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<img alt="" src="/wp-content/uploads/articles/InBrief100.jpg" width="100" height="39" />
On 11 February &ndash; day 18 of mass revolution by the Egyptian people &ndash; Hosni Mubarek was toppled as dictator of Egypt. Newly-minted Vice President Omar Suleiman, who the people reject as well, issued a brief statement on national television that evening saying Mubarek resigned as president, and power is transferred to the Armed Forces Supreme Council, a grouping of top Egyptian generals. 
 
Only speculation exists at this early writing on what steps the military might first take to reduce 30 years of repressive rule, human rights violations, and a lessening of social inequality. One Sunday, 13 February, a military decree restricted trade union freedoms. 
 
One thing is certain: the extraordinary events of the past fortnight must stand as a turning point for Egypt to embark on a road of participatory democracy. 
 
Mubarek&rsquo;s departure came after the biggest yet demonstration in Cairo&rsquo;s al-Tahrir Square on 11 February, and cities such as Alexandria, Aswan, Suez, Port Said, Asyut, and El Kharga saw huge protests as mass calls were heeded by Egyptians to take to the streets and reclaim their country. 
<img alt="" src="/wp-content/uploads/articles/1102.egypt-gva.jpg" width="257" height="180" />
Days 16 and 17 will become known as the days when workers shut down factories and businesses, bringing the country to an economic standstill. The workers' movment was vast and perhaps serving as prime example was the call &ldquo;People&rsquo;s Revolution for the People&rdquo; by the 4,000-strong Helwan Iron and Steel Workers at the Coking Coal and Basic Chemical Co. They issued an invitation to workers to join the 11 February mobilisation in al-Tahrir Square and called for creation of an independent trade union movement. 
 
The fledgling Iron and Steel Workers&rsquo; Union proclaimed the revolution to be the end of government corruption, and called for higher wages and permanent contracts for temporary workers. Tens of thousands of other Egyptian workers at state companies, and in textile, chemicals, transport, postal services, and other sectors stopped work in the middle of last week, leading surely to Mubarek&rsquo;s departure at week&rsquo;s end. 
 
In Helwan, 6,000 silk and textile workers at Misr Helwan Spinning and Weaving Co. stopped work, as did 400 workers at the Misr National Steel Co. in Suez. Some 2,000 workers of Sigma Pharmaceutical in Quesna protested. And thousands of workers of the Egyptian Petroleum Trading Service Co. (Petrotrade) joined the national demonstrations at six branches of the company, including at the Ministry of Petroleum in Nasr City. 
<img alt="" src="/wp-content/uploads/articles/ICEM.Solidarity.JPG" width="150" height="146" />
In industrial Kafr al-Dawwar, thousands of textile workers took to the streets last week, and 6,000 staff of the Suez Canal Authority began sit-ins at workplaces in Suez, Port Said, and Ismailia on the evening of 8 February that lasted through the next day. 
 
This growing wave of working-class militancy was not unexpected; in the past six years, there have been nearly 3,000 strikes and workers&rsquo; protests affecting two million wage earners who have been cheated by the Egyptian regime&rsquo;s corrupt practices. 
 
Globally, countless demonstrations were held last week in cities and countries demanding an end to Mubarek&rsquo;s rule and justice for the Egyptian people. On 8 February, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) held a day of protest in a number of cities including Geneva. 
<img alt="" src="/wp-content/uploads/articles/1102.egypt-gva.2.jpg" width="277" height="185" />
Several ICEM staff joined a large delegation from the Global Union Federation (GUF) UNI and other GUFs to protest at the Egyptian mission to the UN&rsquo;s European headquarters. There, trade unionists led by the Workers&rsquo; Chair of by ILO Governing Body, Leroy Trotman of the Barbados Workers&rsquo; Union, presented a letter by the ITUC and four Geneva-area GUFs to Mission Counsellor Yasser Hassan. 
 
It read, in part: &ldquo;We express our solidarity with our Egyptian brothers and sisters in this difficult situation. We urge you to remind the Egyptian Government that it must fulfil its obligations under international law and respect trade union rights and fundamental liberties such as freedom of expression.&rdquo; 
 
As significant as Mubarek&rsquo;s resignation is, it is only the beginning of the struggle. On Sunday, 13 February, the military&rsquo;s Supreme Council issued an edict banning all union meetings, forbidding strikes, and ordering all Egyptian workers back to work. In the coming weeks and months in Egypt, the world will witness that the struggle for democracy is inseparable from the struggle for workers&rsquo; power and the struggle for workers&rsquo; rights.

Mubarek Overthrown; Egyptian People Await Freedoms

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In this issue of the ICEM HIV/AIDS newsletter, we report on the HIV/AIDS workshop in India, on the new and ambitious targets of the Global Fund, and on two cases of job-related discrimination on the basis of HIV-positive status in South Africa. 
 
The ICEM Calls on its Affiliates to Contribute to this e-bulletin 
 
ICEM affiliates are engaged in a wide range of HIV/AIDS activities. To spread the information on new agreements, awareness, and prevention campaigns, and educational activities, affiliates and project coordinators are invited to send news and information to <a href="mailto:hiv.aids@icem.org">hiv.aids@icem.org</a>. Any feedback on the format and contents of the e-bulletin is also welcome. 
<img alt="" src="/wp-content/uploads/articles/image_aids_ribbon.gif" width="40" height="40" />
HIV/AIDS Workshop in India 
 
Some 30 participants and resource persons attended a three-day HIV/AIDS workshop in Kolkata, India, in February. Participants came from the ICEM affiliate, the Indian National Mineworkers&rsquo; Federation (INMF), as well as from the chemical, cement, and diamond sectors. 
 
The workshop was sponsored by the German pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) as part of the HIV/AIDS Project in India. It was organised by the project&rsquo;s coordinator, BK Das, who is also the General Secretary of INMF and a member of the ICEM Executive Committee. The workshop was facilitated by the HIV/AIDS Programme Officer of the ILO office in New Delhi, Ms. P. Joshila. Representatives from employers and government agencies and an organisation of people living with HIV were also involved in the workshop. 
<img src="/wp-content/uploads/articles/boehringer20ingelheim.gif" width="125" height="38" alt="" />
Emphasis in this workshop was on workplace policies. The ICEM HIV/AIDS Consultant, Hans Schwass, gave a presentation on elements of an HIV/AIDS workplace policy and introduced the ICEM Training Manual for Negotiating on HIV/AIDS. Participants also split in groups to establish work plans for their respective companies and regions to the end of 2011 when the BI sponsorship ends. 
 
Much has been achieved in the HIV/AIDS work in India of the ICEM with its affiliates and sponsorship from BI. More than 50 master trainers are available to continue the work with peer educators of whom more than 600 have been trained. 
<img alt="" src="/wp-content/uploads/articles/image_aids_ribbon.gif" width="40" height="40" />
Global Fund: Bold New Targets Set at Board Retreat 
 
The Global Fund Board says that the Fund&rsquo;s new strategic plan should have &ldquo;bold, ambitious and measurable objectives,&rdquo; including tripling the number of lives saved and the number of infections averted between 2011 and 2016. This information is contained in a report prepared by Dr. Tedros A. Ghebreyesus of Ethiopia, Chair of the Board, on the board&rsquo;s recent retreat, which was held prior to its regular meeting in December 2010 in Sofia, Bulgaria. 
 
In addition to the objectives related to lives saved and infections averted, the board said that the Global Fund needs to do more to leverage the impact of its investments, particularly with respect to health gains for women and children; to increase efforts to maximise value for money; to increase efforts to ensure protection of human rights and access to prevention, treatment, care, and support for all, including the poorest and most marginalised populations; and to increase efforts to ensure the sustainability of programmes to which the Global Fund is currently contributing. 
<img alt="" src="/wp-content/uploads/articles/Global20Fund20logo.gif" width="250" height="53" />
One area where the board failed to reach a consensus at the retreat concerns the mandate of the Global Fund. There were divergent perspectives on whether the objectives related to the number of lives saved and infections averted should be phrased in a way that will allow the Global Fund to progressively expand its mandate. 
 
(Source: Global Fund Observer, Issue 140 of 3 February. GFO is a free service of Aidspan <a href="http://www.aidspan.org">www.aidspan.org</a>; to receive GFO send an email to <a href="mailto:receive-gfo-newsletter@aidspan.org">receive-gfo-newsletter@aidspan.org</a>) 
<img alt="" src="/wp-content/uploads/articles/image_aids_ribbon.gif" width="40" height="40" />
Decline in HIV Rates in Zimbabwe Driven by Fear of Infection 
 
The big drop in the numbers of people infected with HIV in Zimbabwe is because of mass social change, driven by fear of infection, according to an international study by the journal PLoS Medicine. 
 
A major investigation of the reasons why HIV prevalence in Zimbabwe has fallen from 29% in 1997 to 16% in 2007 was carried out by epidemiologists at Imperial College, London, and Harvard University School of Public Health, Boston, in partnership with the Ministry of Health, the UN Population Fund, and UNIADS. 
 
The research included extensive analysis of epidemiological data, together with focus groups and key informant interviews, to test the different explanations of the dramatic decline of prevalence. Although HIV prevalence remains high, the fall in HIV prevalence that has taken place in Zimbabwe is the largest see anywhere in sub-Saharan Africa. 
 
(Source: as reported by World AIDS Campaign, Cape Town, 16 February) 
<img alt="" src="/wp-content/uploads/articles/image_aids_ribbon.gif" width="40" height="40" />
South Africa: Xstrata Coal Accused of Sacking HIV-positive Miners 
 
A dispute has arisen in South Africa between ICEM affiliate National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and Xstrata Coal over the apparent discharge of 12 HIV-positive miners. The miners were first sacked last fall from their jobs at the Tweefontein collieries in Mpumalanga province, but the NUM interceded on their behalf before the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation, and Arbitration (CCMA) and won reinstatement to their jobs. 
 
But in mid-February, Xstrata Coal South Africa informed the NUM that it would re-sack the 12 and appeal the CCMA&rsquo;s decision to a labour court. At issue is whether or not Xstrata knew of their HIV status through a joint NUM-Xstrata Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) programme that is strictly confidential. Hundreds of Tweefontein miners were tested through the programme in October and November 2010. 
<img src="/wp-content/uploads/articles/1102.num20paris20mashego.jpg" width="225" height="169" alt="" />
NUM Highveld Regional Secretary Paris Mashego, left&nbsp;
It is uncertain if Xstrata Coal gained access to results of the screenings, but the NUM alleges that the company does know the results. A private service provider was contracted to do the screenings and results are supposed to be shared only with the individual. 
 
NUM Highveld Regional Secretary Paris Mashego accused the company of dragging backward the campaign to test for the pandemic and said the NUM will continue to press for the real motive behind Xstrata&rsquo;s reversal. 
 
(Source: <a href="http://www.iol.co.za">www.iol.co.za</a>, 23 February and ICEM InBrief, 28 February)
<img alt="" src="/wp-content/uploads/articles/image_aids_ribbon.gif" width="40" height="40" />
South African Labour Court Affirms Rights of HIV+ Workers, Citing ILO Recommendation No. 200 
 
On 16 February 2011, in the case of Gary Shane Allpass v. Mooikloof Estates (Pty.) Ltd., (Case No. JS178/09), the Johannesburg Labour Court awarded the complainant compensatory damages for unfair dismissal and discrimination on the grounds of his HIV status. The decision examines issues of discrimination in employment on the grounds of HIV status and unfair dismissal, as well as discriminatory screening and forced disclosure of HIV status. 
 
The complainant was employed by the respondent as a horse riding instructor and stable manager on 1 November 2008. At the time of his recruitment, he had been living with HIV for almost 20 years. Prior to being hired, the complainant underwent an interview, during which he informed the respondent that he was &ldquo;in good health.&rdquo; Shortly after his hiring, the complainant &mdash; along with other employees &mdash; was asked to complete a form requiring him to disclose whether he was taking any &ldquo;chronic medication.&rdquo; The complainant complied and disclosed that he was taking, among other things, daily medication to manage his HIV condition. Upon learning of his HIV-positive status, the respondent immediately terminated the complainant on the grounds that he had fraudulently misrepresented his condition and that he was, in fact, &ldquo;severely ill&rdquo;. 
 
The Labour Court found that the complainant had been discriminated against and unfairly dismissed due to his HIV status and awarded him twelve months&rsquo; remuneration in compensatory damages and costs. Apart from considering that the dismissal violated the South African Constitution, the Labour Relations Act, and the Employment Equity Act, the Labour Court also cited the ILO Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111) and the Recommendation concerning HIV and AIDS and the World of Work, 2010 (No. 200). 
 
(Source: ILO/AIDS website) 
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International Cricketing Council Launches Campaign: &lsquo;Get the Facts, Protect Yourself&rsquo; 
 
The World Cup 2011, organised by the International Cricketing Council (ICC), is being held jointly in India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. Before this event, the ICC in partnership with UNAIDS and UNICEF launched a new campaign, &ldquo;Get the Facts, Protect Yourself.&rdquo; A number of star players feature in a public service announcement which is available to all broadcasters across the globe that encourages young people to inform themselves about HIV, take appropriate action to prevent HIV infection, and stand together against HIV-related stigma and discrimination. 
 
They may be rivals on the field of play, but international cricketing stars Virender Sehwag and Kumar Sangakkara have joined together to support a new &ldquo;Think Wise&rdquo; campaign ahead of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011. &ldquo;The ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 provides an opportunity to use our status as cricketers to deliver important social messages to the millions of supporters who will be watching the tournament across the world,&rdquo; said India&rsquo;s Virender Sehwag. &ldquo;I hope this public service announcement can encourage young people to get the facts and protect themselves from HIV.&rdquo; 
 
Other cricketing stars in the partnership include Graeme Smith (South Africa), Shakib-Al-Hasan (Bangladesh) and Ramnaresh Sarwan (West Indies). &ldquo;It is important that young people around the world have access to the right information to help them make informed decisions and break down stigma and discrimination,&rdquo; said Sri Lanka&rsquo;s Kumar Sangakkara. &ldquo;Through this public service announcement, I want to help stop the spread of HIV.&rdquo; 
 
(Source: ITF HIV/AIDS update 100, 1 February) 
<img alt="" src="/wp-content/uploads/articles/image_aids_ribbon.gif" width="40" height="40" />
News from Global Unions 
 
The International Transport Workers&rsquo; Federation (ITF &ndash; <a href="http://www.itfglobal.org">www.itfglobal.org</a>) in its latest HIV/AIDS updates No. 99, 100, and 101 of 15 January, 1 February, and 15 February, respectively, reports on a training programme organised in cooperation with the Mongolian Transport, Communication, and Petroleum Workers&rsquo; Union; on a national campaign organised by the National Transport Workers&rsquo; Union of Columbia to raise awareness of HIV and to promote safer sex practices among bus workers, van, taxi, and truck drivers; and reports, as well, on passengers and on developing and implementing workplace programmes with its affiliates in Mexico. 
 
The February Newsletter of PSUFASA (Public Sector Unions Fighting AIDS in Southern Africa) reports on several in-country seminars, notably in South Africa and Swaziland, and on the ongoing evaluation of the project for which sponsorship from the UK Department for International Development (DFID) will come to an end in March 2011. 
<img alt="" src="/wp-content/uploads/articles/image_aids_ribbon.gif" width="40" height="40" />
Five Years Ago: From the March 2006 Issue 
 
The first issue of the ICEM HIV/AIDS e-bulletin was published in October 2005. In current issues, we refer to an article from the same month, five years ago, and reflect on developments. 
 
In the March 2006 issue of the e-bulletin, we reported on the integration of HIV/AIDS in the International Commemoration Day for Dead and Injured Workers. On 28 April, the trade union movement remembers over two million workers who die and millions more who are injured or who fall sick each year due to unsafe, unhealthy, or unsustainable work and workplaces. The slogan for 2006 was Union Workplaces &ndash; Safe Workplaces and the selected themes are: The Global Union Ban Asbestos Campaign, HIV/AIDS &ndash; workplace aspects and implementation of programme response and ILO Conventions and Instruments that relate to Occupational Health and Safety. 
 
We also reported on the Product Red initiative. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, U2 rock musician Bono announced Product RED, an economic initiative designed to deliver a sustainable flow of private sector money to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM). Leading brands made a commitment to channel a portion of profits from sales of specially-designed RED products to the GFATM to support AIDS programmes in Africa with a focus on women and children. The GFATM welcomed this new initiative. Through RED and other initiatives, it hoped to increase the private sector share of income from less than 1% in 2005 to 10% or more in the long term. 
<img alt="" src="/wp-content/uploads/articles/image_aids_ribbon.gif" width="40" height="40" />
This ICEM HIV/AIDS Newsletter &ndash; How to Subscribe 
 
To subscribe to the e-bulletin, send an email to <a href="mailto:press@icem.org">press@icem.org</a>. Please put &ldquo;subscribe ICEM HIV/AIDS e-bulletin&rdquo; in the subject line.

ICEM HIV/AIDS e-bulletin - No. 66, March 2011

<img alt="" src="/wp-content/uploads/articles/InBriefAlert.jpg" width="120" height="59" />
Tomorrow, 8 March, marks the 100th anniversary of International Women&rsquo;s Day (IWD). It is also 16 days before the ICEM&rsquo;s largest Women&rsquo;s Conference ever, when 160 participants from 40 countries convene in Sevilla, Spain. 
 
(There is still time to register and attend the ICEM Women&rsquo;s Conference from 23-25 March. Please refer to the <a href="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/En%20Draft%20Agenda_Nove2010%201.pdf">invitation</a>, <a href="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/EN%20Women%20Attendance%20Form-March%202011.doc">registration form</a>, and <a href="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/En%20Draft%20Agenda_Nove2010%201.pdf">tentative agenda</a>. The cover art for this article is courtesy of ICEM German affiliate IGBCE, which has as theme this year, &ldquo;Lay Tomorrow&rsquo;s Foundation Today.&rdquo;) 
 
Some ICEM affiliates have already held IWD events. In Thailand, ICEM-affiliated unions joined other civil society groups in a 6-7 March symposium at Thammasat University in Bangkok. A key point made was that hundreds of thousands of Thai women work longer than eight hours per day at low wages and without social benefits.
<img alt="" src="/wp-content/uploads/articles/1103.women20thai20aranya.jpg" width="140" height="215" />
ICEM Thai Project Coordinator Aranya Pakapath and GOPTU&rsquo;s Araya Kaewpradap
Araya Kaewpradap of the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation Labour Union (GOPTU) said at the symposium that the majority of Thai women are employed under short-term, fixed contracts, although in reality most have worked 20 or more years in such jobs. She said women are discriminated from entitlements, upward wage adjustments, social benefits, maternity protection, and they do not have access to the national social security scheme. 
 
The importance of Thailand ratifying ILO Convention 183 on Maternity Protection was also brought out at the symposium, which was televised throughout the country. Symposium participants and thousands of others will march tomorrow from Democracy Monument to the Government House in Bangkok to mark IWD.
<img alt="" src="/wp-content/uploads/articles/1103.women20thailand.jpg" width="320" height="141" />
IWD Thai Symposium at Thammasat University 
In Spain, ICEM&rsquo;s two affiliated trade union federations, UGT and CC.OO, which will jointly co-host the Sevilla Women&rsquo;s Conference in two weeks time, issued a common IWD statement that is critical of Spain&rsquo;s government for labour revisions, &ldquo;which, far from creating employment, is contributing once again to the dismantling of too few labour guarantees.&rdquo; 
 
The statement also said: &ldquo;The elimination of the Ministry of Equality (now part of the Ministry of Health) means a step backwards on gender polices and a violation of the commitments of equality made at European and international levels that instruct governments to treat equality themes at high levels of responsibility.&rdquo; 
<img src="/wp-content/uploads/articles/SPAIN.CC.OO_.gif" width="150" height="52" alt="" />&nbsp;&nbsp; <img src="/wp-content/uploads/articles/SPAIN.UGT_.gif" width="90" height="90" alt="" />
Across the world, a great number of &ldquo;bridge walks&rdquo; will occur tomorrow and throughout the rest of the week. The bridge walks, developed last year by programme directors for Women International in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), symbolise awareness toward women facing crises in war-torn countries. 
 
That is sadly reflected now in many countries of North Africa and the Middle East. And it was also on vivid display on Saturday, 5 March, when Israeli border police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at Palestinian women, who were holding an IWD manifestation at the Qalandiya border crossing north of Jerusalem. 
 
IWD is meant to be a global day to celebrate the economic, political, and social achievements of women past, present, and future, regardless of national, ethnic, or social divisions. In 1910, Clara Zetkin of Germany&rsquo;s Social Democratic Party tabled the idea at the Second International Conference of Working Women in Copenhagen, Denmark. 
 
A year later, on 19 March, IWD was officially recognised by Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland. In 1913, IWD was moved to 8 March. Today, it is an official holiday in 25 countries: Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, China, Cuba, Eritrea, Georgia, Guinea-Bissau, Kazakhstan, Kyrgzstan, Laos, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Nepal, Russia, Tajikistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Zambia. 
 
In the US, March is Women&rsquo;s History Month and it will take on special significance this month. It was in New York City, on 25 March 1911, when 146 mostly girls and young women, ages 14 to 23, perished in the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire. The seamstresses were unable to escape the burning building after owners had locked stairwells and exits. US trade unions will commemorate this horrible affront to working women in several different events across the month of March. 
 
ICEM affiliates are encouraged to report their IWD actions and activities to <a href="mailto:carol.bruce@icem.org">Carol Bruce</a>, ICEM&rsquo;s Women&rsquo;s Officer.

100th Anniversary of International Women’s Day!

Chile: Help on ILO Convention 176
Dear Pulp/Paper Sector Activists: 
 
The ICEM is making a major push, together with the IMF, to get Chile to ratify ILO Convention 176, the Safety and Health in Mines Convention. 
 
We are asking for your participation. The details are in the <a href="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/11.ICEM.IMF.Chile176.1March.pdf">Joint ICEM/IMF Letter</a> that can be found at this link. 
 
The <a href="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/ENGLISH%20ChileModLet%20(2).doc">Letter to Chile&rsquo;s Government</a> can be found here. In this letter are the e-mail addresses, fax numbers and mail address that we are asking unions to send. Please attach this model letter to your union&rsquo;s letterhead, or your personal letterhead, and send. 
 
We are very grateful for your help on this. And please do not forget to send a copy of your letter to the ICEM, at <a href="mailto:tom.grinter@icem.org">tom.grinter@icem.org</a>. 
 
Again, thank you for your help. 
 
In Unity, 
Dick Blin
<hr />
Chili: Pour la ratification de la Convention 176 de l'OIT
Chers Militants du secteur papier poulpe 
 
L&rsquo;ICEM a &eacute;largi ses forces avec le FIOM dans la lutte pour la ratification de la Convention 176, la s&eacute;curit&eacute; et la sante en Chili. 
 
A ce sujet, nous demandons votre active participation. Les d&eacute;tails concernant la ratification se trouvent dans <a href="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/2.ICEM.IMF.Chile176.1MarchFR.pdf">la d&eacute;claration jointe de l'ICEM et du FIOM</a>. 
Vous les trouverez dans le lien suivant. 
 
<a href="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/FR%20ChileModLet.doc">La Lettre au gouvernement du Chili</a> se trouve ici. Dans cette lettre, vous avez les adresses e-mail, num&eacute;ros de fax et la direction postale des syndicats auxquels il faudra envoyer la documentation jointe. Veuillez SVP, joindre et envoyer la lettre mod&egrave;le en ajoutant le logo de votre syndicat, ou votre logo personnel. 
 
Nous vous remercions en avance du support et soutien solidaire a ce sujet. Une copie de votre lettre &agrave; l'ICEM, &agrave; <a href="mailto:tom.grinter@icem.org">tom.grinter@icem.org</a> serait fortement appr&eacute;ci&eacute;e. 
 
Votre soutien ainsi que vos actions sont fraternellement remercies. 
 
Dans l'unit&eacute;, 
 
Dick Blin 
ICEM Responsable Information et Communication 
Secteur Poulpe et Papier
<hr />
Chile, por la ratificaci&oacute;n al Convenio OIT 176 
 
Estimados l&iacute;deres del sector papel y pulpa 
 
ICEM ha unido fuerzas junto al FITIM para luchar por la ratificaci&oacute;n del Convenio OIT 176 en seguridad y salud en las minas. 
 
Estamos solicitando su apoyo y participaci&oacute;n. Por favor, revise los detalles <a href="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/5.ICEM.IMF.Chile176.1March.pdf">en la declaraci&oacute;n conjunta ICEM-FITIM</a> que podr&aacute; encontrar en este enlace. 
 
<a href="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/SpanishChileModLet.doc">La Carta al Gobierno de Chile</a> se puede encontrar aqu&iacute;. En dicho escrito, encontrara las direcciones de correo electr&oacute;nico, n&uacute;meros de fax y direcci&oacute;n postal de los sindicatos para ser enviadas. Por favor, adjunte y env&iacute;e esta carta modelo con el membrete de su sindicato, o su membrete personal. 
 
Agradecemos de antemano su participaci&oacute;n y apoyo solidario en esta iniciativa. M&aacute;ndenos una copia de su carta a ICEM, atte. <a href="mailto:Tom.grinter@icem.org">Tom.grinter@icem.org</a> . 
 
Su acci&oacute;n y soporte son fraternalmente reconocidos. 
 
En la Unidad, 
 
Dick Blin 
ICEM Pulpa y Papel Oficial

Chile: ILO Convention 176/Chili: de la Convention 176 de l&#039;OIT/Chile, Convenio OIT 176

Estimados L&iacute;deres de la Uni&oacute;n del Trabajo de Chile! 
 
ICEM, Federaci&oacute;n Sindical Global de Sindicatos Mineros, junto con nuestra organizaci&oacute;n hermana, la Federaci&oacute;n Internacional de Trabajadores de las Industrias Metal&uacute;rgicas (FITIM), ha puesto en marcha una campa&ntilde;a para la ratificaci&oacute;n del Convenio 176 sobre seguridad y salud en las minas por parte del Gobierno de Chile. 
 
Les pedimos su participaci&oacute;n y apoyo para impulsar esta iniciativa en Chile. Esta campana se ha lanzado tan solo esta semana y la acogida ha sido tan exitosa que hemos recibido 25 cartas en solidaridad y apoyo. No hay duda, el apoyo ha sido incondicional. 
 
Los detalles al respecto est&aacute;n <a href="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/5.ICEM.IMF.Chile176.1March.pdf">en la declaraci&oacute;n conjunta ICEM-FITIM</a> que pueden encontrar en este enlace. 
 
<a href="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/SpanishChileModLet.doc">La Carta al Gobierno de Chile</a> se puede encontrar aqu&iacute;. En dicho escrito, encontraran las direcciones de correo electr&oacute;nico, n&uacute;meros de fax y direcci&oacute;n postal que les pedimos env&iacute;en a los sindicatos. Por favor, adjunte y env&iacute;e esta carta modelo con el membrete de su sindicato, o su membrete personal. 
 
Agradecemos de antemano su solidario apoyo y su acci&oacute;n en esta iniciativa. Por favor, mande una copia de su carta a ICEM, atte. <a href="mailto:tom.grinter@icem.org">tom.grinter@icem.org</a> . 
 
Muchas Gracias! 

Fraternalmente, 
 
Manfred Warda 
Secretario General ICEM

ICEM necesita su ayuda! Ratificación de  la Convención OIT 176 en Chile!

The second 24-hour strike at paperboard plants in Spain set for tomorrow, 3 March, was cancelled after ICEM&rsquo;s two affiliates and the employers&rsquo; association reached accord early today (2 March) in Madrid. 
 
Trade unions FSC-CCOO and FIA-UGT reached agreement with Aspapel on a three-year national labour agreement for the paperboard sector that wins a 3% retroactive increase for 17,500 workers to 1 January 2010. Retroactive to 1 January 2011 will be a one percent salary increase, plus the amount of Spain&rsquo;s consumer price increase (CPI). 
 
In 2012, another one percent was won atop the CPI. The Spanish unions also succeeded in keeping sweeping flexibility changes out of the national agreement. A special commission will be established to study that for possible future implementation on the local level. 
 
Without question, the success of a 23 February day-long work stoppage can be attributed to Aspapel and paper industry employers finally moving on a lapsed 2010 national contract. It is obvious by the terms of this agreement that employers did not want another such strike, scheduled for 3 March. 
 
Some 120 paperboard factories come under the new agreement. 
 
The ICEM congratulates paperworkers of both Spanish federations for their resolve in gaining a fair and current collective agreement, and we also thank the many pulp and paper unions worldwide who sent messages of Solidarity to Spanish paperworkers. 
 
An <a href="/en/19-Pulp-Paper/4269-Spain’s-Paperworkers-Shut-Industry;-Will-Strike-Again-3-March">ICEM news piece</a> from 28 February, naming the companies involved and citing details on the 23 February general strike, is available for viewing.

2nd Spanish Paper Strike Called Off; Settlement Reached

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The International Metalworkers&rsquo; Federation (IMF) calls on affiliates for submissions to the Global Union Labour Film Shorts 2011, a one hour line-up of the best short films from around the world focused on unions fighting back against austerity cuts. The line-up will be released in June online and in DVD. Submission deadline is 1 April 2011. 
 
Over the last four years the Geneva Labour Film Shorts Festival has taken place in the centre of Geneva enabling unions and working people worldwide to share their stories. This year, in order to reach a wider international audience, the festival is refocusing to an on-line and DVD presentation that will be submitted to over 36 labour related film festivals around the world. 
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IMF's Cherisse Fredricks, Global Union Labour Film Shorts 2011 Coordinator
The one-hour DVD will focus on short films that are excellent examples of communicating labour stories and messages and the selection will include a range of different films from different parts of the world. The launch of the one-hour line-up will take place at the European Metalworkers' Federation (EMF) &ldquo;Unions in Motion&rdquo; film festival, coming up on 10-11 June at Landschaftspark Nord in Duisburg, Germany . 
 
Submission of films on all labour issues are encouraged, however this year the line-up will feature films that focus on unions fighting back against austerity cuts. 
 
To reach new audiences and promote the development of trade union films, the IMF in collaboration with the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and all the Global Union Federations will together produce the Global Unions Labour Films Shorts 2011. 
 
Please send us copies of your films on DVD with a short paragraph describing the film, why it was produced and how it was used. The IMF will need unfettered rights to show the film and publish it online, of course with full acknowledgement of who created the material. Due to resource constraints for interpretation, the IMF is only able to accept films in English language or with English subtitles. Please send to: Cherisse Fredricks, IMF, Case Postale 1516, 1227 Geneva, Switzerland, e-mail <a href="mailto:cfredricks@imfmetal.org">cfredricks@imfmetal.org</a>.

from the International Metalworkers’ Federation

IMF Announces Call for Submissions to Labour Film Shorts

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The ICEM has joining with sister Global Union Federations, the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) and the Building and Wood Workers International (BWI), in supporting the General Federation of Bahrain Trade Unions (GFBTU) in its pivotal role in the peaceful uprising in Bahrain. 
 
On Saturday, 19 February, the GFBTU called for a general strike in protest to the violent put-down of peaceful protests inside Manama's Pearl Square. The strike was called off when their demands were met, namely that tanks be withdrawn from the square and peaceful protests allowed to continue. 
 
The GFBTU joined a social alliance on 24 February, pushing the autocracy of King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa to place constitutional limits on the king&rsquo;s power. The alliance called for the immediate release of all political prisoners, for electoral reforms, and for an immediate investigation to find those guilty for the deaths of seven protestors when they were attacked by government forces. Some 308 political prisoners have been freed. 
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GFBTU General Secretary Salman Mahfoodh 
But the king refuses to meet other preconditions of dialogue with the opposition alliance, to dismiss his ministers, or to amend the constitution. 
 
GFBTU General Secretary Salman Mahfoodh warned last week, &quot;We also want the government to know that if the police force or army comes again to suppress the protest that we will strike. And we would also strike if we find that a political solution is not forthcoming or if sides aren't negotiating genuinely.&quot; 
 
Workers and trade unionists from numerous sectors announced their readiness to back a national strike. Many of those workers are now fighting against punishment over their involvement in the protests. Some have been threatened with job loss, while the majority face docked wages for the days out on strike or protest. The GFBTU is calling for absolutely no disciplinary action taken against workers using their right to protest. The federation contacted the Labour Ministry to inform them of this. 
 
The GFBTU is associated with close to 70 unions, representing more than 20,000 workers. 
 
Bahrain declares itself a constitutional monarchy, but the Parliament gives the royal family, which is Sunni, absolute authority in the Shiite majority nation.

Bahrain’s Trade Unions Key in Popular Uprising for Rights

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While the eyes of the world are on legitimate protests for democratic rights in several Arab countries, demonstrations last week in Iraq remind that democracy &ndash; or even a government with functioning civil laws and institutions &ndash; is still not a reality. 
 
Major clashes erupted in several Iraqi cities on 25 February, a &ldquo;Day of Rage&rdquo; in protest to corruption in government and failure by the al-Maliki administration to provide basic public services. 
 
But even before last Friday&rsquo;s protests, trade unions in Iraq have conducted strikes and protests in demand of a new labour law that gives public-sector trade unions full and universal rights. The most recent strikes started on 13 February when an oil and gas workers&rsquo; branch of the General Federation of Iraqi Workers (GFIW) staged protests at facilities of the North Oil Co. in Kirkuk. 
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Jamal Abdel Jabbar leader of GFIW Branch at North Oil Co.
Workers are demanding improvements in pay, direct employment and pay hikes for temporary employees, and more opportunities for Kurdish workers. North Oil employs some 15,000 workers, of whom 3,700 are casual staff. They ear about US$210 per month, while other regular workers earn up to US$2,000 per month. 
 
The protest actions in northern Iraq were repeated on 24 February. The next day, as part of the &ldquo;Day of Rage,&rdquo; GFIW and its affiliates in Basra held protests demanding a labour law that would finally give Iraqi workers and trade unions rights. The demonstration in Basra by the GFIW also called for public policies to reduce unemployment especially among the young, basic services for all citizens, and improvements to ration cards. 
 
Reports state that 11 people were killed in Friday&rsquo;s &ldquo;Day of Rage,&rdquo; mostly in clashes between protesters and policy on entering government buildings in different cities. 
 
One deadly incident occurred in the early morning hours of 26 February when extremists entered a petroleum refinery in Baiji, 170 kilometres north of Baghdad, and detonated a bomb. The bomb killed an engineer and severely wounded three workers. The explosion will severely cripple the largest of Iraq&rsquo;s three refineries, with output of the 250,000 barrel-per-day refinery forecast to drop by two-thirds for the foreseeable future. Baiji refines crude oil into kerosene and gasoline.

Trade Union Protests in Iraq Signal Continued Political Instability

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In a powerful display of international solidarity, the &ldquo;Global Days of Action for Trade Union Rights in Mexico,&rdquo; 14-19 February, were marked by events in over 40 countries, on five continents, including 17 cities in the US and Canada. 
 
The International Textile, Garment, &amp; Leather Workers Federation (ITGLWF) called for fundamental rights in the Mexican garment sector, where &ldquo;protection contracts&rdquo; deny workers of their basic labour rights, as is the case throughout Mexico. 
 
In Mexico, the independent labour movement conducted over 27 actions throughout the country, including visits to embassies of 23 countries, a march and demonstration in Mexico City from the Angel of Independence to the offices of Grupo M&eacute;xico, seminars, and a protest rally at the Monument of the Revolution. Each day of action was marked inside Mexico. The leaders of Los Mineros and the SME signed a pact of national unity. 
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Mexico City
An agreement was reached with the US embassy in Mexico City to begin regular discussions on the complaints presented, in particular the cases of Los Mineros and SME.
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Toronto, Canada
In Canada, high-level trade union delegations met with Mexican ambassadors and consuls in four cities, while pickets continued outside. The Vancouver action was marked by speeches from Los Mineros General Secretary Napole&oacute;n G&oacute;mez, SME General Secretary Martin Esparanza, and Jorge Castillo Maga&ntilde;a, Assistant General Secretary of the Telefonistas union. See video footage of the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/D3Steel#p/a/u/0/Bu_BPIrvlaA">Vancouver, Canada, action</a> here. 
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Washington DC, USA
In the US, rallies, meetings with ambassadors and consuls, and pickets, sent the clear message to the Mexican Calder&oacute;n government that pressure is building inside the country&rsquo;s largest trading partner that labour rights abuses must end. See video footage of the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usyexGRbDgI&amp;feature=player_embedded">Washington DC rally</a> in front of the Mexican Embassy here. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wu83ni7mQHM&amp;feature=player_embedded">San Francisco</a>, <a href="http://www.fox11az.com/news/local/Mexican-consulate-picketed-by-angry-miners-116483178.html">Tucson Arizona</a>, <a href="http://www.house.state.tx.us/video-audio/press-conference/player/?ram=1102181PCB&amp;id=98&amp;session=82 ">Austin Texas</a>. 
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Geneva, Switzerland
In Switzerland, the office of the Ambassador to the United Nations was targeted by a rally, while ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda, IMF Assistant General Secretary Fernando Lopes, and UNI SCORE Director Adriana Rosenzvaig met with the ambassador to convey the demands of the action. Ambassadors around the world expressed some concern, but generally denied wrongdoing by the Mexican government. Many made promises to follow-up on the demands. The dialogue and pressure will continue. 
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100 unionists rallied on the lawn in front of Parliament House in Canberra
See a video of the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoImqEw00_M&amp;feature=player_embedded">Australia action</a> here, where a high-level, cross-sector delegation met with the Mexican Ambassador, and a large rally was organised in front of Parliament House in Canberra. 
 
Some of the other events around the world during the Global Days of Action included: 
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Mexico Embassy, Tokyo: meeting with the Japan Councils of the four GUFs, along with JTUC-RENGO 
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Sweden: IF Metall met with the Mexican Ambassador in Stokholm
Letters and press releases in Turkey 
 
Meetings and letters in Spain with Mexican Ambassador, Spanish Government, European Parliament. 
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A joint rally in Bangkok, Thailand, Ministry of Labour, as well as letters to the Mexican Ambassador. 
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A picket was conducted in front of the Mexican Embassy in Moscow, in temperatures of -25&deg;C, demands were transferred to the Ambassador
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In Brussels, the Mexican embassy was picketed, with a union delegation meeting the Ambassador, a meeting was conducted with the EU-Mexico Joint Parliamentary Committee
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The Mexican Embassy in Peru was picketed
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Picket of the Mexican Embassy in Indonesia
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Picket of the Mexican Embassy in New Zealand
Letters were sent from affiliated trade unions from Poland to Puerto Rico, from Norway and Germany to Bangladesh, and many others. 
 
Join the <a href="http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/solidarityforever/show_campaign.cgi?c=863">LabourStart campaign</a> here and join thousands of protestors in writing to Calder&oacute;n. 3,000 messages were sent via the campaign in the first week, and the numbers are growing every day. 
 
The actions took place around the fifth anniversary of the Pasta de Conchos mine explosion, where the continued failure to exhume and recover the bodies of 63 of the 65 miners who died there, or to take responsibility for the &ldquo;industrial homicide&rdquo; of those workers, and properly compensate their families continues to anger the international labour movement. 
 
The action in support of the democratic and independent trade unions in Mexico was initiated by unions from around the world affiliated to the ICEM, International Metalworkers' Federation (IMF), International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF), UNI Global Union, and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).

Mexico Days of Action Occur Worldwide in Over 40 Countries

Archive

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ICEM HIV/AIDS e-bulletin - No. 66, March 2011

100th Anniversary of International Women’s Day!

Chile: ILO Convention 176/Chili: de la Convention 176 de l'OIT/Chile, Convenio OIT 176

ICEM necesita su ayuda! Ratificación de la Convención OIT 176 en Chile!

2nd Spanish Paper Strike Called Off; Settlement Reached

IMF Announces Call for Submissions to Labour Film Shorts

Bahrain’s Trade Unions Key in Popular Uprising for Rights

Trade Union Protests in Iraq Signal Continued Political Instability

Mexico Days of Action Occur Worldwide in Over 40 Countries

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