Iraqi Government Tries to Force Unions into an Unfair Election

The Iraqi government is again attempting to force trade unions in Iraq to hold elections under a deeply flawed 1987  Saddam-era law.  The British TUC has called on international labor organizations to put pressure on the Iraqi government to drop its demand for flawed union elections and instead, comply with an ILO labor code that allows all workers to form, join and have a say in the running of trade unions.

The current election rules create enormous problems. First, public sector workers are not officially allowed to join trade unions. Second, only one federation,  the General Federation of Iraqi Workers (GFIW) is formally recognized. Finally,  the Iraqi authorities continue to use a controversial decree (Order 8750 of 2005), which froze all trade union assets and financial accounts, making it almost impossible for unions to function effectively.

“Holding elections in this environment is not only a breach of core  ILO conventions. It will sew divisions in the Iraqi trade union movement, and very possibly invite  significant political interference in the process,” said Brendan Barber, TUC   General Secretary. “ Ultimately,  it will prevent trade unions from fulfilling the essential contribution they have to building a peaceful and prosperous Iraq.”

Magna Agrees with Opal’s Spanish Unions on Jobs
Magna International Inc., the Canadian car-parts maker buying General Motor Co.’s Opal division, reached a preliminary jobs agreement with the unit’s unions in Spain, the final holdouts in Europe. The accord includes maintaining the status quo of the Spanish plant through the summer 2010 and the elimination of a maximum of 900 jobs, the CCOO union said.

Magna  had previously planned to cut 1,350 positions at the  at the factory in Figueruelas, which is Opel’s largest. Employees in other European countries have agreed to concessions that would grant the 50,000-person workforce a 10 percent stake under the Opel sale to Magna and Russian partner OAO Sperbank.

Workers at the Spanish plant had called for a series of walkouts between Oct. 28 and Nov. 5 to protest  the planned job cuts. The  planned strike action is still in place until the agreement is actually approved, the union said. Spain’s Industry Minister, Miguel Sebastian said, “The initial agreement ensures the future of Figureless for the next 10 years.”

Seven Shipbreaking Workers in Bangladesh Die in One Week
Jahangir Alam a ship breaking worker who had migrated from  a poverty-stricken district to work at the Habib steel shipbreaking yard in Bangladesh, died as a result of an accident at work on Oct. 12, 2009. He was the seventh Bangladeshi ship breaker to die in one week, On Oct. 11, three workers at the Pakija shipyard died from inhaling poisonous gases. And on Oct. 8, three others were smashed to death by an iron plate at the Crystal shipyard.

”The labor law is being blatantly violated and the police have recorded these incidents as un-natural deaths," said Mojibur  Rahman Bhuiyan, general secretary of the Bangladesh Metalworkers’ League, an IMF affiliate. At a meeting on Oct. 15, with Bangladesh State Labor Minister, Bhuiyan  demanded that he investigate and punish the companies responsible for the deaths.

The union also demanded a mechanism for inspecting the ships before their entrance into Bangladeshi territory and that the rights of labor be protected. The union also appealed for international solidarity to “stop these barbaric killings.”

Chilean Copper Miners Want 5% Pay Increase and Bonuses
Workers at Chile’s Andina copper mine demanded a five percent pay hike from owner Codelco on Oct. 21, marking the start of contract talks between the two Andina unions and the world’s  top producer of the red metal. In addition to the pay increase, the unions are seeking benefits linked to productivity in a two-year contract.

The 1,200 workers, who represent about 60 percent of the mine’s labor force, earlier this month rejected  a Codelco offer to raise salaries three percent and bonuses worth around $16,000 per worker.  Under Chilean labor law, Codelco has 15 days to respond to union demands before both sides try to hammer out a deal prior to the expiration of the contract. If no agreement is reached, Chile allows the company  an additional five days of government mediation before workers can strike.

Experts say Codelco could have tough contract negotiations and possible strikes, after BHP Billiton offered its workers at its Escondido copper mine, around  $25,000 in bonuses, as well as a five percent salary boost  Codelco is also gearing up for wage talks at its massive Chuquicamata copper mine in December.

A Mexican Union Fights for Its Life Against Government Attacks
The Mexican government  has taken  steps to openly break one of the country’s most militant independent trade union.  On Oct. 10, in the middle of the night, Mexican federal police occupied more than 100  electrical installations across central Mexico belonging to the public power company, Luz y Fuerza del Centro. Simultaneously, a total of 44,000 workers—members of the Sindicato Mexicano de Electricistas (SME), Mexico’s electrical workers union—were fired,

The government claims that some 8,000 to 10,000 workers will  eventually be rehired, but with their union contract and union representation eliminated.  This represents the most direct attack on the Mexican labor movement in the country’s recent history.

The attempt to crush the electricians union is widely regarded as a test case for future attacks on the Mexican labor movement and on the living standards attained by organized workers in Mexico. Indeed, the conservative press has been openly asking: Who is next? Will it be the teachers union? Or the workers in Mexico’s public oil company?

Filipino Teachers Were Duped by U.S. Recruiting Firm on Job Deal
A California-based firm is accused of charging Filipino teachers for fees of $15,000 or more for working in Louisiana schools. The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) responded by filing a complaint with the U.S. Department of Labor last week  The complaint followed similar ones the AFT’s state affiliate filed last month with Louisiana officials. calling for an investigation.

The union said California-based Universal Placement International and its president, Lourdes Navarro, illegally collected the fees from the teachers they recruited in the Philippines. The union also claimed the company holds the teachers’ immigration documents to coerce payments

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration said that “since the case has already been filed in the U.S. court,  the POEA will just get as many complainants to submit their individual affidavits against the recruiter.