Tagung des Tabakarbeiter-Branchengruppenvorstands / 10. Oktober 2001

01-Nov-2001





Kurzbericht �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.

Tobaksarbetarfackgruppens Styrelsem�te / 10 oktober 2001

01-Nov-2001





M�dereferat

Indledning af m�det - meddelelser

M�det blev indledt af IULs generalsekret�r Ron Oswald, som oplyste hvem der desv�rre havde m�ttet melde afbud. TAFGs 2. n�stformand Mike Mulhern (MSF, England) sagde ja til at lede m�det p� vegne af 1. n�stformand Masao Hatakis (Shokuhin-Rengo, Japan) i dennes frav�r. Ron b�d Marc Hofstetter og Alain Berthoud fra Fonden til udryddelse af b�rnearbejde i tobaksproduktionen (Foundation for the Elimination of Child Labour in Tobacco Growing) (ECLT-Fonden) velkommen.

Overblik over aktiviteterne

Jacqueline Baroncini fra IULs sekretariat gav et overblik over IULs aktiviteter og indl�g om emner, der har v�ret aktuelle for industrien siden Tobaksarbejder-gruppens sidste bestyrelsesm�de den 27. oktober, 2000, herunder dels et brev til den tyrkiske regering i november 2000, hvor man protesterede mod planerne om at presse en privatisering (af bl.a. tobaksindustrien) igennem uden at have konsulteret fagforeningerne, dels et brev til WHO, der ikke havde medtaget besk�ftigelses-sp�rgsm�l i udkastet Rammeaftale om Tobakskontrol. Som opf�lgning p� tobaks-arbejds-gruppernes m�de d. 29-30. januar 2001 er medlemmerne gennem en rundskrivelse blevet bedt om at gennemg� og opdatere landelisten over cigar-producenter. Der er dog til dato kun modtaget ganske f� tilbagemeldinger. Det er meningen, at IUL skal bruge oplysningerne til at lave en unders�gelse af tobaks-k�den i forbindelse med dets arbejde mod b�rnearbejde, herunder ogs� l�n- og arbejdsvilk�r og fagforeningsrettigheder.

Ron Oswald oplyste, at Emiko Murakami er tr�dt tilbage som TAFG-koordinator. Emiko forts�tter dog sit samarbejde med IUL som bindeled mellem IUL og de japanske medlemsorganisationer. Som tobakskonsulent indtr�der i stedet Dan Plaum, i t�t samarbejde med Jacqueline Baroncini.

Baroncini redegjorde for IULs Kvindegruppes anbefalinger med hensyn til handelsgrupper og sektorer og kunne informerede om de tiltag, der er blevet gjort af tobaksarbejdernes fagforeninger i IULs Asia/Pacific region for at forbedre besk�ftigelsesmulighederne for kvinder i cigaretindustrien. IULs Kvindegruppe �nsker formelt at blive en del af IULs industristruktur for fremover bedre at kunne udvikle strategier til at im�deg� lave l�nninger og at udj�vne l�nforskelle, for at kunne im�deg� den stigende tendens til l�sarbejde, forbedre arbejdsmilj�et, sikre en balance mellem arbejde og privatliv, og for at komme overgreb p� kvinder og deres rettigheder til livs. Det anbefales derfor, at TAFGs bestyrelsen fremover sender en repr�sentant til Kvindegruppens m�der, n�ste gang vil v�re i forbindelse med IULs kongres i maj 2002.

Diskussion
Maja Kj�r (NNF, Danmark) informerede om de initiativer, der er blevet sat i v�rk i NNF i form af jobtr�ningsprogrammer for at forbedre kvindernes besk�ftigelses-muligheder og arbejdsvilk�r inden for f�devare- og tobaksindustrien.

Tomoji Misato (IUF-JCC generalsekret�r) refererede fra det f�rste Asia/Pacific tobakssektorm�de, der fandt sted i Bangkok den 28. til 30. august, 2001. I mange �r havde IUL kun tre medlemmer inden for tobakssektoren i denne region, nemlig SEWA (Indien), the BAT Malaysia Workers Union og Zen Tobacco (en del af Shokuhin-Rengo, Japan). I �r har tobaksarbejder-fagforeninger i Thailand og Nepal tilsluttet sig IUL, og p� m�det hilste man endvidere fagforeninger for cigaret-industri-arbejderne i Cambodia og Indien og en tobaksarbejder-fagforening fra Pakistan velkommen. I dag, hvor 54% af verdens tobaksproduktion forbruges i Asien, er denne industri af stigende betydning i regionen og giver nye besk�ftigelses-muligheder og potentielt ogs� ny medlemmer til IUL.

Harald Wiedenhofer (EFFAT-IUL Europa) orienterede om EFFATs aktiviteter, Den sociale dialog inden for tobaksindustrien og aktiviteterne hos Philip Morris og BATs Europ�iske Arbejdsudvalg (European Works Councils). Besk�ftigelsen er faldende overalt i Vesteuropa undtagen i Portugal, hvor Philip Morris har foretaget betydelige investeringer [efter at have k�bt 90% af det tidligere tobaksmonopol Tabaqueira i perioden 1996 til 1999]. EU-direktivforslaget om regulering af tobaksprodukter for-ventes at p�virke besk�ftigelsen industrien negativt. Direktivforslaget, der ud over at regulere beskatning, annoncering og m�rkning, foreskriver en reduktion i tj�re-, nikotin- og kuliltem�ngderne i cigaretter per 1. januar 2004. Fremstillingen af cigaretter med h�jere indhold af samme vil muligvis fortsat kunne eksporteres frem til 1. januar 2007. Man h�ber, at virksomhederne vil benytte denne forsinkelse til at udvikle m�der til at sikre besk�ftigelsen og dermed fremtidssikre industriens berettigelse i Europa. Fagforeningernes kamp for at forsvare virksomhederne og dermed sikre industriens fremtid set i forhold til de stadig flere reguleringer p� omr�det, er blevet stadig vanskeligere, da udbydere og garanter for kvalitativ besk�ftigelse er meget tvivlsom. Den sociale dialog med GITES og CECCM synes frugtbar: Med privatiseringen af de fleste af de tidligere statsejede virksomheder er GITES blevet en svag organisation uden noget reelt mandat til at forhandle med IULs europ�iske organisation; den store enighed de cigaretproducenter imellem, der er medlem af CECCM og deres tendens til at tage egne emner op, har gjort den �sociale dialog� med denne organisation til en farce.

Herbert Schenk (NGG, Tyskland) og Blanca Uru�uela (Federaci�n Agro-alimentaria UGT, Spanien) understregede alvoren i de bet�nkeligheder, der er blevet fremf�rt af Harald Wiedenhofer, ved at komme med eksempler fra egne lande. For at im�deg� de �gede udgifter til sikkerhedstiltag efter den 11. september har den tyske regering s�ledes �get cigaretafgiften. Industrien forventer, at dette vil medf�re et 50%-fald i m�ngden af solgte cigaretter, mens regeringen kun forventer et fald p� 10%. I Spanien har et faldende forbrug og stigende priser helt modsat f�rt til udvidelser i tobaksindustrien, mens is�r de sm� tobaksdyrkere og deres lokalsamfund er blevet mere udsatte.

I sin gennemgang af diverse sundhedssp�rgsm�l og regulerende tiltag kom Blanca ind p� sp�rgsm�let om tolerance og forsvarligt forbrug. Emnerne blev taget op af Ron Oswald, som beskrev det af Zen Tobbaco Workers Union iv�rksatte arbejder-management-projekt, der omfatter en bevidstg�relse af de historiske og kulturelle aspekter ved tobak og rygning, af konceptet ansvarligt forbrug, og af forst�elsen og tolerancen rygerne og ikke-rygerne imellem, og har til form�l at sikre de japanske tobaksarbejderes eksistens. Med hensyn til EU-direktivet gjorde Oswald opm�rksom p�, at mens der kan v�re mange grunde til at mods�tte sig direktivets indhold, b�r vi v�re varsomme med st�tte forskellige standarder i forskellige dele af verden.

Der blev sat sp�rgsm�lstegn ved, om vi kan v�re med til at sikre bevarelsen af arbejdspladser ved at hj�lpe virksomhederne i deres kamp mod forskellige reguleringer. Tobaksindustrien har l�nge nydt godt af fagforeningernes opbakning, men det har ikke afholdt virksomhederne fra at nedl�gge jobs og dermed at fjerne arbejdernes livsgrundlag. Deltagerne var enige om, at det er n�dvendigt, at overbevise virksomhederne om, at de b�r v�re mere socialt ansvarlige og v�re med til at sikre besk�ftigelsen.

Industriens udvikling

Jacqueline Baroncini introducerede sekretariatets dokument under dette punkt samt de supplerende rapporter, indleveret af FGTA-FO om Seita/Altadis og af SAT (Uruguay) om BAT.

Ron Oswald orienterede om udviklingen i diskussionerne med BAT mht. det manglende engagement hos deres forretningsinteresser i Burma.

Daniel Dreux (FGTA-FO, Frankrig), Christian Bouffier (FGA-CFDT, Frankrig) og Blanca Uru�uela beklagede Altadis� nye holdning til regulering af arbejdsvilk�rene: Fagforeninger f�r ikke nogen �konomiske oplysninger, s�dan som det var tilf�ldet med Seita og Tabacalera, og der finder heller intet samr�d sted. Virksomheden forts�tter med at forsinke og at obstruere processen med at etablere et Europ�isk Arbejdsudvalg (EWC). Daniel Dreux oplyste, at han har skrevet til Altadis i januar 2001 og foresl�et dem at forhandle en global aftale om regulering af industrien p� plads, men har til dato ikke modtaget noget svar.

Herbert Schenk orienterede om det foresl�ede offentlige udbud af aktier i Reemstma af den familieejede kaffevirksomhed Tschibo, der er indehaver af 75% af virksomhedens aktier. JTI, Gallaher, Altadis og Imperial anses for at v�re potentielle k�bere, mens Philip Morris og BAT er uegnede af anti-trust-grunde.

Maja Kj�r meddelte, at ST-gruppens k�b af Imperial Tobacco Canada�s cigarproduktion i november 2000 og den efterf�lgende flytning af produktionen, har betydet 70 nye arbejdspladser i Danmark, mens der samtidigt er nedlagt et tilsvarende antal arbejdspladser i Canada. [ITCAN, der er Canadas st�rste tobaksproducent, ejes af BAT.] I STs datterselskab, House of Prince, har man lanceret et tr�ningssprogram inkl. en oversigt over l�nninger baseret p� kvalifikationer. L�nstigninger kan herefter opn�s, n�r man har gennemf�rt diverse tr�ningsmoduler.

Fremtidige aktiviteter: ILOs trepartsm�de for tobakssektoren

M�dedeltagerne hilste Clara Foucault-Mohammed, ILOs specialist p� omr�derne f�de- og drikkevarer samt tobak (Food, Drink & Tobacco) velkommen p� m�det: IULs �interface� i forhold til ILO for disse industrier. Hun bekr�ftede, at ILOs har til hensigt at gennemf�re et trepartsm�de for tobakssektoren i andet halv�r af 2003 og gjorde rede for deres igangv�rende arbejde p� omr�det. I �jeblikket er der hovedsagelig fokus p� tobakskontrol og den indvirkning, den har p� besk�ftigelsen inden for tobaksomr�det. Som bidrag til den diskussion, der foreg�r p� FN niveau, om de forslag, der er fremlagt af WHO omkring tobakskontrol, har ILO iv�rksat en unders�gelse, der skal klarl�gge, hvordan udviklingen i besk�ftigelsen har v�ret inden for tobakssektoren, og hvordan fremtiden for samme tegner sig, og vil gennemf�re unders�gelser i Brasilien, Kina, USA, Bulgarien og Cambodia. Andre FN afdelinger besk�ftiger sig med emnet ud fra hver deres perspektiv: Verdensbanken har s�ledes udviklet et v�rkt�j til at �forst� og vurdere effekten af de forskellige tobakskontrolpolitikkers indvirkning p� besk�ftigelsen�, som vil blive afpr�vet i Fiji, Kenya, Bulgarien og Armenien; FAO p� sin side har lavet unders�gelser over alternative afgr�der til tobak med Thailand, Kina, Tyrkiet, Brasilien og Indien som eksempler. I 2000 gennemf�rte ILO en unders�gelse af beedi-industrien i Indien, hvis resultater er blevet offentliggjort for kort tid siden.

Rapport over tobaksk�deunders�gelsen

Dan Plaum gav en samlet gennemgang af cigarunders�gelsen (udsendt tidligere p� �ret) og cigaretunders�gelsen (under udf�rdigelse). Freml�ggelsen omfattede bl.a. en gennemgang af de forskellige produktionsstadier fra dyrkning og h�stning til frem-stilling af cigarer og cigaretter, de internationale virksomheders forskellige profiler, aktuelle emner, samt fagforeningernes og IULs rolle. Endelig blev der givet en oversigt med n�gleinformationer for hver land. Et s�dant statistisk materiale kan hj�lpe os med at identificere de steder, hvor arbejdere udbyttes.

Diskussion
Harald Wiedenhofer (EFFAT) gentog sit sp�rgsm�l om industriens sociale rolle og st�ttede opfordringen til en mere energisk tilgang til industrien og dens virksomheder.

Ron Oswald pointerede, at der er behov for en samlet strategi. Dans arbejde har hjulpet os med at se sammenh�ngen mellem b�rnearbejde og jobs i �vrigt, og arbejdsvilk�r. Kampen mod b�rnearbejde er en kamp om rettigheder. Der er en sammenh�ng mellem at g�re indsigelse mod b�rnearbejde og indsigelse mod fabrikslukninger og afskedigelser. Det er imidlertid vigtigt, at vore medlemmer deler dette syn. ILOs trepartsm�de i 2003 kunne v�re en anledning til at st�rre diskussion af emnet besk�ftigelse, men IUL har brug for medlemmernes st�tte og samarbejde for at dette kan ske. Uden konkrete oplysninger vil m�det ikke blive andet og mere end en udveksling af synspunkter.

B�rnearbejde

Ron Oswald oplyste, at Fonden til udryddelse af b�rnearbejde i tobaksproduktionen (Foundation for the Elimination of Child Labour in Tobacco Growing), bedre kendt som ECLT-fonden, var blevet oprettet formelt i september d.�., med organisationerne IUF, ITGA (International Tobacco Growers Association) og BAT og virksomhederne Philip Morris, Scandinavian Tobacco, Imperial Tobacco og Japan Tobacco International som faste medlemmer. De n�ste 2 �r vil formandsskabet blive varetaget af IUL. TAFGs bestyrelse godkendte Rons forslag om at udn�vne Dan Plaum som midlertidigt medlem af bestyrelsen for IUL. Fondens direkt�r Marc Hofstetter og projektleder Alain Berthoud pr�senterede sig selv og fremlagde deres visioner for fondens arbejde.

Som formand for ECLT-Fonden inviterede Ron TAFGs bestyrelsesmedlemmer til at deltage i en reception p� fondens kontorer.

Chair Mike Mulhern takkede alle for deres deltagelse og lukkede m�det.

Threats against banana workers in Guatemala continue

01-Nov-2001





The struggle of the banana workers� union SITRABI, which began in September 1999 with the illegal dismissal of 900 plantation workers and came to an uncertain end in March 2001 with the sentencing of most of those responsible for violence against the union in the aftermath of those dismissals, continues in the wake of fresh threats against the union leadership.

The mother of Enrique Villeda, one of the union leaders whose security was endangered and was therefore relocated to the United States, received an anonymous phone call on September 23 informing her that her son had been killed in Los Angeles and that his death was linked to the fact that he continued to do trade union work.

We are pleased to inform you that Enrique is alive and well in Los Angeles. This message caused great anguish to members of the family in both Guatemala and the US, and was clearly intended to threaten and intimidate SITRABI and its current leadership.

You are urgently requested to send messages of support and solidarity to SITRABI in their ongoing struggle for rights and dignity on behalf of its members, and protest messages to the government of Guatemala reminding it of its responsibility to protect its citizens and demanding an investigation into this most recent act of intimidation against SITRABI and its members. We enclose copies of our own letters, which contain the necessary contact details.

Please send copies of your messages to the IUF secretariat. We will keep you informed of any developments.

International Campaign to Free Imprisoned Korean Trade Union Leader

01-Nov-2001





The 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

The Sugar Worker, November 2001

10-Nov-2001





The Sugar Worker
Information and Analysis for Unions in the Sugar Sector
Volume III, Number 11, November 2001

Contents
� IUF General Secretary Addresses ISO-MECAS Meeting
� Australia: Workers Defeat Lock-Out, Defend Rights
� Caribbean: Unions Reach New Contracts in Belize and Guyana
� Mexico: Workers Gain Wage Increase
� Tanzania: Local Industry Face Stiff Competition
� Swaziland: Mills in Merger Talks
� Taiwan: TaiSugar to Close Factories
� IUF: Caribbean Regional Conference in Grenada
� Company News
� United States: Tate & Lyle Completes Sale of Domino Sugar
� Italy: Growing Interest in Eridiana
� France: S�dzucker Wants to Firm-Up St. Louis Sucre Deal
� Lithuania: Danisco Sugar Acquisitions Unconstitutional

IUF General Secretary Addresses ISO-MECAS Meeting

The IUF General Secretary, Ron Oswald, addressed a recent meeting of the Market Evaluation, Consumption and Statistics Committee (MECAS) of the International Sugar Organization (ISO), held in London on 29 November, continuing the working contacts between the IUF and the ISO.

The International Sugar Organization (ISO) is an intergovernmental organization under the United Nations umbrella, with 59 country-members, representing 75 percent of world production, 55 percent of world consumption, 90 percent of exports and 26 percent of imports. The ISO recently adopted a strategic development plan, with a vision to become �the �first-best� provider of comprehensive information to the global sugar community�. Its members will benefit from an improved transparency in the world sugar trade and from information on key and emerging issues in the world sugar and sweetener economy; the ISO provides also a forum for debate and dialogue. For developing countries, the ISO provides access to project financing through the Common Fund for Commodities to support strategies to improve their competitiveness.

As an international trade union federation with affiliates in several economic sectors, the IUF represents workers throughout the food chain, a fact that is especially true in industries like sugar, which combines agricultural and industrial activities, has multiple national and international connections along the production process, and an increasingly complex corporate structure, which transcends political borders. As a trade union, the IUF�s main objective is to raise the social and labour standards of its members, and ensure that they benefit when improvements are introduced in a given industry or economic sector.

Oswald gave some concrete examples of the IUF�s work in other agricultural sectors like the recent agreement signed between the IUF, COLSIBA (the Latin American banana workers� coordinating body) and Chiquita Brands, one of the world�s largest banana companies. The agreement is specifically about labour rights, and is a �work in progress,� which creates a venue where to resolve labour issues and improve workers� standards, a considerable achievement in a sector traditionally dominated by social conflict. In tobacco, the IUF signed a joint declaration with the International Tobacco Growers Association (ITAG) on Child Labour in 1999, seeking to address fundamental aspects of this sensitive issue. Such work has given way to a Foundation which would research the issue and initiate projects to limit and eventually eliminate such exploitative practice. In cocoa, ongoing talks with global chocolate companies is expected to produce a joint statement on Child Labour before the end of 2001. These are examples of the way the IUF acts upon issues of concern for workers and their families: practically and pragmatically yet based on unchanging and fundamental values.

In sugar the IUF�s efforts have focused on raising the members� awareness and understanding of the industry. The IUF, representing organized labour, is open to explore serious and practical ways of cooperation with the ISO, an intergovernmental organization, in the centuries-old sugar industry. Such cooperation could and should benefit all those involved in the sector

Australia: Workers Defeat Lock-Out, Defend Rights

A three-week industrial dispute with a lockout and strikes ended successfully for 340 workers employed at the New South Wales Sugar Milling Cooperative (NSW) three mills and a refinery, in Australia�s New South Wales region.

The dispute began when management locked out the workers on 6 November, following a five-month wage and employment-conditions negotiation. A week later, however, the workers went on strike because a key issue in the dispute was the company�s demand that workers be available to work on public holidays. A trade union official told the press �if they (the workers) refuse to work Christmas day or Easter that would represent misconduct and they could be sacked.� The representative said that the company also seemed prepared to inflict serious economic damages to the cane farmers �and the local community dependent on sugar�, as the dispute badly affected the harvesting and processing of cane.

The striking workers, organized by the Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union (CFMEU), received ample support from the Australian labour movement; and construction workers in Sidney donated several thousand dollars to support the strikers and their families.

On 22 November, a meeting with of union representatives, management, and the Federal Industrial Relations Commission helped to end the dispute. On 23 November, workers voted 98 percent in favour of accepting management�s withdrawal of demands, and a 7 percent wage increase over two years.

The NSW mills Broadwater (4,000 tonnes of daily capacity -tdc), Condong (4,000 tdc) and Harwood (4,000 tdc) contribute with about 5 percent of the total Australian production, estimated in 4.9 million tonnes for the current 2001/02 harvest, up from 4.6 million tonnes the previous cycle.

Caribbean: Unions Reach New Contracts in Belize and Guyana

The Belize Workers� Union (BWU) reached a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the Belize Sugar Industries (BSI), which covers some 400 workers at the Tower Hill Factory, Slipdock (repair work to barges and boats), Research and Transport departments, for the period 1 January 2001 to 31 December 2003.

The new CBA ratifies the guaranteed employment for 52 weeks per year to permanent employees, and a six-month probation period (with an evaluation after three months of work) for new employees. The CBA also stipulates the grievance procedure, with a four-step process held within the company �from an initial meeting between employee and shop-steward to meetings between the chief shop-steward, union representatives and management�, before requesting conciliation with the Labour Commissioner (step five). The sixth and final step is arbitration, which reaches a binding decision for both parties.

The union and the company agreed to keep wage rates at the current levels (which include a 2 percent increase agreed in October 2000). It is also foreseen wage discussions in December 2001 and December 2002. Current hourly rates at the Tower Hill factory run from a minimum of BZE 5.78 for laborers to a high of BZE 8.02 received by foremen (tradesmen). (USD 1.00 = BZE 2.00). The contract recognizes the BWU as the bargaining agent for the workers, and was signed on 9 July 2001.

Meanwhile in Guyana, the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) signed in November a one-year contract with the Guyana Sugar Corporation (Guysuco), retroactive to January 2001. The CBA covers wages and fringe benefits for some 17,000 field and factory (and factory-type) workers represented by GAWU. Wages rates were increased by 8.5 percent over 2000 rates. Monthly wage rates range from a low of GYD 18,692.00 for workers in scale 3 to a maximum of GYD 40,424.00 in scale 7 (USD 103.50 � 223.80). Weekly rates go from GYD 3,864.37 for workers in band 1 to GYD 7,579.92 in band 5 (USD 21.40 - 41.80). Hourly rates go from GYD 96.59 in band 1 to GYD 188.75 in band 5 (USD 0.53 � 1.04). On fringe benefits, the CBA grants meal allowances from GYD 175.00 on 1-2 hours of overtime to GYD 423.00 on four or more hours of overtime. Lunch allowance is GYD 423.00, and there is a GYD 1,000.00 per month on �cycle allowance�. An important clause is a four-day guaranteed employment during the off-season for field workers who complete no less than 75 percent of the three consecutive preceding harvests.

In related news, the Sugar Association of the Caribbean (SAC) said the six sugar-producing countries in the region (Barbados, Belize, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Trinidad) reached 638,017 tonnes at the end of July 2001, a 7 percent drop from the previous year�s production. Revenues totaled USD 261.4 million, a 15.5 percent fall compared to last year�s revenues. An important factor in the decline is the poor performance of the Euro against the US dollar, given that exports to the European Union, their most important market, are paid in Euros.

Mexico: Workers Gain Wage Increase

The Mexican sugar factory workers� union, STIASRM, gained a 5.5 percent wage increase and a 1 percent increase in food allowances for the 2001/02 harvest. The agreement, reached on 15 November �the day before the union was to launch a strike�, covers some 42,000 workers in most of the country�s 60 mills, including the 27 recently expropriated by the government.

The expropriation, according to some local sources, seemed to have been a factor in speeding up this year�s wage negotiations. Last year, the negotiations produced a three-week strike but the government, now in control of almost half of the production, might be trying to give assurance that the harvest would go ahead without major difficulties. The expropriation is also seen as an influence in the early start of the harvest (by early November), with some mills already operating in Veracruz and Tabasco, in the Gulf of Mexico.

In related news, on 5 November, Jorge Labor�n G�mez was formally introduced as director of the parastatal sugar agency (the Fondo de Empresas Expropiadas del Sector Azucarero) created to run the 27 mills expropriated last September. The Fund will operate on the basis of the 12-point program proposed by the government for the reorganization of the industry but no specific details on the program are yet available. Government officials said details might be announced by mid December.

The Mexican sugar industry received some bad news in the form of an unfavourable �yet expected� ruling of a NAFTA panel on the sugar and sweetener trade dispute. The panel said Mexico had not presented sufficient evidence of the damages caused to the domestic sugar industry by imports of U.S.-manufactured corn sweeteners (HFCS), and outlined two possible courses of action: if damages to the local industry have not been proven, Mexico should withdraw the antidumping tariffs and refund all duties collected, or the government can re-evaluate the evidence according to the specifications of the panel to determine if the domestic sugar industry has been substantially damaged by HFCS imports. Mexico decided to re-evaluate the information and, according to an official resolution by the secretariat of economy of 28 November, it concluded that there is enough information that during the period under review, there was a threat of damage to the local industry by HFCS imports, and therefore the antidumping duties will remain in place.

Tanzania: Local Industry Face Stiff Competition

Three sugar factories, Kilombero, Mtibwa and TPC, are at the brink of closing due to their inability to sell their sugar and high costs of storage, local sources reported last September. The industry continues to complain that cheap imports have depressed prices, preventing them from selling their sugar and from fulfilling obligations with farmers, workers, and banks. In the industry�s opinion, the availability of cheap imported sugar in the domestic market indicates that importers are not paying all duties, and the industry has requested a USD 390 per tonne duty. The other option, said the industry, is to immediately banned sugar importation. Sugar importers said that the industry wants to monopolize the internal market, because their costs are high and it cannot compete with imports.

A Dow Jones report said that the minister of industry and commerce resigned on 4 November over allegations that he fraudulently issued sugar import licenses. An investigation into the allegations started in August, after parliament endorsed a motion asking the government to investigate the registration and licensing of sugar importers.

Tanzania is expected to produce 165,000 tonnes of sugar in 2001/02, up from 135,500 tonnes in 2000/01, according to the state-run Sugar Development Corporation. Sugar consumption is about 300,000 tonnes per year.

Swaziland: Mills in Merger Talks

The two largest sugar manufacturers in Swaziland, Mhlume Sugar Company and Simunye Sugar Estate, are talking about merging their operations. Mhlume has a mill with a 7,000 tdc; Simunye a 7,200 tdc mill and a refinery. The merger would create the largest company in the country, and reduce the number of producers to two. The other company is Ubombo Ranch (8,400 tdc mill and a refinery of 500 tdc), subsidiary of the South African Illovo Sugars.

Simunye is also planning to increase ethanol production (fuel alcohol), aiming to supply the U.S. market, in particular California. Production from Mhlume and Simunye is estimated at 300,000 tonnes of sugar in 2001/02. Swaziland�s national production in 2000/01 was 527,582 tonnes of sugar, compared to 534,183 tonnes in 1999/2000.

Taiwan: TaiSugar to Close Factories

Taiwan Sugar Corp., the island sole sugar producer and importer, said that it has plans to close six of the company�s 10 factories between 2002 and 2004, according to statements by its president, Cheng Hong-tsai, quoted by the Taipei Times on 15 November. The closures will mean a loss of between 2,500-3,000 jobs; mostly through early retirement packages said Mr. Cheng.

A Reuters report of 7 June 2001 said that the company faces rising costs and expensive subsidies. A TaiSugar source quoted by Reuters said the company has a cost of production of TWD 38.00 per kilogram (USD 50 cents per pound), against a wholesale sugar price of TWD 15.40 per kilo (USD 20 c/lb). TaiSugar plans to focus on land development and biotechnology, and is looking to source out the island�s needs by investing in other countries. For instance, TaiSugar was reported as interested in acquiring Australia�s CSR sugar assets, in a joint bid with MacKay Sugar.

IUF: Caribbean Regional Conference in Grenada

The sugar program in the IUF English-speaking Caribbean Region was one of the topics reviewed at the Second Caribbean Conference held from 14 to 16 of November in Grenada. Thirty-five delegates and observers listened to reports on the sugar activities implemented by the national affiliates in 1999-2001, with the support from the regional office and the Geneva general secretariat.

A presentation on the recent developments in the international and regional sugar industries by the IUF sugar sector consultant, Jorge Chull�n, outlined the context for the national activities and the recommendations for a future work program. The latter includes to continue supporting the education and organizing programs of the national affiliates (unions in Guyana, Trinidad and Belize have proposed initiatives for 2002); to support bilateral contacts; to organize a regional sugar conference to review the current sugar situation and future perspectives, and evaluate the past work (the previous regional meeting took place in Jamaica in 1999); to pursue inter-regional contacts, in particular with unions in the ACP (Africa, Caribbean and Pacific) countries and in the European Union; and to establish working contacts with other regional sugar bodies.

The Conference, hosted by the Grenada Technical & Allied Workers� Union, heard a presentation by the general secretary, Ron Oswald, on the activities in other IUF regions. The regional secretary submitted a report on the 1998-2001 activities, and delegates gave a country report on the workers� situation in the hotel, restaurant and agriculture sectors. The Conference elected a new executive committee with Walford Gumbs (St. Kitts-Nevis Trades & Labour Union) as president, and re-elected LeVere Richards (Barbados Workers� Union) as the regional secretary. The executive committee will meet next in the context of the IUF 24th Congress to be held in Geneva in May 2002.

Company News

United States: Tate & Lyle Completes Sale of Domino Sugar

On 5 November Florida Crystals Corporation and Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida completed the acquisition of Domino Sugar from the London-based Tate & Lyle. Domino operates refineries in Brooklyn (New York), Baltimore (Maryland), and Chalmette (Louisiana).

Domino was merged with Refined Sugars Inc. of Yonkers (New York), which the partners bought in 1998. The new company has been named American Sugar Refining Company, and will produce more than two million tonnes of sugar per year, control about 40 percent of the sugar-refining sector in the U.S., and will be the country�s third largest seller after Imperial and United Sugars.

The Fanjul Family owns Florida Crystals with three sugar mills (a combined 45,000 tdc), one refinery, and 180,000 acres of cane lands in Palm Beach (Florida). The Fanjuls also control the largest Dominican sugar producer, Central Romana, and have diverse interests in tourism and real estate. Florida Crystals owns 64 percent of the new American Sugar Refining. The Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative, with 36 percent of the new company, comprises 54 cane farmers in Florida, with 73,000 acres of land and 360,000 tonnes of raw sugar per year. The deal is worth a maximum of USD 185 million, which includes a conditional earn out of up to USD 20 million payable over 4 years.

Italy: Growing Interest in Eridiana

B�ghin-Say, the French sugar group, will split from its Italian subsidiary Eridiana, and has asked the French bank Paribas, in charge of the sale of the group, to look into some �players in the Italian sugar sector which have demonstrated an interest,� reported Les Echos, a French daily on 30 November. The Italian subsidiary accounts for 33 percent of the group�s total sales, and owns 8 beet factories (total 63,000 tdc) with a production of 636,000 tonnes of sugar in 2000. Eridiana is the leader in the Italian sugar sector with about 40 percent of the market.

It was reported that SFIR (Societ� Fondiaria Industriale Romagnola) with 4 beet factories and a combined 45,500 tdc, and Sadam, owned by the Maccaferri Group, with 5 factories and 45,000 tdc in alliance with Coprobi (2 factories and 18,000 tdc), are interested in acquiring Eridiana. In addition, the Italian sugar beet producers� financial arm, Finbieticola, announced it would also bid for Eridiana. If Eridiana is sold in one block to one of the first two potential bidders, the concentration in the sugar industry would have taken a significant step forward, with the new group controlling up to 70 percent of the installed production capacity in the country.

France: S�dzucker Wants to Firm-Up St. Louis Sucre Deal

It is expected that by next January the European Commission would reach a decision on the acquisition of St. Louis Sucre by the German S�dzucker, which was announced earlier this year. Reports also said that, in view of the concerns raised about concentration in the industry and limits to competition, S�dzucker has made some proposals, among them: it plans to sell its 13.5 percent share in Ebro-Puleva, the Spanish food industry conglomerate, and has also offered to sell 90,000 tonnes of its annual German sugar quota and a Belgian beet factory which produces 60,000 tonnes of sugar per year.

Lithuania: Danisco Sugar Acquisitions Unconstitutional

The Lithuanian Constitutional Court ruled unconstitutional the acquisition of shares in the country�s four factories (total of 9,885 tdc) by Danisco, which, in 1998, gave the Denmark-based food processing company control over 90 percent of the industry. The court said the government�s decision to sell the shares was incorrect in form and lacked all the required signatures. As the deal was not officially published, it should be considered non valid, the court added. Danisco representatives said they were surprised by the decision, because they understood that the government had followed the legislation in place at the time and overruled objections to the deal. They added the court�s ruling does not actually concern their company but the government. Lithuania�s sugar production is estimated at 122,000 tonnes in 2001/02, down from 138,000 in 2000/01.

Danisco Sugar, a division of the Danish food conglomerate, is the fourth largest European sugar producer with a total 1.2 million tonnes of sugar per year from its concerns in five countries. The company is the sole manufacturer of sugar in Denmark, Lithuania, Finland and Sweden (operating a refinery in each of the latter two), and has also a beet plant in Germany. It employs around 4,000 people.

IUF's 2nd Carribbean Regional Conference - union rights and regional crises

17-Nov-2001







In the photo: Newly elected committee (from left: Seepaul Narine, LeVere Richards, Mary Pierre George, Molly Burgess, Walford Gumbs and Leo Douglas).

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Representatives of twenty-three IUF affiliates met for three days in Grenada on November 14, 15 and 16 to review the work of the IUF�s newest regional organization over the past three years and to establish priorities for the future of the region�s work.

Georgetown banner announces conference

Particular attention was focused on three major regional industries, tourism, sugar and bananas. In all three cases affiliates developed proposals for future action by the IUF in these important sectors. The conference also formally called upon regional governments to meet in emergency session to review and address the critical situations faced by all three industries, in sugar and bananas mainly as a result of the threat of unfettered global trade liberalization and in tourism as a result of the tragic events of September 11. Copies of the formal resolutions adopted are included at the end of this news article.

The conference also cautioned regional hotel and tourism employers not to seek to exploit the September 11 events to unnecessarily lay-off workers or attack workers� conditions of work or their rights. The tourism downturn has already started prior to September 11 and a calm and clear analysis was needed before any draconian actions were taken. In the particular case of Barbados, for example, tales of doom the country�s tourism employers and calls for drastic actions that would fall mainly on workers were shown to be unjustified when tourist arrivals fell by a relatively modest 7% and future booking looked good. Whilst the impact might be more serious in other regional tourist destinations (particularly those relying more exclusively on the US market) a similar calm, rational and transparent approach was called for by delegates at the conference.

The conference also expressed strong support for the unions in Grenada who now face draco9nian new labour law proposals that would effectively deny the right to strike to workers in loosely defined �essential services� and would make such a right almost impossible to exercise in all sectors in that country. The IUF has committed itself to support affiliates in Grenada in their effort to stop this proposed legislation and has vowed if necessary to take the case to the International Labour Organization (ILO) and ask for the ILO�s intervention.

Conference elected a new regional committee from which Walford Gumbs (St Kitts Nevis) and LeVere Richards (Barbados) were elected regional president and regional secretary respectively. Molly Burgess (Bermuda) was elected as the region�s first vice-president and Leo Douglas (Bahamas) as second vice- president.

Other regional committee members elected were Seepaul Narine (Guyana) and Mary Pierre George (Trinidad & Tobago).

Resolutions adopted at the 2nd IUF Caribbean Regional Conference.

RESOLUTION ON THE CARIBBEAN SUGAR INDUSTRY

Conscious that the Caribbean Sugar Industry faces serious challenges, particularly in the light of the Everything But Arms (EBA) policy adopted by the European Union;

And aware that the existing sugar industries may be faced with downsizing, restructuring or even closure which ultimately will affect the economic and social conditions of the workers and the respective countries as a whole;

Be it resolved that this 2nd IUF Caribbean Regional Conference meeting in Grenada, November 14 � 16, 2001 calls on the CARICOM Heads of Government to convene, as a matter of urgency, a forum to discuss matters of concern to the sugar industry including its survival and sustainability;

Be it further resolved that the social partners, including the recognized trade unions in the sugar industry, be a part of the forum.

RESOLUTION #1 ON REGIONAL TOURISM

The 2nd IUF Caribbean Regional Conference meeting in St. George's, Grenada on November 14, 15 and 16, 2001

Expresses its deep sorrow and heartfelt condolences in the face of the horrific loss of life that occurred on September 11, 2001 in the terrorist attacks in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania.

Endorses the IUF's call that a vigorous pursuit of justice be targeted at those who perpetrated these attacks.

Notes the economic consequences of these attacks and particularly their impact on the travel and tourism industry.

Cautions that this impact whilst dramatically negative in some countries, for example, the United States is not necessarily uniform across countries of the world.

Calls upon governments and employers in the Caribbean, in open consultations with the trade unions representing workers, to explore all possible measures to ensure that negative consequences are not borne predominantly by workers in the tourism sector and that everything possible is done to avoid loss of employment or reduction in working terms and conditions.

Demands that, before any negative action is taken in relation to employment by employers in the tourism sector of the region, the facts must be analysed in a transparent way.

Condemns any effort by any employers who would seek to exploit opportunistically the current circumstances in order to unnecessarily reduce employment or costs.

Supports the conclusions (attached) of the negotiations that took place between the employers' and workers' groups at the emergency meeting convened by the ILO on October 25 and 26, 2001 in Geneva.

Calls upon Caribbean governments, employers and trade unions to take action based on the recommendations coming from the social partners who met at the ILO on October 25 and 26, 2001.

RESOLUTION #2 ON REGIONAL TOURISM

Resulting from the recession in North America and Europe, further exacerbated by the September 11th, 2001 disaster in New York and Washington, the Governments of CARICOM, and the CTO met recently in the Bahamas to assess the impact of that disaster on the tourism industry and developed a response by way of an agreement to set up a Fund of US$18 million, the intent being to market the Caribbean as an area of safety and peace for travel;

Be it resolved that this 2nd IUF Caribbean Regional Conference meeting in Grenada, November 14 � 16, 2001 records its support and compliments the Governments and the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Organization on their initiative.

RESOLUTION ON THE GRENADA N.N.P. GOVERNMENT AMENDMENTS TO THE LABOUR RELATIONS ACT 15 OF 1999.

GIVEN THAT The proposals in the Government�s Bill indicates significant and fundamental changes to the GRENADA LABOUR RELATIONS ACT 15 of 1999;

AWARE That the proposed amendments amount to an attack on workers and Trade Union rights and therefore to attempt to reverse the fundamental gains of workers,

EVIDENCED By the pronouncements made by Government and by the very references in the introduction to the then White Paper that the Grenada Technical and Allied Workers Union and the Grenada Union of Teachers are its prime targets but all workers will ultimately suffer.

RECOGNIZING That freedom to withdraw labor is a fundamental workers� right and underlines the principle of the rights to strike.

ACCEPTING That this prevailing economic conditions mandates that all the social partners operate in an environment that is conducive to a harmonious industrial relationship

WHEREAS The Amendments will effectively allow the Minister to ban strikes and further to prevent sympathy industrial action.

Now therefore this 2nd IUF Caribbean Regional Conference of the International Union of Foods meeting on November 14th - 16th 2001 at St. George�s Grenada

RESOLVE TO:

1. Actively support the call of the Grenada Trades Union Council for the Government to recall the bill on amendments to the Labour Relations Act 15 of 1999.

2. Actively and Militantly mobilise all IUF Caribbean Regional Affiliates and the wider International Organisations to condemn the amendments.

3. Fully support any Grenada Trades Union Council�s call for a massive general strike and other forms of mass actions to effect the withdrawal of the Bill.

RESOLUTION ON THE CARIBBEAN BANANA INDUSTRY

Recognizing that the Banana Industry of CARICOM Member States is facing serious challenges, particularly in the European market and conscious of the fact that the existing banana industry would be faced with downsizing, restructuring or privatizing and ultimately would affect the economic and social conditions of the workers and the respective states as a whole;

Be it resolved that the 2nd IUF Caribbean Regional Conference meeting in Grenada, November 14 � 16, 2001 calls on the CARICOM Heads of Government to convene, as a matter of urgency, a forum to discuss the future of the Banana Industry including its survival and sustainability.

Be it further resolved that the social partners, including the recognized trade unions in the Banana Industry, be a part of the forum.

RESOLUTION ON CHILD SLAVERY IN COCOA

Aware that the scourge of society in the form of slavery, particularly child slavery, is a crime against humanity and is akin to the production, sale and use of illegal drugs;

And also aware that the International Financial Community has made the transfer of funds derived from the sale of illegal drugs impossible by black listing countries and financial institutions involved in such activity;

Be it resolved that this 2nd IUF Caribbean Regional Conference meeting in Grenada, November 14 � 16, 2001 calls on the International Financial Community to restrict and pursue the use and transfer of funds derived from the use of slave labor in the cocoa industry in West Africa and other industries elsewhere by foreign persons working on their behalf, with the same fervor as in the case of money derived from the illegal drug trade.

Manpower Minister Disappointed with South Jakarta Court's Decision on Shangri-La Case

20-Nov-2001





Article from the publication Kompas, 10 November 2001

Original story in bahasa indonesia at Kompas website.

The Indonesian Minister for Manpower and Transmigration, Yacob Nua Wea, regards the decision of the South Jakarta State Court on Thursday (1/11), which ordered seven organisers in the Shangri-La Hotel Independent Union (SPMS) to pay a fine of Rp. 20.7 billion, as erroneous.

Yacob believes that the decision could become a bad precedent for workers and will make the resolution of labour disputes in Indonesia more complicated.

In regard to this decision the Minister recognised that the justice system in Indonesia is tainted and full of collusion, which reduces the possibility of workers or members of the community receiving justice.

These remarks were made in a meeting between the Minister, Shangri-La, SPMS organisers and the Director-General for Development of Industrial Relations and Waskenaker? at the Department of Manpower Office in Jakarta, as announced in an SPMS press release received by Kompas Cyber Media on Saturday night (10/11).

According to Yacob, the sentence handed down by the Judges' Panel, which requires seven SPMS organisers, who were also Shangri-La workers, to pay the fine, is crazy. "Because these workers are forced to pay compensation to the hotel for the three month closure, which was decided upon by the owners of the hotel themselves," noted the Minister in the press release. Yacob asked how it was possible that the seven workers, Halilintar Nurdin, Adeng Surachman, Valentinus Wagiyo, Edy Hudiyanto, M Zulrachman, Idep S Mubarok and Hemasari Dharmabumi, would ever be able to pay such a large fine, while the wage they received as Shangri-La workers was only Rp. 2, 850 000 per month.

Other than that, continued Yacob, the existence of the South Jakarta State Court's decision would make the government's position difficult because it must answer take responsibility for it at the meeting of Governing Body of the ILO on the 20 November in Geneva, Switzerland. This is the case, because the Shangri-la case has already been noted with registration number 2116 on the agenda of the ILO Governing Body meeting.

In the press release, SPSM also mentioned that the Minister was not satisfied with the meeting that took place in his conference room, because Shangri-La was only represented by its lawyer, Maqdir Ismail and two Shangri-La directors, Hendrik William and Yusuf. This in spite of the fact that the Minister's invitation, dated 7 November 2001, was directed to the Executive Director and the General Manager of the Shangri-La.

Because this was viewed as a failure, Yacob would call the hotel owners, Osbert Lyman and Robert Kuok to attend another meeting to follow. The Minister plans to arrange another meeting between the disputing parties, because the Indonesian government does not wish the case to continue and be taken to the Governing Body of the ILO. Yacob's reason for this is that it will be the government and Indonesian society itself that will feel the impact of sanctions imposed because of this case.

END

ICFTU appoints new Acting General Secretary.

21-Nov-2001

Newly-elected ICFTU general secretary Guy Ryder

The ICFTU Executive Board meeting in Brussels today appointed Guy Ryder as the new ICFTU Acting General Secretary. Ryder succeeds Bill Jordan who announced his retirement earlier this year for health reasons. The ICFTU Executive Board paid tribute to Jordan�s leadership and recognized that the profile of the ICFTU had changed significantly during Jordan�s tenureship .

Ryder�s experience comes through his earlier work with the TUC in the UK, FIET, one of the international trade union federations, the ICFTU Geneva office and the International Labour Organization as the ILO Director General�s Chef du Cabinet.

In his speech to the Executive Board Ryder stressed the need to build inclusive alliances build around the values and principles of the labour movement and pointed to the need to mobilize our own members around those values. Ryder confirmed that effective lobbying was only possible if supported by a determined and global mobilization of the millions of union members ICFTU affiliates represent. Strengthening that capacity would feature high in his early agenda.

Ryder takes over the helm of an international union body facing the first global recession of recent times in a world feeling more insecure than ever. With already declining membership in many industrialized countries ICFTU affiliates and the organization itself faces many challenges and Ryder also made it clear that recruitment and organizing must always lie at the heart of all the ICFTU and its affiliates did.

Philippines: Solidarit� pour les travailleurs de Nestl�

26-Nov-2001





Nous avons re�u une demande de notre affili�e philippine repr�sentant les travailleurs/euses de Nestl� pour envoyer une lettre � une responsable du gouvernement philippin concernant un conflit du travail dans ce pays.
Nous joignons un mod�le de t�l�copie.

Veuillez la faire parvenir � :
Ms Patricia A. Sto. Tomas
Secretary, DOLE
Philippines
T�l�copie : +632 527 34 94

Veuillez faire parvenir une copie de votre message � l�adresse �lectronique de l�exp�diteur ou au num�ro de t�l�copie : +41 22 793 22 38.

Texte du mod�le de t�l�copie

Ch�re Madame Sto. Tomas,

Je vous �cris au nom des responsables et des membres de (nom de l�organisation syndicale). Nous sommes affili�s � l�Union internationale des travailleurs de l�alimentation, de l�agriculture, de l�h�tellerie-restauration, du tabac et des branches connexes (UITA) qui repr�sente les salari�s/es de Nestl� en (nom du pays).

Nous avons �t� inform�s par l�UITA que le conflit en cours entre le syndicat de l�usine Nestl� de Lipa City, Batangas, et la direction de Nestl� Philippines a �t� port� devant vous pour d�cision. Nous comprenons que cela entre dans le cadre de votre mandat qui est de rendre une d�cision dans les conflits sociaux importants qui peuvent entra�ner des situations de gr�ve ou de lock-out.

Le syndicat qui est impliqu� dans le conflit - Manggagawa ng Nestl� Lipa Gactory (MNLF) - est membre du Conseil des syndicats Nestl� aux Philippines, lui-m�me affili� de l�UITA. A notre connaissance, il a d� se r�soudre � d�poser un pr�avis de gr�ve lorsque les n�gociations collectives se sont trouv�es dans l�impasse du fait de l�insistance de Nestl� � obtenir un � moratoire sur les salaires �.

Nous esp�rons que votre intervention, demand�e par la direction, aidera � r�soudre les questions en suspens sans sacrifier les revendications raisonnables et l�gitimes des travailleurs/euses.

Nous vous appelons donc respectueusement � d�ployer tous les efforts pour arriver rapidement � une solution juste de ce conflit du travail.

Coke Guatemala Workers Face Taxing Issues

26-Nov-2001





After 26 years of struggle, the Coca-Cola Workers Union at the Guatemala City plant (STECSA) is facing a new threat. The current operator of the facility, Coca-Cola anchor bottler PANAMCO (based in Florida, USA) is threatening to drastically reduce employment. PANAMCO, while formally proposing a reduction of 607 jobs, is pressing the union to accept the dismissal of 275 workers. The company is also insisting on 16 changes to the CBA that would substantially reduce worker benefits. One major goal of the company is to replace commercial routes operated by union salesmen/drivers with contract employees operating mini-bodegas.

STECSA has appealed directly to Coca-Cola CEO Douglas Daft to meet with the union, reminding him of the historical union rights agreement of May 1984 which ended a bloody phase of conflict for survival of the Coke union in Guatemala City.

One pretext for reducing jobs offered by Panamco is the government's new tax on bottled beverages, which it says will reduce consumption. The IUF has written to the government of Guatemala, proposing that such a tax that would fall heavily on the people of Guatemala should be more broadly based on those able to pay.

In May 2001 the IUF Regional Secretariat for Latin America sent a message to the general manager of the Coca-Cola Retalhuleu bottling plant elsewhere in Guatemala, protesting his anti-union policies, including dismissals and the promotion of solidarismo.

Indian Coke Workers Strengthen Alliance

26-Nov-2001





Coca-Cola has invested some $US800 million in India since 1993, mainly in building new bottling plants in rural areas. It directly operates about 30 bottling plants, while another 20 are franchised. However Coke operations in India are not meeting profit expectations, and the company is engaged in a cost-cutting programme that includes the closing of older, often unionized plants in urban areas.

Following a first meeting organized by the IUF in November 2000 in Bangalore and a concerted day of demonstrations in January 2001, a 2nd IUF India Coca Cola Workers Meeting was held on 4-5 September 2001 in Nashik, Maharashtra. Attended by 14 unions from 6 states of India, this meeting discussed at length the problems faced by Coca-Cola workers in India.

The meeting noted that the Coca-Cola Company is increasingly employing more contract and casual workers who have no union rights and no job or social security protections. The delegates expressed grave concern at the increasing number of sales force being recruited purely on a contract or commission basis.

The delegates also expressed concern that there were very few women employees employed by the Coca-Cola Company in India. It was unanimously agreed to support a policy of redressing this situation of non-employment of women by the Company.

The new management techniques being adopted by the Company were discussed whereby it was learned that the management preferred to get work done in teams, increasing competition between workers through incentive schemes.

The delegates also discussed ways and means to develop a common Collective Bargaining Agreement and means to achieve a common bargaining relationship with the Coca-Cola Company.

A large scale voluntary retirement system (VRS) is being introduced to downsize Coke's workforce by about 10 %. The social impact of VRS was discussed in order to develop a united trade union response to deal with the issue of VRS.

The Meeting thereby resolved:

o to strengthen the All India Forum of Coca Cola Workers by bringing in those unionised plants which have so far not participated in Forum activities;

o to organise plants which so far do not have unions and to invite them to participate in the activities of the Forum;

o to fight against the introduction of workplace changes detrimental to the employment opportunities of the workers and employment of contract and casual labour;

o to try to unionise the sales staff;

o to increase the recruitment of existing contract and casual workers into unions and to demand permanent jobs for contract and casual workers;

o to influence the Coca Cola recruitment policy to adopt preferential recruitment by recruiting and training more women for jobs;

o to draft a common model Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and circulate it for further discussion and adoption by all members of the Forum;

o to continue to exchange information on plant level conditions and practices through the Forum;

o to carry out mass awareness campaign to educate the membership on the negative social effects of VRS and negotiate with the company �
- for adequate financial compensation along with job oriented training
- redeployment
- company should pay for training;

o to fight closure of plants, lockouts, retrenchments and suspensions;

The meeting sent a message of support to Coke workers in Australia fighting to retain contractual rights and another in support of the reinstatement of the local Coke union leader in Moscow fired for union activity.

Campaign for ILO Convention on safety & health in agriculture

26-Nov-2001





Lobbying for the ratification of the new ILO Convention 184 on safety & health on agriculture, 2001.

The 89th International Labour Conference has adopted a new Convention (number 184) and Recommendation (number 192) on safety and health in agriculture, we now have information on the ratification procedure and timetable. We hope this will assist you in the vital follow-up work of lobbying your government to ratify the Convention. Two countries need to ratify the Convention for it to enter into force but we want many governments to ratify to help our campaign for better safety and health in agriculture.

Ratification is important because a Convention is only legally binding in countries where it is ratified. When a country ratifies a Convention, it is required to implement the provisions in national law, policy and practice. A Recommendation does not give rise to legal obligations, rather it offers policy guidance for governments and the tripartite partners.

Under ILO procedures, governments have already been sent copies of the agreed text. They should bring the Convention and Recommendation before your parliament or other competent authorities within one year (18 months in special cases). Governments then have to report back to the ILO indicating:
�h the measures they have taken to bring the Convention and the Recommendation to the attention of the competent authorities;
�h who or what is the ��competent authority�� concerned;
�h the action taken by this authority.

The ILO usually send the texts of adopted Conventions to the Minister of Labour who then decides who will be responsible for presenting it to the competent authority, usually the national parliament.

It is important that affiliates take steps to:
1. Find out from the Minister of Labour who has been given responsibility for dealing with the Convention on safety and health in agriculture and send them the model letter;
2. Establish what the timetable is for presentation to the competent authority;
3. Identify sympathetic members of parliament who will speak in favour of ratification of the Convention;
4. Lobby other MPs to support the ratification.

The Convention was designed to allow for maximum flexibility (like Convention 182 on elimination of the worst forms of child labour). This means governments can exclude certain types of workers and undertakings from the Convention and can also exclude certain provisions of the Convention. If they do any of these, they have to present to the ILO a plan to bring the excluded workers and undertakings into the cover of the Convention. Governments should of course be encouraged to include all workers, all undertakings and all parts of the Convention.

A briefing note on why governments should ratify the Convention and a model letter requesting them to do so is given below.

MODEL LETTER TO GOVERNMENTS

Dear Minister

Concerns: ILO Convention 184 (2001) on safety and health in agriculture
As you are no doubt aware, a Convention and Recommendation on safety and health in agriculture were adopted at the 89th session of the International Labour Conference in June 2001. The (name of Union) has been active in the negotiating process and we are now keen to help bring about speedy ratification and comprehensive implementation of the Convention in our country.

As an initial step in this process, I am writing therefore to request:

• information on the steps taken by your Department/Ministry to bring the matter of the ILO Convention and Recommendation on safety and health in agriculture before the competent authorities;


• information concerning the consultation process to be used to make the decision on the Convention;


• details of the process and timetable your Department/Ministry will use to review the matter of the Convention;

I would also like to propose a meeting between the appropriate Department or Ministry representatives and trade union representatives to discuss ratification and related issues.

Yours faithfully,

General Secretary

IUF Briefing Note on Why Governments should support ratification

Introduction
21 June 2001 was an historic day for the world's agricultural workers, with the signing of a new International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention and Recommendation on safety and health in agriculture. This is the first time that waged agricultural workers - whether permanent, temporary or seasonal - are guaranteed in international law the same rights and levels of protection as other categories of workers.

There are an estimated 450 million waged agricultural workers world-wide. They account for 40% of the global agricultural workforce of over 1.1 billion. 20% to 30% of the waged workers are women, and child workers also too often form part of the labour force.

Governments, employers and worker trade unions participating in the 89th International Conference of Labour (ILC) in Geneva adopted these new instruments with only two opposing votes (the employers' delegations of Indonesia and Malaysia) and 41 abstentions (28 employers and 13 governments).

Why governments should support ratification

The need to improve safety and health standards in agriculture is paramount as it is one of the three most dangerous industries along with construction and mining. Agricultural workers labour in an industry that is not sustainable as measured by the loss of human life, injury and ill health. In 1997, the ILO estimated that I70,000 agricultural workers and farmers were killed in producing the world's food and commodities, out of a total of 330,000 fatal workplace accidents in all occupations world-wide. Agricultural workers also suffer disproportionately among the 250+ million workers injured each year and the 160+ million who fall ill due to workplace hazards and exposures.

One of the most distinguishing characteristics of agricultural work is that it is carried out in a rural environment where there is no clear distinction between working and living conditions, unlike for factory or office workers. As a result, agricultural workers and their families face extra dangers such as exposure to pesticides. However, agricultural workers �V who continue to register among the highest levels of global poverty �V are generally excluded from effective forms of health, safety and social protection.

The Convention
The main provisions include:
�� A broad definition of agriculture. "For the purpose of this Convention the term "agriculture" covers agricultural and forestry activities carried out in agricultural undertakings including crop production, forestry activities, animal husbandry and insect raising, the primary processing of agricultural and animal products by or on behalf of the operator of the undertaking, as well as the use and maintenance of machinery, equipment, appliances, tools, agricultural installations, including any process, storage, operation or transportation in an agricultural undertaking which are directly related to agricultural production". (Article 1)
�� Governments have to develop a national policy on agricultural safety and health based on ��consultations with the representative organisations of employers and workers concerned�� (Article 4).
�� Employers - that is, farmers/growers - have to carry out workplace risk assessments on the farm, plantation, agricultural undertaking before exposing workers to the hazards/risks covered by the Convention, including exposure to chemicals (Article 7(a)).
�� Workers have the right to "remove themselves from danger resulting from their work activity when they have reasonable justification to believe there is an imminent and serious risk to their safety and health and so inform their supervisor immediately. They shall not be placed at any disadvantage as a result of these actions."
�� Articles 12 and 13 cover sound management of chemicals. Although the Convention deals primarily with occupational, that is, workplace, safety and health, Article 12 (c) also refers to the need to protect the general environment in respect of disposal of empty containers and wastes see also the Recommendation, paragraph 7.
�� Article 18 on women workers states that, "Measures shall be taken to ensure the special needs of women agricultural workers are taken into account in relation to pregnancy, breastfeeding and reproductive health".
�� With regard to young workers and hazardous work, Article 16 sets the minimum age for such work at 18 years. National authorities may however permit persons as young as 16 years of age to carry out hazardous work "on condition that appropriate prior training is given and the safety and health of the young workers are fully protected". Currently, some countries allow children as young as 11/13 years old to carry out many types of agricultural work.
�� Article 20 on working time arrangements - for the first time in an ILO Convention - makes the connection between hours of work, rest periods, night work and health and safety on the job, issues which are too often neglected.
�� Article 21 states that, "According to national law and practice, workers in agriculture shall be covered by an insurance or social security scheme against fatal and non-fatal occupational injuries and diseases, as well as against invalidity and other work-related health risks, providing coverage at least equivalent to that enjoyed by workers in other sectors". Currently, many workers are not covered by this form of social protection.

The Convention only covers waged workers who work for an employer. At the insistence of the employers and many governments, all references to various categories of self-employed farmers and workers were moved to paragraphs 12-15 of the non-binding Recommendation. This means that categories of self-employed farmers/workers like small-tenants, share croppers and subsistence farmers are not covered by the Convention. However, Article 3 of the Convention provides that; "Each Member (government) shall list, in the first report on the application of the Convention�K.any undertaking or category of workers which has been excluded, giving the reasons for such exclusion. In subsequent reports, it shall describe the measures taken with a view to extending progressively the provisions of the Convention to the workers concerned".

Coke Fights Unions in Russia

26-Nov-2001





Since the Cold War ended, Coca-Cola has made large-scale investments in Russia in a successful challenge to Pepsi, which had been associated with the old regime.

However Coca-Cola brought with it a fierce resistance to union organization. Its local managers have fired union militants and intimidated union supporters into resigning their union memberships.

On August 31, 2001 the administration of the Coca-Cola Bottlers Eurasia plant in Moscow fired the chairperson of the local trade union, Viktor Grachyov, immediately after he officially informed the administration of the union's existence. It is a flagrant violation of the Russian legislation, because elected trade union officials are secured by the law. In August the union was registered as a local organization under umbrella of Moscow City Committee of the RCCCWU.

Fired union leader Viktor Grachyov is not permitted to enter the enterprise. On 25 October the Moscow labor inspectorate ordered that his firing was illegal and that he be reinstated to work. However as of this date the administration has not complied with the order, while engaging in an intimidation campaign designed to reveal other members of the union.

The union�s main demands are:
- to introduce internal regulations and clear job descriptions at the plant;
- to improve working conditions at least up to the level of the Russian Labour Code,
- to replace temporary contracts by permanent employment (workers work with temporary contracts for many years),
- to pay wages without delays,
- to pay for overtime work,
- to supply all workers with protective clothes, shoes and glasses,
- to continue paying workers during breaks due to machinery breakdown.

In June 1999 a group of workers at the Coca-Cola Bottlers Eurasia plant in Ekaterinburg formed a union that was officially registered by the Regional Committee of the Russian Commerce and Catering Worker�s Union (RCCWU). Plant management tried to intimidate union members who were threatened with dismissals. The elected shop steward was barred from the workplace. On November 12, 1999 the Office of Public Prosecutor conducted an inspection on a complaint made by the Regional Committee of RCCWU concerning violations of labour legislation by the local Coca-Cola management. As the Prosecutor�s inspection confirmed, the plant management put pressure upon the workers to force them to leave the union. As a result, all union members were compelled to sign letters resigning from the union.

In September 2001 the Regional Department of the State Labour Inspectorate visited the Ekaterinburg plant again. The inspection revealed an abusive practice of forcing workers to sign special �contractual agreements� that do not allow deductions for medical insurance and pension funds and do not provide annual vacations even for fill-time workers. The Inspectorate pointed out that a union would prevent such abusive practices.

Coke Australian Workers Win Agreement

26-Nov-2001





In September the LHMU reported that Coca-Cola was attacking the workplace rights of 140 of its members at two sites in Victoria at both Moorabbin and Clayton.

The union and Coke had been in dispute over terms and conditions for a new enterprise bargaining agreement for the two sites for over 12 months. The current agreement had expired in September 2000. Coke then made an application to a statutory body in Australia that deals with terms and conditions of employment for employees called the �Australian Industrial Relations Commission� to terminate the agreement.

If the application was successful, the members would have lost the majority of their employment conditions which were covered by the agreement. Some of these included:

� Dispute settlements procedure;
� Consultative Committee;
� Commitment to optimum full-time employment;
� Work team decision making;
� Shift allowance paid on annual, long service, sick and public holidays;
� Skills development and training;
Redundancy Pay; and
� Union right of entry.

" They are trying to force our members out of the union and onto individual employment agreements," LHMU officer Terry Breheny said. " The company has adopted a strategy of undermining job security at their two Victorian sites - at the same time as they are trying to slash away at the hard-won job rights of our members. Coca-Cola seems to have adopted a de-unionisation strategy by pushing to abolish all guarantees of workforce rights."

LHMU members at these two sites met and decided on a 24 hour stoppage on 5 September while special busses took members to attend a hearing regarding the company�s application to terminate the agreement in the Australian Industrial Relations Commission in Melbourne. A further 24 hour stoppage occurred on 21 September to co-incide with the next hearing date for Coke�s application.

Because of this strong mobilization, the LHMU recently achieved a new enterprise bargaining agreement with decent wage increases over the next two years. Management withdrew most of its proposals for removing benefits from workers. However the company did win the right to outsource shipping functions at the warehouse site.

Women workers within the IUF

26-Nov-2001





Women make up at least 40% of the IUF membership, but their number could be much higher, according to some of the replies to a current IUF membership survey.

The results of the survey, which was launched on the initiative of the IUF Women��s Committee to help to define more adequate policies and activities to improve the situation of women workers within the IUF sectors, will be presented to the next IUF Congress (May 2002).

The firsts attempts to address women��s representation within the IUF was made at the Congress in 1977, with the introduction of special seats for women in the IUF governing bodies. This measure tripled women��s representation from 6,6% to 20 % in the Executive Committee, EC.

Since then, the proportion of women representatives in the EC has only slightly increased to 22% and only few women have been elected on non-reserved seats. Therefore, the last IUF Congress in 1997 set up new targets to break the threshold: since women make up 40% of the membership, this should be reflected at all levels of the organization. Furthermore there should be a fair representation of men and women in all IUF activities, including sectoral meetings, trade union development projects, etc, to ensure that gender aspects are taken into account. The objective of fair representation shall be reached by 2007.

IUF Women��s structures

Women��s committees on regional and international levels meet once a year, normally prior to regional or executive committee meetings, in order to discuss issues of special concern to women workers and make sure that these are dealt with by the governing bodies.

In May 2000, the IUF EC endorsed the recommendation of the Women��s Committee to develop formal links between the Women��s Committee and the IUF Trade Groups (Agriculture, HRCT, Tobacco) and the Food and drink sector, in order ��to ensure clearer industrial focus to the priorities of the IUF Women��s activities��.

These priorities includes:

�Y Tackling low pay and reducing the gender pay gap
�Y Developing organizing, training, representation and bargaining strategies to respond to the changing work force and the need of women workers
�Y Promoting health and safety for women working along the food chain
�Y Enabling work life balance through family-friendly working arrangements and equality of rights in social security, among others
�Y Eliminating violence against women and violations of women��s basic rights at the workplace and in society.

Hong Kong Coke Workers Fight for Permanent Status

26-Nov-2001





In March 2001 the Swire Coca-Cola Staff Union organized a two hour work stoppage to protest the unjustified termination of four casual workers. The company agreed in subsequent negotiations to consider its policy on casual workers. The company stopped hiring regular employees for distribution and delivery three years previously, hiring instead only casual employees without benefits like paid annual leave and sick leave. Even after two or three years of steady employment, these workers are denied permanent status.

Swire Bottlers is the Coke bottler not only for Hong Kong, but for other parts of South China. Coca-Cola is now planning a major expansion of its bottling operations in China, following the entry of China into the WTO.

Philippines: Coke Workers Fight Against Job Losses

26-Nov-2001






Coke workers demonstrate in the Philippines

In February 2001 anchor bottler Coca-Cola Amatil sold its Coke operations in the Philippines to the Coca-Cola Company and the San Miguel Corporation (SMC), which had owned them until 1997- Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines (CCBPI) is now 35% owned by the Coca-Cola Company and 65% by SMC.

Australian-based Coca-Cola Amatil was not successful in the Philippines, despite its sudden closing of two bottling plants in the Manila area in December 1998, the brutality of which was protested by the IUF and affiliated unions.

CCBPI is now trying to cut costs by a series of measures which are opposed by the IUF-affiliated Alliance of Coca-Cola Unions-Philippines (ACCUP). On 12 November 2001 concerted demonstrations were carried out by the majority of the 20 local unions that are part of the Alliance, protesting company efforts at compulsory early retirement, the closings of mini-depots and related redundancies and the contracting out of sales personnel, all measures that threaten job security.

Preliminary reports suggest that the demonstrations have cause CCBPI management to relax some of the pressure on employees designed to force them to accept early retirement schemes.

The Alliance is asking the Secretary of the Philippine Department of Labor to assist in organizing a meeting between the ACCUP and the CCBPI at the national level, since the cost-cutting measures the company is taking are part of a general scheme that goes beyond customary plant-level bargaining.

Urgent International Action Needed to Tackle Jobs Crisis in Tourism

26-Nov-2001





The global tourism sector, which was contracting before the terrorist attacks of September 11, is now in full-blown crisis, and urgent action is needed at every level to address the impact of the crisis on jobs in the sector. This was the message of an unprecedented 2-day meeting convened at the ILO in Geneva on October 25-26.
The tripartite meeting was the first ever to be convened by the ILO in response to a joint initiative by the IUF, representing hotel and tourism workers, and the employers in the sector.
The sharp downturn in tourism began immediately after September 11 and continues to deepen. HERE, the IUF's North American affiliate, reports massive layoffs and record unemployment in the hotel sector, and fears as many as a million North American layoffs in the near-to-medium-term. Internationally, transnational companies in the sector have implemented or announced dramatic layoffs. These include: Club Mediterran�e (temporary or permanent closure of 15 sites in Mexico, the Caribbean, Canary Islands, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Greece, Israel and Malaysia); Thomas Cook (closure of 100 agencies and elimination of 2600 jobs); and Accor (job cuts at Carlson Wagonlit Travel), to name but a few. The sector relies heavily on precarious and part-time employment, and many of these dismissed workers will simply vanish unrecorded from the statistical record.
Given the extent of the crisis and the evident need for quick action, union, employer and government representatives were able to agree on a series of recommended measures for government action, for action by employers� and workers� organizations, and for the ILO.
Governments are encouraged to allocate special funding to assist the sector and its workers who suffer temporary or permanent loss of employment and income. They should also assist employers and trade unions to establish education and training programmes at no cost for employees with the objective of retaining employees within the industry and enhancing their opportunities for a secure future in tourism. The meeting also recommended that tourism should receive greater official recognition and promotion by governments and that campaigns be developed to promote tourist activity, especially domestic and intra-regional tourism. Measures should also be taken to encourage travel and tourism by lower-income groups. Governments should seek funding from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to provide the necessary resources to implement these recommendations.
Employers� organizations and trade unions are encouraged to agree on measures to extend employment, avoid or limit job losses and, wherever possible, give priority to the reintegration of workers facing short-term job loss as a result of the crisis.
The meeting recommendations call upon the ILO to: support calls for direct intervention from the relevant international financial institutions; organize education programs specifically aimed at the hotel and tourism sector; encourage the full participation of worker representatives and employers in consultations to address the employment crisis; continue to assess the evolving impact of the September 11 events, including the organization of review meetings at the ILO; and ensure adequate resources for the sector, including ILO staff resources.
IUF general secretary Ron Oswald welcomed the outcome of the meeting and its recommendations, but noted that implementation will be the crucial test of a common will to ensure that employees do not bear the full burden of the crisis. Oswald said "We were very pleased that the ILO responded so quickly and efficiently to the joint call from the employers and the IUF to discuss the drastic employment situation in tourism. We were also encouraged by the willingness of governments and employers to reach a consensus on the actions to be taken in this difficult situation. We strongly believe that the crisis will not be overcome through unilateral decisions and measures which place the economic and social costs of the crisis on the workers alone. The meeting recommended that all decisions affecting employment be taken only after proper consultation with duly recognized workers� organizations, i.e. the trade unions organizing workers in the sector. This means that many employers in a sector notorious for systematic violation of the rights of workers and their unions must change course and recognize the need to establish industrial relations built on respect for trade union rights and ILO Conventions. There is no other way to address the crisis.�
____________________________

For more information and documentation on the "Informal Meeting on the Hotel and Tourism Sector: Social Impact of Events Subsequent to 11 September, 2001", contact the Sectoral Activities Department (SECTOR) of the ILO at:
Tel: +4122 7997513; Fax: +41 22 799 7296; E-mail: [email protected]

Coke Opposes Unions throughout former USSR

26-Nov-2001





Coca-Cola is fighting the introduction of unions into all the countries of the former USSR. Throughout the region its local managers have fired union militants and intimidated union supporters into resigning their union memberships.

In 1999 the Office of Public Prosecutor in Bishkek, Republic of Kyrgyzstan, officially cited the management of �Coca-Cola Bishkek Bottlers� for violations of Kyrgyzstan labour legislation. The firm repeatedly violated the Labour Code: workers were illegally transferred from one production sector to another, dismissed and redundant workers didn�t received compensation. All union activists are fired. In 2001 the Kyrgyzstan Food Workers� Union reports that there is still no understanding between them and the administration of the plant that would allow union representatives access to the workers.

The situation at plants in Moldova (Kishinev), the Ukraine (Kiev) and Azerbaijan (Baku) is similar to that in Russia and Kyrgyzstan. All attempts at union activity are systematically crushed.

The bottling plants in the Central Asian republics are operated for Coca-Cola by the Efes Beverage Group (part of the Turkey-based Anadalou Group). The plants in Russia, Ukraine and Moldova are now operated by the Hellenic Beverages Company (Athens), Coke's second largest global anchor bottler.

Statement on ILRF/USWA lawsuit filed against The Coca-Cola Company

28-Nov-2001





On 20 July 2001 the International Labor Rights Fund and the United Steel Workers Union of America filed a lawsuit on behalf of the Colombian union SINTRAINAL against the Coca Cola Company, Panamerican Beverages, and Bebidas y Alimentos (a Coke franchise owned by Richard Kirby of Key Biscayne, Florida.) The three companies are charged with complicity in the assassination of Colombian union leaders, and with other violations of trade union rights in Colombia.

Reacting to the Coca-Cola Company's denial of responsibility for the employees of its bottling companies, the IUF issued this statement:

"The IUF has noted with grave concern the allegations in the recently lodged United States legal complaint against the Coca-Cola Company regarding the persecution of union activists at their anchor bottling company�s facilities in Colombia, Panamerican Beverages (Panamco). Panamco is also Coca-Cola�s main anchor bottler in a number of other central and Latin American countries.

There are also serious allegations that a licensed Coca-Cola franchise bottler owned by Richard Kirby encouraged paramilitary forces to destroy the union at its plant in Urab� and that during this campaign, the paramilitaries assassinated union leader Isidro Segundo Gil within the plant.

Whilst at this time the IUF has no evidence linking either The Coca-Cola Company itself or top Panamco management to these allegations, we do not accept The Coca-Cola Company�s initial assertion that it has no connection with or responsibility for the policies or actions of its anchor bottlers or franchises in Colombia or anywhere else in the world.

It is clear that all Coca-Cola�s anchor bottlers form the core of its global network. It is further clear that this was the clear intention when The Coca-Cola Company developed and implemented its global strategy to build such a network of anchor bottlers throughout the world. It is further clear that The Coca-Cola Company gains direct profit and commercial benefit from the activity of these Coca-Cola anchor bottling companies. As a result it is self-evident that The Coca-Cola Company is in a position to exercise significant influence, if not outright control, over the policies and activities of them all.

The IUF therefore calls upon The Coca-Cola Company to thoroughly investigate these allegations and directly answer questions being raised by the many concerned parties that are closely following these matters across the globe. Evading the issue by crudely disclaiming any and all responsibility is simply not an acceptable option given the extreme seriousness of the charges that have been leveled against them."

Kraft a Global Food Giant

29-Nov-2001





Kraft Foods, majority owned by Philip Morris, is the second largest global food company. By acquiring Nabisco, Kraft became almost as large as Nestl� and slightly larger than Unilever's food division. Kraft now employs 117,000 persons and operates 228 manufacturing facilities around the world. 106 of these factories are in North America and 122 in other regions. However Kraft still makes 73% of its turnover in North America, leaving it a lot of scope for expansion into other regions.

Kraft operation remains under the total control of the Philip Morris Company, with its enormous cash flow from its tobacco sales that will supply any capital needs it may have for marketing and further expansion. While Kraft is not yet as international in scope as are Nestl� and Unilever, it has the resources to successfully compete with them in acquiring new businesses for further expansion.

Kraft's annual sales are about 35 billion USD in sales and its operating profits some USD5.5 bn. The merged company�s operating profit margin is about 15.7%, considerably higher than those of its rivals Nestl� and Unilever.

It is divided operationally into Kraft Foods North America (KFNA),which includes USA, Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico, with headquarters in Northfield, IL, and Kraft Foods International (KFI), with headquarters in Rye Brook, NY. The CEO of KFNA is Betsy Holden, of KFI Roger Deromedi.

KFNA is organized along lines of its major product sectors:
 Cheese, Meals and Enhancers
 Meats and Pizza
 Biscuits, Snacks and Confectionery (This is mostly former Nabisco)
 Beverages, Desserts and Cereals.

KFI is organized geographically:
 Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), subdivided into the EU region plus Norway and Switzerland and ECE, Middle East and Africa (CEEMA)
 Latin America and Asia Pacific (LAAP), divided into Latin America and Asia Pacific.
The acquisition of Nabisco mainly affected North America and Latin America (which doubled in size).

Earlier this year Philip Morris made a successful Initial Public Offering for the company, and may eventually spin it off as a totally autonomous company (to separate it from tobacco litigation). In connection with its IPO, Philip Morris
prepared a special filing for the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, which is available on the company web-site (www.kraft.com). This filing contains detailed information on the company as well as its analysis of global developments in the food industry.

According to its SEC filing, Kraft has worldwide councils within each of its major product categories. The task of these councils is to transfer best practices, facilitate the rapid transfer of products from one region to another, and optimize its worldwide productivity and sourcing efforts. Kraft also has global coordination of its technology, operations, sales and human resource functions.These councils give Kraft the ability to transfer production across borders.

"We also plan to reduce costs by migrating technical operations advances across borders, optimizing our capacity utilization and consolidating operations on a regional and global basis�by taking advantage of sourcing opportunities within regions covered by free trade agreements."

Examples include closing a powdered soft drink factory in the Philippines and replacing it with a new plant in Thailand and using the Central Europe Free Trade Association to export confectionery products from the Slovak Republic throughout Central Europe.

Another item from the filing that should concern all unions in Kraft: Over the next several years, Kraft will eliminate many so-called duplicate manufacturing facilities by consolidating former Nabisco factories and former Kraft facilities, enabling the company to reduce its global work force. The same thing will happen to sales and administrative personnel. These "synergies" will allow Kraft to recover the high costs of the Nabisco acquisition through "integration savings� it will realize from the merger estimated at $400 million in 2002 and $600 million in 2003. These savings will require a fairly drastic restructuring plan, which is indeed already underway, resulting in closings of both Nabisco and Kraft plants.

Kraft Restructuring in Latin America

29-Nov-2001





The integration of Nabisco into Kraft is causing turmoil in Latin America, since Latin America represents the major international presence of Nabisco.

On 15 October 2001 Kraft announced it would close 3 manufacturing plants in Latin America as part of the integration of Nabisco (Montevideo, Maipu, Chile and Lasso, Ecuador) by the end of 2002, cutting 500 jobs. Production would be moved to other existing plants. At the same time Kraft sold off its dairy business in Brazil (to Parmalat) and pasta and biscuit businesses in Brazil (to local companies).

At Kraft Foods Peru an IUF affiliated union presented a bargaining proposal to management, as yet without success. Latin American Regional Secretary Gerardo Iglesias wrote a letter to management 15 November 2001 asking it to bargain in good faith.

The (non-affiliated) food union of the CEOSL federation in Ecuador has complained of union-busting activities by Kraft Ecuador. Kraft has two plants in Ecuador (formerly Nabisco Royal) with some 200 workers that had a CBA. In October the company decided to replace the permanent workers at the Latacunga plant with workers on fixed 6-month contracts. Reportedly it is planning the same maneuver at the Dur�n plant in order to transfer production to plants in Colombia and Peru.

The union is demanding severance payments based on years of service, but has received no response. Labor legislation in Ecuador was recently tilted against the rights of workers by "reforms" based on the concept of maximum flexibility for management.

Kraft: Unions Organized Throughout World

29-Nov-2001





The development of Kraft as a global company demonstrates the need for trade union coordination within Kraft at the global and regional levels, comparable to the efforts within Nestl� and Unilever. A company that is coordinated globally has a major advantage over its unions if it is allowed to deal with them exclusively at local and national levels.

About half of Kraft's 31,000 hourly employees in the United States are organized into unions. These include the IUF-affiliated BCTGM, UFCW, RWDSU and PACE, as well as the non-affiliated Teamsters. 70% of Kraft's 40,000 hourly employees outside the US are represented by unions or works councils. Thus over 40,000 Kraft employees are organised by unions, mainly affiliates of the IUF, providing a large potential basis for trade union coordination. There is a European Works Council for Kraft, whose employee chairperson is Bente Loevass of the NNN and trade union coordinator Micha Heilmann of the NGG.

There is also union organisation at Kraft in the Asia/Pacific region (Australia) and in Latin America (Argentina, Peru, Ecuador).

See separate article dated 29-11-01 on developments at Kraft in Latin America.

Kraft: Unions Organized Throughout World

29-Nov-2001





The development of Kraft as a global company demonstrates the need for trade union coordination within Kraft at the global and regional levels, comparable to the efforts within Nestl� and Unilever. A company that is coordinated globally has a major advantage over its unions if it is allowed to deal with them exclusively at local and national levels.

About half of Kraft's 31,000 hourly employees in the United States are organized into unions. These include the IUF-affiliated BCTGM, UFCW, RWDSU and PACE, as well as the non-affiliated Teamsters. 70% of Kraft's 40,000 hourly employees outside the US are represented by unions or works councils. Thus over 40,000 Kraft employees are organised by unions, mainly affiliates of the IUF, providing a large potential basis for trade union coordination. There is a European Works Council for Kraft, whose employee chairperson is Bente Loevass of the NNN and trade union coordinator Micha Heilmann of the NGG.

There is also union organisation at Kraft in the Asia/Pacific region (Australia) and in Latin America (Argentina, Peru, Ecuador).

See separate article dated 29-11-01 on developments at Kraft in Latin America.

IUF and NGO group sign global agreement with the world�s chocolate/cocoa industry to address child labour in cocoa growing.

30-Nov-2001





The IUF and a group of three NGO�s today signed a common statement with a consortium of chocolate and cocoa industry organizations representing all major interests in the global cocoa and chocolate industry, including the major global chocolate manufacturers.

The common statement commits the signatories to a long-term joint effort to address the worse forms of child labour in the sector. The common statement also recognizes that child labour does not occur in isolation and recognizes the need for action by appropriate parties to improve overall labour standards and access to education.

IUF General Secretary Ron Oswald called the common statement a significant step forward. �Those who have engaged in this collaborative effort have done so recognising that none can effectively contribute to the resolution of this difficult social issue without recognition of the important role to be played by the other signatories. In particular the recognition by the world�s chocolate and cocoa industry of the need to work with trade unions in the industry, represented through the IUF, will considerably raise the chances that this initiative will succeed.�

The common statement signed on Friday November 30, 2001 was witnessed by the International Labour Organisation, the ILO, an organisation of the UN that will play a major role in the processes that will flow from this initiative.

The initiative and the practical activities will be developed around a joint Foundation to be established in mid-2002 and will focus initially on West Africa.

For more information please contact [email protected] or [email protected] at the IUF.

The text of the Common Statement is reproduced below.

COMMON STATEMENT
November 30, 2001

CAOBISCO, the Chocolate Manufacturers Association, the Chocolate Manufacturers Association of Canada, the Cocoa Association of London, the Cocoa Merchants Association of America, the European Cocoa Association, the International Cocoa Organization, the IOCCC, the World Cocoa Foundation, the Child Labor Coalition, Free The Slaves, the International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers Associations, and the National Consumers League (sometimes hereinafter the �Signatories�) recognize the urgent need to identify and eliminate child labour in violation of International Labour Organization (�ILO�) Convention 182 with respect to the growing and processing of cocoa beans and their derivative products.

The Signatories also recognize the need to identify and eliminate practices in violation of ILO Convention 29 with equal urgency.

The Signatories affirm their support for the International Labour Organization�s (ILO) mission to improve working conditions worldwide, as exemplified in the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. We also share the view that practices in violation of ILO Conventions 182 (the �worst forms of child labour�) and 29 (�forced labour�) result from poverty and a complex set of social and economic conditions often faced by small family farmers and agricultural workers, and that effective solutions to address these violations must include action by appropriate parties to improve overall labour standards and access to education.

The Signatories support the framework provided in the Protocol signed by the Chocolate Manufacturers Association and the World Cocoa Foundation on September 19, 2001, which provides for cooperation and for credible, effective problem solving in West Africa, where a specific program of research, information exchange, and action is immediately warranted.

This Joint Statement expresses the shared commitment of the Signatories to work collaboratively toward the goal of eliminating the worst forms of child labour and forced labour in cocoa growing.

The strategies developed as part of this process will only be credible to the public and meet the expectations of consumers if there is committed engagement on the part of governments, global industry (comprised of major manufacturers of cocoa and chocolate products as well as other, major cocoa users), cocoa producers, labour representatives, non-governmental organizations, and consumers that have joined this process.

The Signatories recognize the need to work in concert with the ILO because the ILO will play an important role in identifying positive strategies, including developmental alternatives for children engaged in the worst forms of child labour and adults engaged in forced labour in the growing and processing of cocoa beans and their derivative products.

The strategies to be developed will be effective only if they are comprehensive and part of a durable initiative. The steps to be taken to sustain this initiative include:

(i) execution of a binding memorandum of cooperation among the Signatories that establishes a joint action program of research, information exchange, and action to enforce the internationally-recognized and mutually-agreed upon standards to eliminate the worst forms of child labour in the growing and processing of cocoa beans and their derivative products

(ii) incorporation of this research that will include efforts to determine the most appropriate and practicable independent means of monitoring and public reporting in compliance with those standards;

(iii) establishment of a joint foundation to oversee and sustain efforts to eliminate the worst forms of child labour and forced labour in the growing and processing of cocoa beans and their derivative products. The Signatories welcome industry�s commitment to provide initial and ongoing, primary financial support for the foundation.

We anticipate that other parties may be able to play a positive role in our important work. Subject to mutual consent by the Signatories, additional parties may be invited to sign onto this statement in the future.

Signed by:

CAOBISCO
CHOCOLATE MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION (USA)
CHOCOLATE MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION OF CANADA
COCOA ASSOCIATION OF LONDON
COCOA MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA
EUROPEAN COCOA ASSOCIATION
INTERNATIONAL COCOA ORGANIZATION
IOCCC
WORLD COCOA FOUNDATION
CHILD LABOR COALITION
FREE THE SLAVES
INTERNATIONAL UNION OF FOOD, AGRICULTURAL, HOTEL, RESTAURANT, CATERING, TOBACCO AND ALLIED WORKERS ASSOCIATIONS (IUF)
NATIONAL CONSUMERS LEAGUE (USA)

Witnessed by the International Labour Organization this 30th day of November, 2001.
Geneva, Switzerland
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