding this latter point, Mr. E. P�ry (Perrier Vittel) asked why the Vittel Thermal baths were not included in that list. The remark was justified and the site is to be included in the list.
M. J. Lindner opened the discussion on the presentation.
To the request of Mrs. M. Segarra (Spain) who expressed her interest in receiving more information on the impact on employment of closures and/or sales of business areas other than production sites, Mr. Raeber mentioned the difficulty in delivering detailed information, bearing in mind that there is continuous ongoing restructuring in each one of the operational companies. Emphasis has therefore been put on information with global impact on the Zone, completed with detailed information on production sites.
Mrs. A. Binacchi (France) made the parallel between the positive development of the Group's results and the negative development in employment figures, questioning Nestl�'s policy regarding employment perspectives and remuneration policy.
Mr. Raeber answered that creation of jobs is closely linked to the development of sales. The Company has to create more business; the increase of jobs will then follow accordingly. On the other hand, it is the Company's policy to outsource non-core activities, non-core activity being an activity that can be delivered by third parties at a comparable quality and at a lower cost. By such a move, jobs may be lost for Nestl� but not for the employees.
Regarding the good financial performance of the Company, all employees should be proud of it. Satisfied shareholders are the best guarantee for the long-term future of the Company. Mr. Raeber also reminded that less than 40% of profits is distributed to shareholders, the major part of the profit being kept in the Company to finance future expansion.
Mr. Lindner presented a summary of a collective assessment on behalf of the employees and union delegates of Nestl�'s overall social performance in the past year. He expressed the disappointment of the delegates following Nestl�'s refusal to conclude a commonly signed written agreement with the IUF concerning the global rights of Nestl� employees. Furthermore, he stressed the need for more information on the Company's overall strategy, since local management sometimes asserts it lacks information requested by union representatives. Outsourcing, increased productivity with higher workload on employees, changes at the work place, non-access to the intranet for all employees, insecurity in employment perspectives are additional subjects of concern for the representatives and were reported by Mr. Lindner.
With regard to the commonly signed agreement, Mr. Casta�er explained that following the meeting in April 2000, contacts were made with IUF. He referred to the correspondence received from unions in 30 countries in support of the
IUF proposals. The reply sent to the unions by the company reflected the company's disagreement on a commonly signed set of principles. He reminded that the annual meeting in Geneva handles European issues whereas the IUF request is done at global level. On the other hand, it had been made clear from the very beginning that the document "Corporate Business Principles" is a Company statement on its commitments. It is not a joint statement. However, the Company remains open to suggestions for adaptation in the next editions of that document.
Mr. Raeber then referred to the other points addressed on behalf of the Group by Mr. Lindner. The feeling of insecurity with regard to the future and to the changes taking place is a consequence of the fast moving environment. The need for the Company to constantly adjust its business model can create a feeling of insecurity. A continuous information within each one of the local Companies is necessary and can certainly be improved. The Company accepts also the obligation to assist employees to adapt their qualifications to the changes in the working methods. Regarding outsourcing, the decision lies on the local company bearing in mind that the local conditions are often different from country to country. If such a move takes place, careful preparation and information is then necessary. Regarding regionalised and globalised services, these will be put in place whenever it proves inefficient to act locally and to do similar tasks in different places. However, key competencies will be kept within the markets. Local know-how, especially with regard to the consumer and the retailer, will remain a key for the success of the organisation. The Company has to act where the consumer is.
Mr. J. Santos (Portugal) encouraged Nestl� in the different countries and particularly in Portugal for increasing direct social dialogue with the unions. He also asked Nestl� Portugal not to take lowest local standards as the reference base in collective bargaining and the compensation policy. To hide behind a convention applying to small companies should not be a multinational's policy.
The HR Manager of Portugal Mr. Silva indicated that Nestl�'s wages policy is at the average 20%-25% above minimal standards. Mr. Raeber invited those concerned to discuss directly, considering this a Portuguese issue.
Mr. L. Serrano Nunez (Spain) asked for a joint statement on "child labour" and a global agreement on trade union rights. Mr. Raeber reminded that "child labour" is covered in the "Corporate Business Principles", the Company being against all forms of exploitation of children. A joint statement would not solve the problem as it is up to the professional associations which we are part of, as well as to the political bodies to define and control standards.
Regarding Friskies, Mr. Serrano recognized the considerable improvement made in terms of information, referring to the special committee in Frankfurt. However, the concern among the workers in view of the future possible acquisition of Ralston Purina was raised, Nestl� being invited to negotiate with Unions a protocol to guarantee the existing jobs and to avoid the negative consequences of possible restructuring following take over.
Mr. Raeber informed on the status of the negotiations and of the current legal limitations in discussing possible moves after the merger. But he also made clear that if the merger takes place possible synergies between the two companies will have to be examined in order to create one powerful company and a challenger to competition.
Mrs. J. Banfi (France) asked if it is the Company's policy to discourage employees's spouses to pursue their professional career after transfer. Mr. Raeber made it clear that this was definitely not the case and that the company is deploying every effort to facilitate transfer of couples where both partners are professionally active.
After the lunch break that started at 13h.00 - discussion restarted at 14h.45.
Mr. L.Serrano Nunez (Spain) suggested that in each country, a single person be nominated to be the competent interlocutor to deal with Unions, the complex organisation (Friskies, Water Business) proving difficult for a good communication.
Mr. Raeber confirmed that the personnel representation in a market has to be in line with the structural set up of the Group and that everybody has to live with the increased complexity. On the other hand, union issues are often different from one operating unit to another and have to be dealt with accordingly.
Mr. R. Hohenstein (Germany) questioned on shared services in the Dairy business, on the growth of the Company through acquisitions and on the access to e-learning. He also asserted that if Nestl� can use SAP globally, it should be able to agree to a global agreement on trade union rights.
Mr. Raeber confirmed that there will be a common shared services centre for White Refrigerated supply function in Brussels.
Regarding future acquisitions, the key issue for Nestl� is to be the best Food Company and not necessarily the biggest. This is why Nestl� kept quiet during the big moves happening last year in the Food sector.
E-learning is of course necessary for employees using PC. However it is not the intention of the Company to move away from the current learning tools to exclusively e-learning, the latter being an additional tool for training.
Mrs. M. Segarra (Spain) wanted to ensure that the external auditor KPMG checks the way the "Corporate Business Principles" are applied throughout the Group, and ask how results are communicated
Mr. Raeber confirms that KPMG reports back on this subject to the Board of Directors. There was no auditor's remark on the issue of trade union rights and the implementation of the Corporate Business Principles.
Mr. J. Fetter (Poland) - observer - affirmed that due to workload and stress, the accident trend in Nestl� Poland (Kalisz) has heavily increased. He also asked if there were investment plans to create new jobs in ECE.
Mr. Raeber, not having any record on this issue, agreed to check and to report back. The examination of the situation by the company has however indicated the contrary of the statement made, the development of accident trend over the last years having shown a decrease.
With regard to the increased workload for employees, Mr. Raeber stressed on the other hand the need to create EU compatible production standards in view of the foreseeable entry of Poland into EU. This in order to safeguard in the long term perceptive the Polish production sites.
Mr. H. Donaldson (UK) raised the issue of "child slavery" and traffic across West Africa and asked if the Company would be prepared to fund and steer up an independent investigation and play a role of partnership with the trade union at the ILO level.
"Child slavery" has to be treated by political and professional bodies having the power to monitor the situation. Nestl� as a company contributes within a framework to the fact finding; this seems to be the best way to progress.
Mr. Raeber introduced Alastair Johnston, former IS/IT manager within Zone EUR currently in the Globe core team, who presented Nestl�'s Globe programme and its implementation in Europe (see enclosure) - a world-wide initiative to define and implement best practice processes for each of the Nestl� Business in each country across the world. Globe is also a standardisation of Key Master Data providing access to a software solution called mySAP.com which is a powerful enterprise software which will provide the backbone for Nestl� in order to support the key business processes and areas. This is done as it was felt it was important that Nestl� adjust to the changing environment and to align on the inside to be more competitive on the outside.
Presently some 350 people from more than 40 different countries are working on the design phase of the project. The construction phase will be done during the second part of 2001 and after the testing period, implementation will be done in the markets, starting in Switzerland, Malaysia/Singapore and the Andean Region (Chile/Peru/Bolivia). The other European markets will then follow from year 2003 and onwards.
To support this new solution, the intention is to create a global Competence Centre in Switzerland and 3 Regional Support Centres will be built up. The European Regional Support Center will be based in Frankfurt, with the satellites in Brussels and Warsaw.
Mr. Johnston made clear that the Competence Centre and the Regional Support Centres are not business centres. There will not be any financial nor business transaction as these will be done in each country organisation. They will support the infrastructures (network, communication, servers, PCs, operating systems, etc.).
Mr. Raeber emphasised on the fact that the Globe programme is not a rationalisation programme. Each operating market will keep an efficient IS/IT community, which has an important role to play within the global and regional deployment of the programme.
The Regional Support Centre will be staffed by mainly volunteers from the markets who accept the opportunity to work for a certain period of time in a multinational working team. There is already a successful experience in Europe with ITOC in Brussels and with RASC in Warsaw. The local Nestl� companies will be informed and will then inform their workforce regularly on the advancement of the project. The project will take several years until being fully deployed all over Europe. The project will in the longer term influence working methods in many areas of the Company. Should at any point of stage the Globe project lead to decrease or to major movement of personnel, this will be a subject for a consultation and information process with the work force through a special committee meeting.
Mr. Lindner as well as Mr. Wiedenhofer asked for a continuous information on the consequences of the Globe project. They suggested a special working group be created to specifically deal with this subject.
Nestl� recognises the need for a sufficient level of information to the personnel but Mr. Raeber trusts that the existing hierarchical structure in the markets as well as the procedure followed by the NECIC are adequate if appropriately used by the parties concerned. In any case, Globe programme will be again on the agenda of the next years' annual meetings.
Independently, Mr. Raeber accepted on behalf of Nestl� to examine complementary ways of information without creating a special working group.
Mrs. M. Segarra (Spain) asked about the employment conditions for people accepting voluntary transfers to the Regional Support Centres and questioned if transfer conditions are always negotiated at the best interest of the people concerned. She asked for workers' representatives to be informed of transfer conditions.
Mr. Raeber reminded that the Company manages annually more than 600 international transfers all over the world. They follow clearly defined rules and guidelines edited by the Company and communicated to the transferees.
To the question raised by Mrs. J. Banfi (France) on NIKITA (intranet common tool in Nestl� countries) and its compatibility with Globe, Mr. Johnston said that this framework developed within Nestl� to use web-technology and internal intranet platforms is a Nestl� standard world-wide which is beginning to roll out extensively. The same business and benefit criteria that many other projects will have to be considered and if a business wants to use an intranet platform then Nikita will be the recommended solution.
In response to Harald Wiedenhofer's question about the safeguards for personal data, Mr. Raeber stated that personal data security is and will continue to be taken into consideration.
Mr. R. Jaccoud - responsible for Quality within the Group - made then a presentation on the Nestl� Policy and Philosophy on Food Safety issues (charts attached), an important and critical issue for the Group which is very seriously considered. Necessary systems have been put in place to handle appropriately these issues with necessary training and tools provided wherever needed. In the discussions following the presentation, there was a common understanding that within the companies, the climate has to favour and accept the fact that an error in production or elsewhere can happen but that the individual admitting this error and thus helping to avoid call backs of products and similar situations should rather be rewarded than penalised.
Before concluding the meeting, Mr. Lindner thanked Mr. Raeber on behalf of the participants and also personally for his contribution during the past years, developing an open and outspoken dialogue with the representation.
Mr. Raeber closed the meeting thanking the participants for their contribution.
Philippines: Nestl� Workers Fight for Wage Increase
05-Oct-2001More than 100 employees of the Nestl� Lipa Factory picketed their workplace on October 4, 2001. The picket followed a successful information caravan held earlier in the day in Lipa City which drew attention to the problems facing Nestl� workers.
The protest picket and caravan are part of the series of mass actions conducted by the Nestl� Lipa Factory Workers Union (Manggagawa ng Nestl� Lipa Factory-MNLF) to show their opposition to the "wage moratorium" stonewall of Nestl� management. The MNLF is being asked to accept a one year wage freeze in its current round of negotiations for a new collective agreement, despite the huge profitability of the company's operations in the Philippines and a current climate of increased costs of living.
On September 21, the MNLF declared a deadlock in their on going collective bargaining negotiation with the management after management repeatedly refused to consider the union proposal for a moderate 6,500 peso (US$125)wage increase over 3 years (2001-2004). Company figures show Nestl� Philippines could give n even higher wage increase to its employees. From 1998-2000, Nestl� Philippines amassed more than 8.6 billion pesos (US$166 million) in net income.
As a result of management's refusal to bargain in good faith the union has undertaken noise barrage protests at the factory canteen, where management eats, and initiated ad hoc pickets outside the factory gate beginning September 27.
Even in the two conciliation meetings between the union and the management held last October 5 and 9, management has remained stubbornly opposed to the workers' offers.
Workers are determined to end the suppression of their legitimate and fair claim to a wage increase. The union plans to draw the attention of the Filipino populace and the international community to the anti-labor program of Nestl� Philippines.
Nestl� in Central and Eastern Europe 2001
18-Oct-2001Nestl� is a global company. About 41% of its sales are in Europe, 39% in the Americas, and 20% in the rest of the world (Asia/Africa, Oceania).
Of its European sales of 26.3 bn in the food sector, 24.6 bn are in Western Europe and only 1.7bn in Central and Eastern Europe in the year 2000.
However sales in ECE are growing rapidly. In 2000 real internal growth in ECE was 18.0% compared to only 1.6% in Western Europe. This was the highest rate of growth for any region of Nestl�. It is hard to know how profitable Nestl� is in ECE. Its trading profit margin for all of Europe was 10.5%, a little below its global margin of 11.3%. Nestl�'s highest profit margin comes from the Asia/Africa/Oceania region at 17.0%.
Financial return on average allocated assets is
Asia 38.7&, Americas 33.6, Europe 20.2%
This suggests that Nestl� has placed large hopes in the future profitability of its ECE businesses, which it expects will provide most of the growth in its European region. Nestl� is a relatively patient company, content to build up the size of its business and expects that large profits will come later from volume.
In the first quarter of 2001 sales in ECE countries increased rapidly. By market, first quarter 2001 range from Russia 26.6%, UKR 20.7%, HU 7.3, CZ/SL 10.1 down to UK �3.7.
To produce these sales, Nestl� employs a relatively large number in ECE as compared to Western Europe.
Total Western Europe 54687
Total ECE 15314
Perrier Vittel 10993
However restructuring to reduce employment in ECE is well underway. At the 2001 NECIC meeting, for first time Raeber included developments in ECE as follows:
Russia � Samara 2 will be closed with 500 jobs, many transferred to Samara 1. Negotiations incomplete.
Ukraine � Lviv 3 factories, will close 1 with 283 people, (87 to main factory, 14 with early retirement, 182 laid off)
The following exchange took place at the 2001 meeting of the Nestl� EWC:
Jan Feter (Poland): There has been a reduction of 50% of working places in Poland. Are there any investment plans to create new jobs in ECE? We experience an overload of work and stress due to job uncertainty, and new kinds of work accidents. What are perspectives for employees in ECE?
R. Raeber (Nestl� Europe): It is true there is decrease in Polish workplaces. You will be part of EU and exposed to Western standards. Must create over time EU compatible productivity standards comparable to Western Germany(which is not yet the case). When Poland enters the EU and you are no longer protected, low productivity means threat to Polish production sites and your jobs. The whole ECE area must be prepared for EU entry. The drive for competitiveness is linked to stress.
Observations:
1. Although ECE now represents only a small part of Nestl�'s global business, it is rapidly growing and has probably already reach profitability, earlier than Nestl� expected.
2. There is relatively high employment per output, but Nestl� will now try to change that by restructuring, reducing personnel and increasing production.
3. There are still only limited exports and imports among countries and between the ECE region and the EU. This will rapidly change as the candidate countries change their tariff regimes to quality for EU entry. This will permit Nestl� to regionalize production in ECE and increase shipments of products throughout the entire European region.
4. We know this because Nestl� in other regions where tariff barriers have been reduced or eliminated has begun to integrate production at the regional level. In recent months in Latin America, taking advantage of the Mercosur trade pact, Nestl� has closed coffee plants in Argentina and Chile to concentrate in Brazil, concentrated frozen foods in Chile and pet foods in Argentina. Similarly in Southeast Asia, Nestl� from the start has concentrated various sectors in one country to produce for the region (soup in the Philippines, dairy products in Thailand and New Zealand, coffee in Indonesia, etc., and has begun closing factories in Australia.
Nestl� Global Business Strategy
22-Oct-2001This short report supplements the information contained in Nestl�'s Half-Year 2001 Report and under a separate article on its Sectors of Activity.
In the first half of 2001 Nestl�'s business continued to prosper. Real Internal growth (RIG) increased from 4.4% to 4.6% and net profits rose as a % of sales from 7.2% to 7.6%. Total sales measured in CHF or Euros (though not in USD) increased about 10%.
RIG growth in Europe of 2.6% reflected strong sales growth combined with lower production costs in ECE.
The financial media cited a significant rise in marketing and administration expenses. Globe project expenses were included in the first half, and cited as a reason for lower gross profits (EBITDA).
However it is likely that Nestl�'s rate of growth will slow down in the second half of 2001, mainly due to economic disruptions caused by the recent world events. J. Banfi reports that RIG growth fell sharply in France in recent months, and we might expect a reduction of activity in North America. The key indicator is whether Nestl�'s rate of growth declines in Asia/Oceania/Africa, which has been very high in the last few years. Nestl� however is probably less vulnerable to a general economic crisis than less diversified or U.S.-based rivals.
Nestl� recently informed us that it is selling the Levanger milk powder site in Norway with 23 employees, but says that there will be no losses of jobs.
Nestl� has won EU approval for its acquisition of Ralston Purina, subject to conditions (see under Item 3), but does not yet have approval from U.S. authorities. The EU also recently approved the creation of the joint venture with Coca-Cola, called Beverage Partners Worldwide, which will be based in Zurich. The obvious model is Cereal Partners Worldwide based in Morges.
A pending acquisition is that of the 50% of the Ice Cream Partners joint venture with Pillsbury in the United States of which Nestl� already owns 50%. Full ownership would bring control of the Hagen-Dasz brand that would compete with Unilever's Ben&Jerry's in the super-premium ice cream category, including competition in Europe. This deal may be waiting on regulatory approval of General Mill's acquisition of Pillsbury from Diageo.
Nestl� recently announced a major joint venture in the dairy sector with the Fonterra group (formerly the New Zealand Dairy Board). for North America and Latin America. The joint venture would report to a joint supervisory board and cover shelf stable and chilled refrigerated dairy products in the Americas.
In recent months in Latin America, taking advantage of the Mercosur trade pact, Nestl� has closed coffee plants in Argentina and Chile to concentrate in Brazil, concentrated frozen foods in Chile and pet foods in Argentina. Similarly in Southeast Asia, Nestl� from the start has concentrated various sectors in one country to produce for the region (soup in the Philippines, dairy products in Thailand and New Zealand, coffee in Indonesia, etc., and has begun closing factories in Australia.
Nestl� continues to expand in China, creating a strategic joint venture with Haoji, the second largest chicken bouillon producer.
Future Strategy
This speculation is based on recent comments in the financial press based on interviews with CEO Peter Brabeck. These articles contain numerous references to the huge number of Nestl� brands (some 8000) and factories (500 worldwide), and the ambitions of the Globe project that would permit further rationalisation once it has created the tools. The articles point out that Nestl� has not restructured as drastically as have its major competitors Unilever and Danone. Brabeck could be preparing the financial media for an announcement of a restructuring plan that would rationalise the high expenses of the Globe project, which is supposed to save 3 billion CHF annually.
Nestl� Business Sectors in Europe
22-Oct-2001(a) Pet Foods
The EU has approved Nestl�'s acquisition of Ralston Purina under certain conditions affecting Spain, Italy and Greece. In all three countries Nestl� must grant licenses for some of its pet food products. In Spain Nestl� must give up the Castellbisbal site which is a joint venture of Ralston Purina and Gallina Blanca Purina. The central enterprise committee of Friskies France has formally demanded consultation.
However the USA authorities have not yet approved the acquisition, which is opposed by a large coalition of farmers and businesses. The merger would give Nestl� 45% of the U.S. pet food market.
(b) Fresh Dairy Products
Administrative and sales employees in the sector are threatened with dislocations due to a long-term restructuring plan. J. Banfi reports that the restructuring of this sector now may be imminent. The person responsible at the European level will be Thierry Philardeau, formerly of the fresh dairy products in France and now active in Belgium.
(c) Herta
The headquarters of Herta Europe will be at the large Herta site in Herten, Germany. The NGG has provided information about Herta operations in Germany at the request of their French colleagues.
(d) Ice Cream
There are two major developments. Nestl� is selling its UK ice cream business to Richmond Foods, a major private label manufacturer, claiming continued losses in the UK ice cream business. Richmond will produce Nestl� brands under license. Richmond has said that the deal might create job losses among Nestl�'s 230 employees at the Telford factory and the sales office in York.
Nestl� is negotiating with S�dzucker to purchase the Sch�ller ice cream company in Germany. Since Sch�ller has three production sites with 1900 workers and Nestl� one (producing the Motta brand in Schwanewede), there are fears that a take-over by Nestl� might result in closing one or more sites in Germany. Unilever produces more ice cream (Langnese-Iglo) at one site in Germany.
Nestl� Sector Update in Europe
22-Oct-2001(a) Pet Foods
The EU has approved Nestl�'s acquisition of Ralston Purina under certain conditions affecting Spain, Italy and Greece. In all three countries Nestl� must grant licenses for some of its pet food products. In Spain Nestl� must give up the Castellbisbal site which is a joint venture of Ralston Purina and Gallina Blanca Purina. The central enterprise committee of Friskies France has formally demanded consultation.
However the USA authorities have not yet approved the acquisition, which is opposed by a large coalition of farmers and businesses. The merger would give Nestl� 45% of the U.S. pet food market.
(b) Fresh Dairy Products
Administrative and sales employees in the sector are threatened with dislocations due to a long-term restructuring plan. J. Banfi(France) reports that the restructuring of this sector now may be imminent. The person responsible at the European level will be Thierry Philardeau, formerly of the fresh dairy products in France and now active in Belgium.
(c) Herta
The headquarters of Herta Europe will be at the large Herta site in Herten, Germany. The NGG has provided information about Herta operations in Germany at the request of their French colleagues.
(d) Ice Cream
There are two major developments in Europe. Nestl� is selling its UK ice cream business to Richmond Foods, a major private label manufacturer, claiming continued losses in the UK ice cream business. Richmond will produce Nestl� brands under license. Richmond has said that the deal might create job losses among Nestl�'s 230 employees at the Telford factory and the sales office in York.
Nestl� is negotiating with S�dzucker to purchase the Sch�ller ice cream company in Germany. Since Sch�ller has three production sites with 1900 workers and Nestl� one (producing the Motta brand in Schwanewede), there are fears that a take-over by Nestl� might result in closing one or more sites in Germany. Unilever produces more ice cream (Langnese-Iglo) at one site in Germany.
Historic joint employer/union statement at ILO hospitality and tourism meeting
01-Nov-2001Informal meeting on the tourism and hospitality sector to review the impact on the sector of the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 and subsequent developments
Geneva, 25-26 October 2001
Recommendations by the social partners for measures to be taken by governments, the ILO and the social partners in response to the crisis following the events of September 11, 2001.
For government action
1. Recognize to a still greater degree the critical role that tourism and the hospitality industry plays in the economy and afford it an appropriate place in national strategic economic planning
2. Organize widely supported campaigns and projects to promote tourism in general. To develop additional tourism strategies, including strategies relating to domestic and intra-regional tourism, to moderate the negative effects of the cyclical nature of tourism in many countries.
3. To adopt policies aimed at enlarging the number of people for whom tourism opportunities are available including special provisions aimed to encourage those on lower incomes to engage in tourist activities.
4. Encourage consultation amongst the social partners at national and local level in the tourism and hospitality sector to mitigate the negative effects of the crisis and promote tourism in general
5. Respond to joint approaches by employers� and workers� organizations (1) in the sector to initiate temporary measures to reduce costs (including a review of all tourism related taxation) during the crisis period. Such measures should be enacted in a transparent manner and their impact should be monitored by tripartite structures charged with the task of ensuring that the measures meet the principal objective of maintaining employment and acceptable conditions for the operations of the industry
6. Assist employers� and workers� organizations (1) to set up education and training programs principally designed to retain employees within the industry and enhance their opportunities for a secure future in the industry. Such training should be at no cost to employees. In particular to provide state-supported education and training opportunities where possible as an alternative to unemployment, noting that state investment in such training might involve overall costs not necessarily higher than the costs of provisions for an unemployed worker in the sector
7. Allocate significant funding to assist the sector and its workers who suffer temporary or permanent loss of employment and income as a result of any downturn in tourism.
8. Approach relevant International Financial Institutions (IFI�s) and specifically The World Bank and The International Monetary Fund to provide the necessary resources on favourable terms to those countries who are unable to meet the commitments described above from within their own national budgets
For action by employers� and workers� organizations (1)
1. Recognize the value of national level and local level joint approaches by the social partners to respond to issues arising from the current tourism crisis based on the following principles:
� Commitment by the social partners to seek mutually agreed ways to extend employment, avoid and limit employment losses and, wherever possible, to prioritize the reintegration of workers facing short-term job loss as a result of the crisis
� The development of joint and agreed approaches to governments calling for action to reduce the impact of a decline in economic activity as a result of the crisis
For action by the ILO
1. Support calls for direct intervention from relevant International Financial Institutions (IFI�s) and specifically The World Bank and The International Monetary Fund to provide the necessary resources on favourable terms to those governments who may be unable to take the necessary practical action because of constraints within their own national budgets
2. Co-operate with all relevant international bodies active in the tourism sector to continue to assess the evolving impact of the September 11 events and subsequent related developments on tourism. Such cooperation might include convening future informal review meetings such as that held on October 25-26, 2001
3. Ensure a proper dissemination to all parties active in tourism of relevant information both that arising from this process and that available to the ILO in general. In particular such dissemination of information should include positive examples of action that successfully avoids employment losses in the industry and preserves the continuing well-being of the sector
4. Based on its policy and mandate of seeking inclusive social dialogue, encourage the full participation of the social partners in consultations relating to the crisis (for instance in the framework of the growing number of national tourism crisis management structures)
5. Implement the conclusions of the tripartite meeting on human resources development, employment and globalization in the hotel, catering and tourism sector (Geneva, April 2-6, 2001) particularly that part relating to putting in place national systems for training and skill development, particularly in poorer countries. This again might require approaches to the IFI�s for practical support to such countries
6. Organize ILO education programs specifically aimed at the hotel and tourism sector for workers and employers, particularly aimed at facilitating such activities within small and medium enterprises
7. Take urgent and appropriate measures to implement the resolutions adopted by the tripartite meeting on human resources development, employment and globalization in the hotel, catering and tourism sector (Geneva, April 2-6, 2001) and particularly the resolution concerning measures to promote employment. Amongst other things this resolution called upon the ILO Director-General, in close cooperation with pertinent employers� and workers� organizations (1), to conduct a comparative study on measures to promote employment in the HRCT sector during the low season and to assess, in collaboration with the World Tourism Organization, the impact of such programmes on the different types of tourism
8. Ensure adequate resources, including staff resources, for this strategically and, short-term crises not withstanding, growing sector of economic activity and employment. Such resources should be clearly identifiable within the ILO�s administration and should be at least at the level that existed when the HOTOUR service was in place and fully staffed
(1) Primarily trade unions.
R�union du Comit� du groupe professionnel des travailleurs/euses du tabac / 10 octobre 2001
01-Nov-2001Compte rendu de la r�union
Ouverture de la r�union - annonces
La r�union est ouverte par le secr�taire g�n�ral de l�UITA, Ron Oswald, qui transmet les regrets des personnes qui n�ont pu assister � la r�union. Le 2e vice-pr�sident du GPTT, Mike Mulhern (MSF, Royaume-Uni) accepte de pr�sider la r�union en l�absence du 1er vice-pr�sident Masao Hataki (Shokuhin-Rengo, Japon). Ron souhaite la bienvenue � Marc Hofstetter et Alain Berthoud de la Fondation pour l��radication du travail des enfants dans la culture du tabac (Fondation ECLT) � la r�union.
Revue des activit�s
Jacqueline Baroncini, du secr�tariat de l�UITA, fait rapport des activit�s et des interventions de l�UITA sur les questions int�ressant le secteur depuis la derni�re r�union du comit� du groupe professionnel (27 octobre 2000). Celles-ci comprennent l�envoi d�une lettre au gouvernement turc en novembre 2000 afin de protester contre le programme de privatisation (incluant celle de l�industrie du tabac) sans consultation avec les syndicats et une lettre � l�OMS sur l�absence de toute mention des questions d�emploi dans le projet de Convention-cadre sur la lutte antitabac. Dans le cadre du suivi � la r�union des groupes de travail du tabac (29-30 janvier 2001), une circulaire demandait aux affili�es d�examiner et de modifier, au besoin, une liste par pays des fabricants de cigares. Un tr�s petit nombre de r�ponses ont �t� re�ues jusqu�ici. Cette information est recueillie dans le cadre d�une �tude sur la cha�ne du tabac entreprise par l�UITA dans le contexte de sa lutte contre le travail des enfants et l�extension de ces efforts pour inclure une enqu�te sur les conditions de travail et les droits syndicaux.
Ron Oswald informe le comit� de la d�mission d�Emiko Murakami � titre de coordonnatrice du GPTT. Emiko continuera toutefois de collaborer avec l�UITA � titre d�agente de liaison avec les affili�es du Japon. Dan Plaum la remplacera � titre de consultant pour le secteur du tabac, avec la collaboration de Jacqueline Baroncini.
Cette derni�re explique les recommandations du Comit� femmes de l�UITA � l��gard des groupes professionnels et des secteurs et fait rapport de l�engagement � am�liorer les possibilit�s d�emploi des femmes dans la fabrication des cigarettes pris par les syndicats du tabac de la r�gion Asie/Pacifique. Le Comit� femmes souhaite �tablir des liens formels avec les structures industrielles de l�UITA, dans le but d��laborer des strat�gies pour contrer la faiblesse des salaires et r�duire les �carts salariaux, r�pondre � la pr�carisation croissante du travail, promouvoir la sant� et la s�curit�, favoriser l��quilibre entre la vie professionnelle et personnelle et �liminer la violence envers les femmes et les violations des droits syndicaux. Il est recommand� que le comit� du GPTT d�l�gue � l�avenir un/e repr�sentant/te aux r�unions du Comit� femmes, qui se r�unira pour la prochaine fois � l�occasion du Congr�s de l�UITA en mai 2002.
Discussion
Maja Kj�r (NNF, Danemark) fait rapport des initiatives de formation et de d�veloppement des comp�tences entreprises par son organisation pour am�liorer les perspectives d�emploi et les conditions de travail dans les industries de l�alimentation et du tabac.
Tomoji Misato (secr�taire g�n�ral, IUF-JCC) fait rapport de la premi�re r�union sectorielle sur le tabac dans la r�gion Asie/Pacifique, tenue � Bangkok du 28 au 30 ao�t 2001. Durant plusieurs ann�es, l�UITA n�a compt� que trois affili�es dans le secteur du tabac dans la r�gion: SEWA (Inde), BAT Malaysia Workers Union et Zen Tobacco (constituante de Shokuhin-Rengo, Japon). Cette ann�e, des organisations syndicales repr�sentant des travailleurs/euses de Tha�lande et du N�pal ont adh�r� � l�UITA. La r�union a par ailleurs accueilli des syndicats de l�industrie de la cigarette du Cambodge et de l�Inde ainsi qu�un syndicat de travailleurs/euses de plantations de tabac du Pakistan. L�Asie consommant � l�heure actuelle 45% de la production mondiale de tabac, ce secteur occupe une place grandissante dans la r�gion et repr�sente une source de nouveaux emplois et d�effectifs potentiels pour l�UITA.
Harald Wiedenhofer (EFFAT-UITA Europe) fait rapport sur les activit�s men�es par EFFAT, le dialogue social europ�en dans le secteur du tabac et les activit�s des Comit�s d�entreprise europ�ens de Philip Morris et de BAT. L�emploi est en d�clin en Europe de l�Ouest, � l�exception du Portugal, o� Philip Morris a fait des investissements consid�rables [depuis l�acquisition de 90% de l�ancien monopole du tabac Tabaqueira entre 1996 et 1999]. Le projet de Directive de l�Union europ�enne sur la r�glementation des produits du tabac devrait avoir des r�percussions n�gatives sur l�emploi dans l�industrie. La Directive, qui r�glemente la taxation, la publicit� et l��tiquetage, pr�voit �galement l�abaissement des concentrations de goudron, de nicotine et de monoxyde de carbone dans les cigarettes � compter de janvier 2004. La fabrication pour exportation de cigarettes pr�sentant des concentrations plus �lev�es de ces produits pourra se poursuivre jusqu�en janvier 2007. Il est esp�r� que les soci�t�s utiliseront le d�lai avant l�entr�e en vigueur de la directive pour �laborer des fa�ons de prot�ger l�emploi et assurer l�avenir de l�industrie en Europe. Dans la lutte pour prot�ger cet avenir face � l�alourdissement de la r�glementation, il devient de plus en plus difficile pour les organisations syndicales de d�fendre des entreprises dont la cr�dibilit� � titre de fournisseurs et de garants d�emplois de qualit� s�affaiblit s�rieusement. Les exercices de dialogue social avec GITES et CECCM se sont av�r�s futiles; avec la privatisation de la plupart des anciennes soci�t�s d��tat, GITES est devenu une organisation faible, sans mandat r�el lui permettant de n�gocier avec l�organisation europ�enne de l�UITA, alors que les divisions entre les fabricants de cigarettes membres du CECCM et leur tendance � tenter de soulever leurs propres questions ont fait une farce du �dialogue social� avec cette organisation.
Herbert Schenk (NGG, Allemagne) et Blanca Uru�uela (Federaci�n Agro-alimentaria UGT, Espagne) soulignent les pr�occupations exprim�es par Harald Wiedenhofer � l�aide d�exemples provenant de leurs pays respectifs. Le gouvernement allemand, dans le but de faire face aux d�penses suppl�mentaires d�coulant de l�accroissement des mesures de s�curit� dans la foul�e des �v�nements du 11 septembre, a augment� les taxes d�accise sur les cigarettes. L�industrie pr�dit que cette mesure se traduira par une chute de 50% du volume d�affaires, diminution que le gouvernement estime pour sa part � 10%. En Espagne, la baisse de la consommation et la hausse des prix ont ralenti la croissance du secteur du tabac, affectant principalement les petits/tes agriculteurs/trices et leurs communaut�s.
Commentant les questions de sant� et les mesures de r�glementation, Blanca soul�ve la question de la tol�rance et de la consommation responsable. Le point est repris par Ron Oswald, qui d�crit le projet syndical-patronal initi� par le Zen Tobacco Workers Union. Le projet comprend un �l�ment de sensibilisation aux aspects culturels et historiques du tabac et de son usage, la notion de consommation responsable ainsi que la compr�hension et la tol�rance entre fumeurs et non-fumeurs; il vise � pr�server l�emploi des travailleurs/euses du secteur du tabac au Japon. � propos de la Directive europ�enne, Oswald souligne que bien qu�il existe de nombreuses raisons de s�opposer � la port�e de la Directive, nous devons faire attention de ne pas favoriser l�adoptions de normes diff�rentes pour les diff�rentes r�gions du monde.
La question de savoir si le fait d�aider les entreprises � combattre la r�glementation nous permet de pr�server des emplois a �t� soulev�e. L�industrie du tabac b�n�ficie depuis longtemps du soutien des syndicats, ce qui n�a pas emp�ch� les soci�t�s de supprimer des emplois et de d�truire la vie des travailleurs/euses. Les participants/tes conviennent qu�il est n�cessaire de convaincre les entreprises de faire preuve de responsabilit� sociale et de les amener � s�engager � prot�ger l�emploi.
�volutions de l�industrie
Jacqueline Baroncini pr�sente le document pr�par� par le secr�tariat sous ce point et les rapports suppl�mentaires pr�par�s par FGTA-FO sur Seita/Altadis et par SAT (Uruguay) sur BAT.
Ron Oswald fait le point sur la progression des discussions avec BAT sur la question de leur d�sengagement commercial en Birmanie.
Daniel Dreux (FGTA-FO, France), Christian Bouffier (FGA-CFDT, France) et Blanca Uru�uela regrettent la nouvelle attitude d�Altadis en mati�re de relations de travail: les syndicats ne re�oivent plus l�information financi�re qu�ils recevaient de Seita et de Tabacalera et il n�y a plus de consultations. La soci�t� continue de retarder la constitution d�un CEnE et d�y poser des obstacles. Daniel Dreux mentionne qu�il a �crit � Altadis en janvier 2001 pour proposer la n�gociation d�une entente globale sur les relations de travail mais qu�il n�a toujours pas re�u de r�ponse.
Herbert Schenk fait rapport sur le projet de vente d�actions Reemstma au public par la soci�t� de caf� familiale Tschibo, qui contr�le 75% de la soci�t�. Les investisseurs potentiels comprennent JTI, Gallaher, Altadis et Imperial. Philip Morris et BAT n�y sont pas admissibles en raison de contraintes antimonopoles.
Maja Kj�r signale que l�achat des activit�s de cigares d�Imperial Tobacco Canada par le groupe ST en novembre 2000 et le transfert de production qui s�en est suivi ont procur� 70 emplois additionnels au Danemark, avec malheureusement des suppressions d�emplois au Canada. [ITCAN, le plus grand fabricant de tabac au Canada, est la propri�t� de BAT.] Chez la filiale de ST, House of Prince, un programme de formation portant sur la r�mun�ration selon les comp�tences a �t� mis en place. Des augmentations de salaires sont attribu�es � la suite de la r�ussite des modules de formation.
Activit�s futures: R�union tripartite de l�OIT sur le secteur du tabac
Les participants/tes souhaitent la bienvenue � Clara Foucault-Mohammed, sp�cialiste de l�alimentation, des boissons et du tabac au BIT qui est l��interface� de l�UITA aupr�s de l�OIT pour ces secteurs. Elle confirme l�intention de l�OIT de tenir une r�union tripartite pour le secteur du tabac au deuxi�me semestre de 2003 et pr�sente bri�vement le travail actuel de l�organisation dans ce secteur. � l�heure actuelle, l�accent est mis principalement sur la lutte antitabac et ses effets sur l�emploi dans l�industrie. � titre de contribution au discours des Nations unies sur les mesures antitabac propos�es par l�OMC, l�OIT a command� une �tude sur les tendances et les perspectives en mati�re d�emploi dans l�industrie et entreprendra des �tudes de cas au Br�sil, en Chine, aux �tats-Unis, en Bulgarie et au Cambodge. D�autres instances des Nations unies abordent la question de leur propre point de vue: la Banque mondiale a produit un ensemble de documents sur �la compr�hension et l��valuation des effets des politiques antitabac sur l�emploi� qui fera l�objet d�un projet-pilote � Fidji, au Kenya, en Bulgarie et en Arm�nie; la FAO a r�alis� des �tudes sur des cultures de rechange en prenant pour exemples la Tha�lande, la Chine, la Turquie, le Br�sil et l�Inde. En 2000, l�OIT a entrepris une �tude sur l�industrie du beedi en Inde, dont les r�sultats seront publi�s sous peu.
Rapport du sondage sur la cha�ne du tabac
Dan Plaum pr�sente un aper�u consolid� de l��tude sur le cigare (distribu�e plus t�t cette ann�e) et de l��tude sur la cigarette (en pr�paration). La pr�sentation comprend une description des diff�rentes �tapes de production, depuis la culture et la r�colte jusqu�� la fabrication des cigares et des cigarettes, des profils des soci�t�s transnationales du secteur, les enjeux actuels, ainsi que le r�le des syndicats et de l�UITA. Des tableaux statistiques pour chaque pays ont �galement �t� mis � disposition. Ces statistiques sont utiles pour nous aider � �tablir o� il y a discrimination.
Discussion
Harald Wiedenhofer (EFFAT) r�p�te sa question sur le r�le social de l�industrie et soutient l�appel � une approche plus ferme face � l�industrie et aux entreprises individuelles.
Ron Oswald met l�accent sur la n�cessit� d�une strat�gie globale. Les travaux men�s par Dan nous ont permis de voir la relation entre le travail des enfants, l�emploi et les conditions de travail. La lutte contre le travail des enfants est en m�me temps une lutte pour nos droits. Il y a des �l�ments communs entre la lutte contre le travail des enfants et la lutte contre les fermetures d�usines et les suppressions d�emplois. Cependant, il est important que nos membres partagent notre vision. La r�union tripartite de l�OIT en 2003 pourrait �tre l�occasion d�une discussion importante sur l�emploi, mais l�UITA doit pouvoir compter sur le soutien et la coop�ration de ses membres pour y arriver. Sans information concr�te, la r�union ne pourra �tre autre chose qu�un �change de vues.
Travail des enfants
Ron Oswald informe les participants/tes de la constitution formelle, en septembre, de la Fondation pour l��radication du travail des enfants dans la culture du tabac (qui sera connue sous le nom de Fondation ECLT). Les membres fondateurs en sont l�UITA, l�ITGA (Association internationale des cultivateurs de tabac) et BAT; les soci�t�s qui ont adh�r� � la Fondation jusqu�ici sont Philip Morris, Scandinavian Tobacco, Imperial Tobacco et Japan Tobacco International. La pr�sidence sera assum�e en rotation par l�UITA durant les deux premi�res ann�es. Sur proposition de Ron Oswald, le comit� du GPTT approuve la nomination de Dan Plaum � titre de membre suppl�ant du conseil de la fondation au titre de l�UITA. Marc Hofstetter et Alain Berthoud, respectivement directeur et charg� de projets de la Fondation, se pr�sentent et pr�sentent leur vision du travail de la Fondation.
� titre de pr�sident de la Fondation ECLT, Ron invite les participants/tes � la r�union du comit� du GPTT � une r�ception dans les bureaux de la Fondation.
Le pr�sident Mike Mulhern remercie tous les participants/tes de leur pr�sence et cl�t la r�union.
Tagung des Tabakarbeiter-Branchengruppenvorstands / 10. Oktober 2001
01-Nov-2001Kurzbericht �ber die Tagung
Er�ffnung � Mitteilungen
Die Tagung wurde durch den IUL-Generalsekret�r Ron Oswald er�ffnet, der die Entschuldigungen der an der Teilnahme verhinderten Personen �bermittelte. Der 2. Vizepr�sident der TWTG, Mike Mulhern (MSF, Gro�britannien), erkl�rte sich bereit, den Vorsitz der Tagung in Abwesenheit des 1. Vizepr�sidenten, Masao Hataki (Shokuhin-Rengo, Japan), zu f�hren. Ron Oswald hie� Marc Hofstetter und Alain Berthoud von der Stiftung f�r die Beseitigung der Kinderarbeit im Tabakanbau (ECLT-Stiftung) auf der Tagung willkommen.
�bersicht �ber die T�tigkeiten
Jacqueline Baroncini vom IUL-Sekretariat fa�te die T�tigkeiten und Interventionen der IUL bez�glich der Fragen, die den Sektor seit der letzten Tagung des Branchengruppenvorstandes (27. Oktober 2000) betrafen, zusammen. Hierzu geh�re ein Schreiben der Regierung der T�rkei von November 2000, in dem gegen Vorhaben protestiert wurde,, die Privatisierung (einschlie�lich des Tabaksektors) ohne vorherige Konsultation der Gewerkschaften durchzuf�hren, sowie ein Schreiben an die WHO bez�glich der Unterlassung, die Besch�ftigungsfragen in den Entwurf des Rahmenabkommens �ber Tabakkontrolle aufzunehmen. Als Folget�tigkeit zur Tagung der Tabak-Arbeitsgruppen (29.-30. Januar 2001) seien die Mitgliedsorganisationen mit Rundschreiben ersucht worden, eine Liste der Zigarrenhersteller nach L�ndern zu �berpr�fen und zu �ndern. Bislang seien nur wenige Antworten eingegangen. Diese Informationen w�rden f�r eine Studie �ber die Tabakkette, die von der IUL im Zusammenhang mit ihren Bem�hungen zur Bek�mpfung der Kinderarbeit durchgef�hrt werde, sowie f�r die Erweiterung dieser Bem�hungen zur Einbeziehung einer Untersuchung der Arbeitsbedingungen und Gewerkschaftsrechte zusammengetragen.
Ron Oswald informierte den Vorstand �ber den R�cktritt von Emiko Murakami als TBG-Koordinatorin. Emiko werde ihre Zusammenarbeit mit der IUL jedoch als Ver-bindungsperson mit den japanischen Mitgliedsorganisationen weiterf�hren. Sie werde als Tabakberaterin von Dan Plaum ersetzt, der in enger Zusammenarbeit mit Jacqueline Baroncini arbeiten wird.
Jacqueline Baroncini erl�uterte die Empfehlungen des IUL-Frauenausschusses bez�glich der Branchengruppen und Sektoren und erstattete Bericht �ber die von den Tabakarbeitnehmer-Gewerkschaften in der IUL-Region Asien/Pazifik eingegangenen Verpflichtungen zur Verbesserung der Besch�ftigungsm�glichkeiten f�r Frauen in der Zigarettenherstellung. Der IUL-Frauenausschuss bem�he sich um die Herstellung formeller Beziehungen zu den Industriestrukturen der IUL im Hinblick auf die Beseitigung niedriger Bezahlung und der zwischen den Geschlechtern herrschenden Lohnschere, die Reaktion auf den zunehmenden Einsatz von Gelegenheitsarbeit, die F�rderung des Arbeitsschutzes, die Erm�glichung eines Gleichgewichts zwischen Arbeits- und Privatleben und die Beseitigung der Gewaltt�tigkeit gegen Frauen und der Verletzungen ihrer Grundrechte. Es wird empfohlen, dass der TBG-Vorstand k�nftig eine/n Vertreter/in zu den Tagungen des Frauenausschusses entsendet. Die n�chste Gelegenheit sei der IUL-Kongress im Mai 2002.
Diskussion
Maja Kj�r (NNF, D�nemark) berichtete �ber die von ihrer Gewerkschaft unternommenen Initiativen zur Verbesserung der Besch�ftigungsm�glichkeiten und Arbeitsbedingungen der Frauen im Lebensmittel- und Tabaksektor durch Fachausbildungsprogramme.
Tomoji Misato (IUL-JCC-Generalsekret�r) berichtete �ber die 1. Tagung des IUL-Asien/Pazifik-Tabaksektors, die vom 28. bis 30. August 2001 in Bangkok stattfand. Die IUL habe im Tabaksektor dieser Region jahrelang lediglich drei Mitgliedsorganisationen gez�hlt: SEWA (Indien), BAT Malaysia Workers Union und Zen Tobacco (Teil von Shokuhin-Rengo, Japan). Dieses Jahr seien Tabakarbeiter-Gewerkschaften aus Thailand und Nepal der IUL beigetreten, und die Tagung habe die Gewerkschaften der Besch�ftigten in der Zigarettenherstellung aus Kambodscha und Indien sowie eine Gewerkschaft von Tabakplantagen-Arbeitnehmern aus Pakistan aufgenommen. Da zurzeit 54% der weltweiten Tabakproduktion in Asien konsumiert w�rden, nehme dieser Sektor in der Region an Bedeutung zu und bilde eine Quelle f�r neue Besch�ftigung und potenzielle IUL-Mitgliedschaft.
Harald Wiedenhofer (EFFAT-IUL Europa) berichtete �ber die T�tigkeit der EFFAT, den europ�ischen Sozialdialog im Tabaksektor und die T�tigkeit der Europ�ischen Betriebsr�te bei Philip Morris und BAT. Die Besch�ftigung in Westeuropa sei mit Ausnahme Portugals r�ckl�ufig, wo Philip Morris erhebliche Investitionen get�tigt habe [seit sie zwischen 1996 und 1999 90% des ehemaligen Tabakmonopol-Inhabers Tabaqueira �bernahm]. Die vorgeschlagene Richtlinie der Europ�ischen Union zur Regelung der Tabakerzeugnisse d�rfte negative Auswirkungen auf die Besch�ftigung im Sektor zeitigen. Die Richtlinie sehe neben der Regulierung der Besteuerung, der Werbung und der Kennzeichnung eine Senkung des Teer-, Nikotin- und Kohlenmonoxidgehalts in Zigaretten ab Januar 2004 vor. Die Herstellung von Zigaretten mit h�herem Gehalt f�r den Export k�nne bis Januar 2007 fortgesetzt werden. Es sei zu hoffen, dass die Unternehmen diese Umsetzungsfrist nutzen werden, um die Besch�ftigung zu sch�tzen und die Zukunft des Sektors in Europa zu sichern. Im Kampf um die Wahrung dieser Zukunft angesichts der Versuche, eine verst�rkte Regulierung einzuf�hren, werde es zunehmend schwieriger f�r die Gewerkschaften, die Unternehmen zu verteidigen, da deren Glaubw�rdigkeit als Bereitsteller und Garanten einer qualit�tvollen Besch�ftigung ernsthaften Zweifeln unterliege. Der Sozialdialog mit GITES und CECCM erweise sich als nutzlos: Da die meisten ehemals staatseigenen Unternehmen privatisiert worden seien, sei GITES zu einer schwachen Organisation ohne echtes Mandat f�r Verhandlungen mit der europ�ischen IUL-Organisation geworden; die Spaltung bei den Zigarettenherstellern, die der CECCM angeschlossen sind, und ihre Tendenz, sich mit eigenen Fragen zu befassen, h�tten den �Sozialdialog� mit dieser Organisation zu einer Farce werden lassen.
Herbert Schenk (NGG, Deutschland) und Blanca Uru�uela (Federaci�n Agroalimen-taria UGT, Spanien) unterstrichen die von Harald Wiedenhofer ge�u�erten Beden-ken und nannten Beispiele aus ihren eigenen L�ndern. Die deutsche Regierung habe zur Bew�ltigung der Mehrausgaben f�r die Sicherheitsma�nahmen nach dem 11. September die Konsumsteuer auf Zigaretten erh�ht. Der Sektor prognostiziere, dass dies zu einem Volumenr�ckgang von 50% f�hren werde, w�hrend die Prognose der Regierung bei 10% liege. In Spanien h�tten sich der r�ckl�ufige Verbrauch und die steigenden Preise negativ auf den Tabakanbausektor ausgewirkt, wobei die Kleinbauern und ihre Gemeinschaften am st�rksten betroffen seien.
Blanca Uru�uela �u�erte sich zu Gesundheitsfragen und ordnungspolitischen Ma�nahmen und schnitt die Frage der Toleranz und des Konzepts des verantwortungs-bewussten Verbrauchs an. Diese Frage wurde von Ron Oswald aufgenommen, der sodann das von der Zen Tobacco Workers Union eingeleitete Arbeitnehmer-Arbeitgeber-Projekt schilderte. Das Projekt beinhalte die Schaffung eines st�rkeren Bewusstseins �ber die historischen und kulturellen Aspekte von Tabak und Rauchen, das Konzept des verantwortungsbewussten Konsums und das Verst�ndnis und die Toleranz zwischen Rauchern und Nichtrauchern und ziele auf die Wahrung der Existenzgrundlage der Tabakarbeitnehmer in Japan ab. Hinsichtlich der Frage der EU-Richtlinie hob Ron Oswald hervor, dass es zwar zahlreiche Gr�nde daf�r gebe, den Geltungsbereich der Richtlinie abzulehnen, dass jedoch Vorsicht geboten sei, damit man nicht f�r verschiedene Normen in den verschiedenen Teilen der Welt eintrete.
Die Frage sei, ob die Unterst�tzung der Unternehmen bei der Bek�mpfung der Re-gulierung dabei helfe, die Arbeitspl�tze zu erhalten. Der Tabaksektor genie�e seit langem die Unterst�tzung der Gewerkschaften, dies habe die Unternehmen jedoch nicht davon abgehalten, Arbeitspl�tze und die Existenzgrundlage der Besch�ftigten zu vernichten. Die Teilnehmer erkl�rten sich einig, dass es notwendig sei, die Unternehmen davon zu �berzeugen, sich sozialverantwortlich zu verhalten, und zu versuchen, sie zum Schutz der Besch�ftigung zu verpflichten.
Entwicklungen im Sektor
Jacqueline Baroncini f�hrte das Sekretariats-Dokument unter diesem Punkt sowie die Zusatzberichte der FGTA-FO �ber Seita/Altadis und der SAT (Uruguay) �ber BAT ein.
Ron Oswald vermittelte einen aktualisierten Bericht �ber den Fortgang der Ge-spr�che mit BAT �ber die Ver�u�erung ihrer Gesch�ftsbeteiligungen in Burma.
Daniel Dreux (FGTA-FO, Frankreich), Christian Bouffier (FGA-CFDT, Frankreich, und Blanca Uru�uela bedauerten die neue Haltung von Altadis bez�glich der Ar-beitgeber-Arbeitnehmer-Beziehungen: Die Gewerkschaften erhielten keine finan-ziellen Ausk�nfte, etwa von Seita und Tabacalera, und es f�nden keine gegenseitigen Beratungsgespr�che statt. Das Unternehmen verz�gere und behindere weiterhin den Prozess der Errichtung eines EBR. Daniel Dreux berichtete, er habe im Januar 2001 an Altadis geschrieben und Verhandlungen �ber ein Abkommen auf internationaler Ebene �ber Arbeitgeber-Arbeitnehmer-Beziehungen vorgeschlagen, bislang jedoch keine Antwort erhalten.
Herbert Schenk berichtete �ber das Vorhaben eines �ffentlichen Aktienangebots von Reemstma-Aktien durch das familieneigene Kaffeeunternehmen Tschibo, das 75% an Reemtsma besitze. Zu den potenziellen K�ufern geh�rten JTI, Gallaher, Altadis und Imperial. Philip Morris und BAT k�men aus Kartellgr�nden nicht in Frage.
Maja Kj�r berichtete, dass der Erwerb des Zigarrengesch�fts von Imperial Tobacco Canada durch ST Group im November 2000 und die anschlie�ende Produk-tionsverlagerung in D�nemark 70 Arbeitspl�tze geschaffen, in Kanada jedoch leider zu Stellenverlusten gef�hrt h�tten. [ITCAN, der gr��te Tabakhersteller Kanadas, steht im Besitz von BAT]. Im Tochterunternehmen von ST, House of Prince, sei ein Ausbildungsprogramm eingef�hrt worden, das ein auf Qualifikationen beruhendes Lohn- und Gehaltssystem beinhalte. Einkommenserh�hungen w�rden bei erfolgreichem Abschluss der Ausbildungsmodule erlangt.
K�nftige T�tigkeiten: Dreigliedrige IAO-Tagung f�r den Tabaksektor
Die Tagung begr��te Clara Foucault-Mohammed, Expertin f�r Lebensmittel, Getr�nke und Tabak bei der IAO, die IUL-�Schnittstelle� bei der IAO f�r diese Sektoren. Sie best�tigte die Absicht der IAO, im zweiten Halbjahr 2003 eine dreigliedrige Tagung f�r den Tabaksektor abzuhalten. Der Hauptschwerpunkt liege zurzeit auf der Tabakkontrolle und deren Auswirkungen auf die Besch�ftigung im Sektor. Als Beitrag zur UN-weiten Debatte �ber die von der WHO vorgeschlagenen Tabakkontroll-Ma�nahmen habe die IAO eine Studie �ber die Besch�ftigungstrends und -aussichten f�r den Sektor in Auftrag gegeben und werde Fallstudien in Brasilien, China, den USA, Bulgarien und Kambodscha durchf�hren. Andere UN-Sonderorganisationen befassten sich mit der Frage aus ihrer eigenen spezifischen Perspektive: die Weltbank habe ein Instrumentarium f�r �Verst�ndnis und Bewertung der Auswirkungen der Politik der Tabakkontrolle auf die Besch�ftigung� geschaffen, das auf Fidschi, in Kenia, Bulgarien und Armenien versuchsweise umgesetzt werde; die FAO habe Studien �ber alternative Pflanzen erstellt, die Thailand, China, die T�rkei, Brasilien und Indien als Beispiele anf�hrten. Im Jahr 2000 habe die IAO eine Studie �ber den Beedi-Sektor in Indien unternommen, deren Ergebnisse demn�chst ver�ffentlicht w�rden.
Bericht �ber die Umfrage zur Tabakkette
Dan Plaum legte einen Gesamt�berblick �ber die Zigarrenstudie (die zu einem fr�-heren Zeitpunkt in diesem Jahr verbreitet wurde) und die Zigarettenstudie (in Vorbereitung) vor. Die Darlegung umfasste einen �berblick �ber die Produktionsstadien vom Anbau und der Ernte bis zur Herstellung von Zigarren und Zigaretten, die Profile der transnationalen Konzerne, aktuelle Fragen und die Rolle der Gewerkschaften und der IUL. Au�erdem wurden Tabellen mit bedeutenden statistischen Angaben f�r jedes Land vorgelegt. Diese statistischen Angaben sind insofern zweckdienlich, als sie bei der Ermittlung der Betriebe, in denen Ausbeutung praktiziert wird, behilflich sind.
Diskussion
Harald Wiedenhofer (EFFAT) wiederholte seine Frage bez�glich der sozialen Rolle des Sektors und unterst�tzte den Aufruf zu einem nachdr�cklicheren Vorgehen gegen�ber dem Sektor und den Unternehmen.
Ron Oswald betonte, dass eine umfassende Strategie notwendig sei. Die Arbeit von Dan Plaum habe dabei geholfen, die Beziehung zwischen Kinderarbeit und Arbeitspl�tzen und Arbeitsbedingungen zu erkennen. Die Bek�mpfung der Kinder-arbeit betreffe den Kampf um Rechte. Es bestehe eine Gemeinsamkeit zwischen der Anfechtung der Kinderarbeit und der Ablehnung von Betriebsschlie�ungen und Freisetzungen. Es sei jedoch wichtig, dass die Mitglieder die Vorstellung der IUL teilten. Die dreigliedrige IAO-Tagung im Jahr 2003 k�nne Gelegenheit zu einer wichtigen Diskussion �ber die Besch�ftigung bieten, doch ben�tige die IUL die Unterst�tzung und Zusammenarbeit ihrer Mitglieder, damit dies geschehen k�nne. Ohne konkrete Informationen werde die Tagung nicht mehr als ein blo�er Meinungsaustausch sein.
Kinderarbeit
Ron Oswald informierte die Tagung �ber die formelle Errichtung der Stiftung zur Beseitigung der Kinderarbeit im Tabakanbau (bekannt als ECLT-Stiftung) im Sep-tember. Die Gr�ndungsmitglieder der Stiftung seien: IUL, ITGA (Internationaler Verband der Tabakanbauer) und BAT; die bislang beigetretenen Unternehmen seien: Philip Morris, Scandinavian Tobacco, Imperial Tobacco und Japan Tobacco International. Der turnusm��ige Vorsitz der Stiftung werde in den ersten zwei Jahren von der IUL gef�hrt. Der TBG-Vorstand billigte den Vorschlag von Ron Oswald, dass Dan Plaum zum alternierenden Vorstandsmitglied f�r den IUL-Sitz ernannt werde. Marc Hofstetter, Stiftungsleiter, und Alain Berthoud, Projektleiter, stellten sich vor und umrissen ihre Vorstellung von der T�tigkeit der Stiftung.
Als Vorsitzender der ECLT-Stiftung lud Ron Oswald die Teilnehmer der Tagung des TBG-Vorstandes zu einem Empfang in den B�ros der Stiftung ein.
Der Vorsitzende Mike Mulhern dankte allen f�r ihre Teilnahme und schloss die Tagung.
International Campaign to Free Imprisoned Korean Trade Union Leader
01-Nov-2001The IUF has added its voice to the international campaign to free Dan Byung-Ho, president of the Korean national center KCTU. His continued imprisonment and arrest brings to 650 the number of trade unionists and workers arrested under the "human rights" president Kim Dae-Jung.
For more information and to join the campaign click here:
http://www.kctu.org [<<] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 ... [>>]