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Confusion surrounds moves by the Nigerian government to lift restrictions on the oil workers' unions NUPENG and PENGASSAN. The withdrawal of government administrators from the unions' offices was announced last week - but today the unions were still under government control. 
 
On 11 August, Nigerian Head of State General Abdulsalam Abubakar repealed decrees dating back to 1994, under which the two unions were kept under the tutelage of government-imposed &quot;sole administrators&quot; and union activities were severely circumscribed. The two unions' elected General Secretaries, Frank Kokori and Milton Dabibi, had been detained in 1994 and 1996 respectively, and were held without trial until their release this June. 
 
On the phone from Lagos today, Dabibi and Kokori told ICEM UPDATE that they welcome the move to end government intervention in their unions - but that it has not so far been put into effect. 
 
In fact, the government has instructed its &quot;sole administrators&quot; to stay at their posts inside the unions for the time being. 
 
This has given rise to concern that the military-led government may attempt to convene union congresses and new leadership elections while PENGASSAN and NUPENG are still under its control. The two unions and their members could not accept this, Kokori and Dabibi warned today. First, the unions must be handed back to the current democratically elected leaderships, they insisted. Then congresses would be convened and elections held. 
 
A delegation from the UN's International Labour Organisation has now arrived in Nigeria to examine the trade union rights situation there. Dabibi and Kokori will be discussing these and related issues with the ILO representatives on Friday. 
 
&quot;Milton Dabibi and Frank Kokori are right. Clearly, NUPENG and PENGASSAN must be handed back to democratic control without further delay,&quot; commented Vic Thorpe today. Thorpe is General Secretary of the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM), to which the two Nigerian unions are affiliated. 
 
&quot;Oil and allied workers worldwide will continue to campaign on this issue until PENGASSAN and NUPENG have regained full trade union freedom,&quot; Thorpe pledged.

Nigerian Government To End Intervention In Oil Unions?

Forced labour is &quot;widespread and systematic&quot; in Burma (Myanmar), says a major report published today by the UN's International Labour Organisation (ILO). 
 
The report on the forced labour practices of the Burmese military junta was produced by a special ILO Commission of Enquiry after sifting voluminous evidence. It is one of the ILO's strongest ever condemnations of a national government - and probably the world's most detailed and careful compilation of evidence concerning Burmese forced labour. 
 
A &quot;saga of untold misery&quot; in Burma is described by the three-person Commission, which comprised former Chief Justices of India and Barbados and an Australian barrister. 
 
They note &quot;abundant evidence&quot; of &quot;the pervasive use of forced labour imposed on the civilian population throughout Myanmar by the authorities and the military.&quot; Women, children and the elderly are among those forced into work which is &quot;almost never remunerated or compensated.&quot; 
 
&quot;Forced labourers, including those sick or injured, are frequently beaten or otherwise physically abused by soldiers, resulting in serious injuries,&quot; the ILO report says. &quot;Some are killed, and women performing compulsory labour are raped or otherwise sexually abused by soldiers.&quot; 
 
In a clear warning to Burma's rulers and others concerned, the Commission points out that any person who violates the prohibition of recourse to forced labour in international law bears an individual criminal responsibility. 
 
The ILO findings will further increase the pressure on multinationals to withdraw from Burma for as long as the junta stays in power there. The call on firms to quit Burma was renewed today by the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) and the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM). 
 
&quot;The ILO report makes it quite clear that the Burmese economy runs on forced labour,&quot; commented ICEM General Secretary Vic Thorpe. &quot;Any company that stays in Burma is benefiting either directly or indirectly from that illegal and immoral system. There can be no justification for maintaining investments in Burma as things stand there today.&quot; 
 
The ICFTU also today called on the Burmese junta to resign and hand over power to a democratic, civilian-led government. 
 
The ICFTU coordinated international worker complaints which led the ILO to set up the special Commission. Support came from the ICEM and other union internationals. The complaints were based on ILO Convention 29, which prohibits forced labour. Burma has been a party to this Convention since 1955. 
 
 
 
ARCO QUITS 
 
A number of multinationals have already decided to quit Burma, the latest being the US-based energy corporation ARCO. The company's announcement on 12 August that it would not be renewing its remaining exploration lease in Burma is a major victory for Burmese and US campaigners. Oil and gas exports are the Burmese junta's biggest legal revenue earner - rivalled only by its lucrative illegal trade in heroin and other narcotics. 
 
Both the US and the EU already have a range of economic sanctions in place against the Burmese regime, due mainly to international trade union campaigning on the issues of forced labour and child labour. 
 
Prominent among the campaigners for oil companies to withdraw has been the ICEM-affiliated US oil, chemical, atomic and allied workers' union OCAW. 
 
&quot;We are proud of our rank and file members and ARCO workers who confronted management directly with this issue at the refinery and shareholders meetings,&quot; commented OCAW President Robert Wages. &quot;We also profess our admiration to all the activists who turned up the heat and made ARCO's Burma investment a lose-lose situation.&quot; 
 
 
 
ARRESTS AND TORTURE 
 
Wages condemned the recent arrest of 18 Burmese peace activists in Rangoon. &quot;We hold Unocal, Total and Arco directly responsible for these arrests,&quot; Wages said. &quot;It's the oil companies who prop up this corrupt narco-regime.&quot; 
 
Meanwhile, the ICEM and its affiliated unions worldwide are stepping up their pressure for the release of Burmese trade unionists U Myo Aung Thant and U Khin Kyaw. Both were arrested on 13 June 1997 and have been in jail ever since. U Myo Aung Thant has been sentenced to ten years in jail and given a concurrent life sentence for &quot;high treason&quot;. The &quot;treason&quot; was his attempt to form a trade union in the All-Burma Petrochemical Corporation, where he was employed. U Khin Kyaw, from the Seafarers' Union of Burma, was arrested with him and is apparently being held without trial. Both are reported to have been tortured in prison. 
 
 
 
OIL COMPANIES ACCUSED 
 
Oil and gas multinationals have been widely criticised for their economic support of the Burmese junta, but energy corporations have also faced specific accusations that they have directly benefited from forced labour. 
 
The charges have centred on the Tavoy pipeline, built to carry gas from the Yadana field off the Burmese coast to Thailand. The main partners in the Tavoy consortium are the energy multinationals Total and Unocal, together with the Petroleum Authority of Thailand Exploration and Production Company and Burma's state-run Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE). 
 
Two particular allegations were examined by the ILO Commission. One was a charge that helipads built by forced labour had been used by the oil companies. &quot;In a communication addressed to the Commission, TOTAL stated that most of the helipads situated on the pipeline route had been constructed by TOTAL or by companies working for TOTAL and applying its code of conduct, although TOTAL did not know under what conditions other helipads in the region had been constructed.&quot; 
 
The other charge concerns preparatory work on the pipeline site: &quot;There was evidence before the Commission in the form of secondary statements that forced labour was used until May 1995 for ground clearance work to provide access to survey teams for the Yadana gas pipeline project in Yebyu township, Tanintharyi Division. In a communication addressed to the Commission TOTAL stated that it was wrong to claim that the preparatory clearing work could have been undertaken by forced labourers for the purpose of facilitating the access of the project teams. During the years 1993 and 1994, clearing work had been carried out by the Compagnie g&eacute;n&eacute;rale de g&eacute;ophysique (CGG).&quot; 
 
The ILO Commission ultimately found itself unable to rule on these allegations, because the junta refused it permission to visit Burma and investigate: &quot;In view of the contradiction between the facts presented, and since the Commission was denied access to Myanmar to supplement its evidence, no finding on this matter could be made.&quot; So for the present, these charges are neither proven nor rejected. 
 
 
 
&quot;STAND BY THE ILO&quot; - AUNG SAN SUU KYI 
 
But as to the Burmese junta itself and its forced labour system, the ILO's findings are conclusive and damning. 
 
Commenting in Burma on today's ILO report, Nobel Prize-winning Burmese democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi said: &quot;What the ILO needs to do is not just put an end to forced labour in Burma but also to try to create conditions under which our workers can get a fair deal... It is for the international community to stand by the ILO and to insist that necessary changes be brought about in Burma.&quot;

Burma Slammed By UN Body Over Labour Abuses

I n the wake of a coal mine disaster on 13 May in Anhui Province in eastern China that left 63 miners dead and another 23 missing, the 20-million-member strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Union (ICEM) is calling on the world's mining industry to join with the global trade union federation in forming a &quot;rapid response&quot; team to investigate safety in China's mines. 
 
The ICEM today has written the Chinese government and the All China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) offering assistance on the basis of a frank and open dialogue. 
 
&quot;Serious mining accidents are regrettably a regular feature of the Chinese mining industry,&quot; said ICEM General Secretary Fred Higgs. &quot;For this reason, the ICEM has written the ACFTU and the responsible minister in China to call on all parties to take immediate and serious measures to address the parlous state of health and safety in China's mines. 
 
&quot;We also call on the world mining industry to join with us in our attempts to improve the health and safety record of Chinese mining,&quot; added Higgs. Brussels-based ICEM is the preeminent trade union organization at the global level in the mining industry. 
 
The 13 May disaster at the state-run Luling mine in Huaibel city, Anhui, is being blamed on a natural gas explosion. The 86 miners were working 500 meters inside the mine. The Luling mine employs 7,000 to 8,000, and produces 2.4 million tons of coal annually. 
 
Figures from China's work safety bureau cite nearly 15,000 deaths occurred last year due to explosions, floods and cave-ins. In the first two months of 2003 alone, official figures cite 1,600 miners as having died in the country's mines. And a rash of accidents this spring has pushed this figure much higher. 
 
On 17 April, floods trapped and killed 14 at the Jiangshuping mine in the coal-rich northern province of Shanxi. A natural gas explosion on 30 March at the Mengjiagou mine in Liaoning Province killed 25 miners, and another gas blast on 22 March at the Mengnanzhuang mine in Shanxi killed 72. The Mengjiagou mine explosion was caused when managers failed to evacuate miners after shutting off power to adjust voltage. The outage shut off units used to ventilate natural gas from shafts as it seeped from the coal bed. 
 
&quot;The miners of the world are not prepared to sit back and allow this unacceptable loss of life in China,&quot; said Higgs. &quot;We're hopeful that with a joint labour-employer international team in place, coupled with the cooperation of the Chinese, comprehensive health and safety solutions can be found.&quot;

Action Needed on Chinese Mine Safety

Pay rises averaging between 2.01 and 3.13 per cent have been secured this year by Japanese unions affiliated to the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM). 
 
Despite the recent economic downturn in Japan, ICEM unions there demonstrated their strength by winning real pay increases for their members. This year's average wage hikes were only slightly down on the 1997 increases of between 2.29 and 3.19 per cent in plants organised by the ICEM's Japanese unions. But the 1998 annual bargaining round, the shunto, was certainly the toughest in recent years, and the negotiations took longer than usual.

Japanese Unions Win Pay Rises

A second round of industrial actions organised by the Federation of Austrian Trade Unions (&Ouml;GB) was held 13 May to protest the ruling conservative-far-right coalition government's regressive pension reform plan. The 13 May labour actions and strikes, joined by the ICEM affiliate Austrian Metal and Textile Workers' Union, come one week after initial actions by workers were held to protest the government's refusal to get consensus from social partners over pension changes. 
 
Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel introduced the draft law 29 April that would raise Austria's retirement age and decrease pay-outs. Representatives from the &Ouml;GB and employers group then met proposing a delay in any reform until late September in order to submit suggestions to the draft law by the social partners, as is customary in Austrian lawmaking. Schuessel has refused, and his aim is to bring the measure to Parliament in early June. 
 
Pension reform as proposed would prolong the period of contributions from 40 to 45 years, as well as change the way in which pay-outs are calculated by taking an average of contributions over 40 years rather than the 15 most recent or most advantageous years. The government's reform would phase out early retirement, abolishing it altogether by year 2008. It proposes retirement age be raised to 65 years, whereas most Austrian men now retire at age 59 and women at 57. 
 
Metal and Textile Workers' Union President Rudolf N&uuml;rnberger commented on the government's plan: &quot;For they know not what they do. A man who works one year longer, so pays longer into the system, still gets less pension. This reform punishes those who have worked over their whole lives.&quot; N&uuml;rnberger addressed over 5,000 workers, mostly employees of Siemens and Henkel, at a rally on 6 May in Vienna. 
 
The Metal and Textile Union conducted some 307 different actions across Austria on that day that included 57,500 workers. In all, Austria's labour unions informed some 120,000 workers of the planned degradations to then pensions in workshop meetings leading up to the 6 May and 13 May job actions.

Industrial Actions in Austria

Pekka Aro, a senior official of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and past deputy general secretary of the ICEF - forerunner of the ICEM - died on Saturday 5 April in a Beijing hospital of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), at the tragically young age of 52. 
 
 

<img height="344" alt="" src="/wp-content/uploads/articles/Pekka.jpg" width="250" />
Pekka Aro 
photographed in 1988 as 
ICEF Deputy General Secretary
After working for the Finnish Glass and Porcelain Workers' Union and the Paper Workers' Union, he distinguished himself in the international trade union movement. He became Deputy General Secretary of the International Federation of Chemical, Energy and General Workers' Unions (ICEF) in 1984 and served in that position until 1989. During this time he was a major motivator in the establishment the joint Working Party on Occupational Health and Safety involving the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) and the International Trade Secretariats (ITS - now known as Global Union Federations; GUF). The Working Party has since gone from strength to strength and is now a well-established annual event that has broadened its membership to include health, safety and environmental activists from around the globe. 
 
An author of numerous articles and books, Pekka also played a crucial role in putting together and leading the ICFTU/ICEF investigative mission to Bhopal, India, in the immediate aftermath of the catastrophic chemical release from the Union Carbide plant in that city. The resulting ICFTU/ICEF 'Trade Union Report on Bhopal' subsequently came to be recognised as one of the most thorough reports on the disaster ever produced. The report and its findings were in large part responsible for the development of the ILO Convention on the Prevention of Major Industrial Accidents. Mike Wright, Director of Health, Safety and Environment at the United Steelworkers of America, principal author of the Bhopal Report and follow-on chair of the ICFTU/ITS Working Party, on hearing of Pekka's death said: &quot;Pekka combined vision with organisation and absolute integrity with a love for working people. He died on a mission to improve the lives of Asian workers. We will miss him terribly.&quot; 
 
During his tenure at the ICEF, Pekka was personally responsible for overseeing the effective introduction of new technology - long before its importance had been recognised by the rest of the international trade union movement, and long before the internet became a reality. 
 
In 1992 Pekka joined the International Labour Orgnisation (ILO) as a Brussels-based specialist on workers' activities. A year later he was in Budapest busy developing the ILO's work in Central and Eastern Europe in order to assist unions in that region with the enormous challenges of political, economic and social transition. In 1998 he joined the ILO's Employment Department, where he was responsible for its skills, knowledge and employability programme until his untimely death. 
 
In paying tribute to Pekka's memory, ICEM general secretary, Fred Higgs, said that: &quot;Pekka will be remembered by many people for many things. From the perspective of the ICEM, he will be particularly remembered as someone with a vision of a modern, effective organisation and the tenacity to make it happen. Pekka had a strong sense of international solidarity and great respect for different cultures. At this time all our thoughts are with his family&quot;. 
 
In a letter of condolences to his family, ICFTU General Secretary Guy Ryder recalled Pekka's &quot;Outstanding contribution to improving the lives of working people. Pekka Aro worked tirelessly for those most in need of his special talents. He always remembered his roots in the trade union movement, and his energy, good humour and commitment to building a better world will be sadly missed by all those who had the privilege of knowing and working with him&quot;. 
 
Pekka's many friends around the world are united in their sorrow for a life cut short in tragic circumstances. He is survived by his wife Ritva and three children, Eemili, Pilvi and Oskari.

Tribute to Pekka Aro

The oil sector's first-ever globally applicable agreement on industrial relations was signed in Copenhagen on 7 July between energy multinational Statoil and the trade unions. 
 
A major player in oil, gas and related industries, Statoil has operations in 27 countries and employs more than 18,000 people. 
 
The agreement covers basic trade union rights, health, safety and the environment, information and training. 
 

<img height="145" src="/wp-content/uploads/articles/statoil.gif" width="200" alt="" />
IN GLOBAL ACCORD: (l. to r.) Statoil's Jostein Gaasemyr, ICEM's and NOPEF's Lars Myhre and ICEM's Vic Thorpe. 
(photo: ICEM) 

Signing for the unions were Lars Myhre and Vic Thorpe.
Myhre is President of the Norwegian oil and petrochemical workers' union NOPEF and chairman of the oil industry section of the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM). 
 
Thorpe is the ICEM's General Secretary. 
 
For Statoil, the agreement was signed by Jostein Gaasemyr, Vice-President of Labour Relations. 
 
The declared aim of the agreement is to &quot;create an open channel of information between NOPEF/ICEM and Statoil Management about industrial relations issues in order to continuously improve and develop good work practices in Statoil's worldwide operations.&quot; It applies to &quot;all Statoil operations over which the company has direct control, i.e. Statoil is the operator.&quot; 
 
Statoil, NOPEF and the ICEM &quot;affirm their support for fundamental human rights in the community and in the place of work.&quot; They also &quot;recognise the importance of protecting health, safety and well-being at work&quot; and share concerns about the impact that &quot;production and distribution may have upon the natural and human environment.&quot; 
 
Many of the agreement's specific provisions are linked to the relevant standards (Conventions) set by the UN's International Labour Organisation (ILO). 
 
In particular, the unions' new global agreement with Statoil includes the following commitments [quote]: 
<ul>
 <li>
 <div>the right of every employee to be represented by a union of his or her own choice and the basic trade union rights as defined by ILO Conventions 87 and 98. Statoil therefore agrees not to oppose efforts to unionise its employees. 
 </div>
 </li>
 <li>
 <div>to employ no forced or bonded labour as proscribed in the ILO Conventions 29 and 105 
 </div>
 </li>
 <li>
 <div>to employ no child labour as proscribed by ILO Convention 138 
 </div>
 </li>
 <li>
 <div>to exercise equality of opportunity and treatment in employment as required by ILO Conventions 100 and 111 
 to pay fair wages and benefits according to good industry standards in the country concerned 
 </div>
 </li>
 <li>
 <div>to provide a safe work environment, deploying common &quot;best practice&quot; standards. 
 [end of quote] </div>
 </li>
</ul>
 
NOPEF/ICEM and Statoil will meet annually to review progress in implementing the agreement. In addition to general industrial issues and matters concerning health, safety and the environment, the annual meeting may address the following topics [quote]: 
<ul>
 <li>the economic and financial position of the company and the development of its business, major industrial and technological projects 
 </li>
 <li>general corporate policy on employment/occupational health, safety and environmental issues affecting the company 
 </li>
 <li>training matters 
 </li>
 <li>issues affecting the exercise of trade union rights 
 </li>
 <li>any other issues mutually agreed upon. 
 [end of quote] </li>
</ul>
The agreement gives full protection to union officers and to employees who provide information on its observance and implementation. Statoil itself undertakes to make available &quot;relevant information and other agreed facilities&quot; to union delegates, in return for a commitment by the unions to respect the commercial confidentiality of the information provided. 
 
The global agreement explicitly does not replace local-level industrial relations, and it embodies &quot;the principle that industrial relations issues are best resolved as close as possible to the place of work.&quot; 
 
&quot;NOPEF/ICEM and Statoil will both contribute to specific training programmes,&quot; the agreement states. This will include health and environment &quot;best practice&quot; training for union delegates from countries where Statoil is the operator and management training programmes within Statoil. &quot;In case of NOPEF/ICEM contributions to Statoil training programmes, costs may be covered by Statoil subject to agreement.&quot; 
 
Commented Statoil's Jostein Gaasemyr : &quot;This is an important step for Statoil, because we see the implementation of human rights as a crucial challenge in some of the environments in which we do business. This is an extension to the global level of the constructive, problem-solving relationship that Statoil has maintained with NOPEF for the past twenty years. We have long worked together with NOPEF,and NOPEF has now provided the link forward to our new global cooperation with the ICEM&quot;. 
 
The new agreement is &quot;a major step forward for global industrial relations in the oil industry,&quot; Lars Myhre commented. &quot;It will benefit the workers and the company. Not for the first time, Statoil has shown itself to be a far-sighted employer with a good understanding of its own longer-term interests.&quot; 
 
&quot;This is an important day for the ICEM and for the world trade union movement,&quot; said Vic Thorpe. &quot;Statoil has recognised that it makes sense for a global company to relate to trade unions globally, as well as nationally and locally. We are confident that more such agreements will follow soon in the oil industry and in other sectors where the ICEM represents the world's workers.&quot;

Oil Company and Unions Sign First Worldwide Agreement

<img height="114" alt="" src="/wp-content/uploads/articles/4logos.gif" width="130" />
The 20-millions strong ICEM and the Italian Trade Unions FILCEA-Cgil, FEMCA-Cisl and UILCEM-Uil signed a global agreement with Italian-based energy multinational, ENI, covering some 70 000 workers worldwide. The signing ceremony took place on 29th November 2002 before three hundred delegates gathered at the ICEM World Energy Conference in Rome. The agreement arises from a Protocol on Industrial Relations entered into between ENI management and Italian trade unions FILCEA, FEMCA and IULCEM in June 2001. This protocol established procedures for dialogue on the socio-economic impact of the company's activities across the globe and respect for human and trade union rights as contained in the ILO Core Conventions. 
 
 

<img height="236" alt="" src="/wp-content/uploads/articles/ener3.jpg" width="250" />
ICEM General Secretary Fred Higgs 
signs Global Agreement with ENI 
Founded in 1953, ENI, is a privatised company in which the Italian government has retained 30% equity. It has operations in oil and gas exploration, production, refining, marketing, engineering and oil field services, electricity generation and in the petrochemicals industries - key sectors for the ICEM. It is the sixth largest energy producer in the world with some seventy operations in sixty seven countries. It is listed on the New York and Milan stock exchanges. It has a market capitalisation of just over sixty seven billion euro. In 2001, the company generated a turnover of 49 billion euro. 
With the present agreement, ENI confirms it's commitment to respecting and implementing fundamental human and social rights as enshrined in the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Core Labour Conventions adopted by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) viz. the right of workers to organise and bargain, prohibition of forced labour, prohibition of child labour and non-discrimination. In addition, the agreement provides for &quot;continuing efforts to improve&quot; and to &quot;guarantee the highest standards&quot; of health and safety for workers in all of it's global operations. 
 
The Agreement commits the parties to &quot;work towards the cultivation of working practices capable of promoting economic and social progress&quot;. This includes skills development programmes for workers, diversity management and promoting sustainable development goals. As regards contractors, the company undertakes to &quot;formulate suitable guarantees against violations&quot; within the framework of the agreement. Any violations of the terms of the agreement shall be reported and any remedial action undertaken by management will be communicated to the union. The agreement will be communicated throughout all operations using both company and union networks. 
 
To promote on going information exchange and social dialogue, company executives, our Italian affiliates and the ICEM General Secretary shall meet, at company cost, in May each year to discuss socio-economic matters such as financial reports, employment, industrial relations and corporate social responsibility. Provision is also made for the involvement of ICEM-affiliated local unions within the company's operation in such meetings.&nbsp; 
 
Addressing conference delegates after the signing, Massimo Cappelli, manager for industrial relations and productivity stated that the agreement &quot;crowns an achievement in the company's ethics and industrial relations policy&quot;. The agreement commits the company to respecting human and trade union rights in all it's operations. &quot;This agreement takes us another step forward in our drive to improve industrial relations and respect for human and trade union rights across the globe&quot;, said Higgs after signing the agreement.

ICEM signs Global Agreement with Eni

The exchange of information and the development of good working practice within StatoilHydro worldwide operations. 

 
1 PREAMBLE 
 
This agreement is set up by Industri Energi, as the central bargaining union for StatoilHydro operations in Norway and Industri Energi on behalf of ICEM (International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers&rsquo; Unions) which represents trade unions organising StatoilHydro employees in the Company world-wide and StatoilHydro. 
 
The purpose of the agreement is to create an open channel of information between Industri Energi /ICEM and StatoilHydro Management about industrial relations issues in order to continuously improve and develop good work practices in StatoilHydro's worldwide operations. 
 
This agreement covers all activities where StatoilHydro has direct control. Where StatoilHydro does not have overall control, it will exercise its best efforts in order to secure compliance with the standards set out in this agreement. StatoilHydro will notify its subcontractors and licensees of this agreement and encourage compliance with the standards. 
 
Based on the Parties&rsquo; common recognition of fundamental human rights and StatoilHydro's own values, the purpose is to monitor the practical application of the agreed principles and to discuss any improvements in the working practices or any positive contribution the Parties may make to the eradication of poverty through economic and social progress. 
 
2 HUMAN RIGHTS, INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS AND HSE ISSUES 
 
StatoilHydro and Industri Energi/ICEM affirm their support for fundamental human rights in the community and in the place of work. Furthermore, the Parties recognise the importance of protecting safety, health and well being at work and share the concern about the impact of exploitation that production, use and disposal may have upon the natural and human environment. This agreement is intended to ensure the best possible standards of protection for those employed in our business. 
 
The respect of human rights includes: 
 
&bull; The right of every employee to be represented by a union of his or her own choice and the basic trade union rights as defined by ILO Convention 87 and 98 covering freedom of association and the right to organise, as well as the right to engage in collective bargaining. StatoilHydro therefore agrees not to oppose efforts to unionise its employees. 
 
&bull; A commitment not to employ forced or bonded labour as proscribed in the IL0 Conventions 29 and 105 or otherwise. 
 
&bull; A commitment to employ no child labour as proscribed by IL0 Convention 138. 
 
&bull; A commitment to exercise equality of opportunity and treatment in recruitment, employment, training and career development, including equal remuneration for men and women for work of equal value, and the prevention of discrimination*, in respect of employment and occupation as required by ILO Conventions 100 and 111 respectively. 
 
&bull; A commitment to pay fair wages and benefits according to good industry standards in the country concerned. 
 
&bull; A commitment to provide a safe and healthy work environment, deploying common &quot;best practice&quot; standards. 
 
&bull; Ensure that the company provides a clear and supportive policy on HIV/AIDS and that this policy is effectively implemented throughout StatoilHydros operations. 
 
 
* Discrimination is defined as any distinction, exclusion, or preference made on the basis of race, colour, sex, religion, political opinion, national extraction or social origin, which has the effect of nullifying or impairing equality of opportunity or treatment 
 
3 ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES 
 
StatoilHydro and Industri Energi/ICEM will cooperate to ensure that StatoilHydro activities are carried out with the fullest possible regard for the environment in particular this will include: 
 
&bull; Supporting a precautionary approach to environmental challenges. 
 
&bull; Undertaking initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility. 
 
&bull; Encouraging the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies. 
4 IMPLEMENTATION 

4.1 Annual Meeting 
 
StatoilHydro and Industri Energi/ICEM will meet annually to review practice in the area of the agreed principles and follow up this Agreement. The purpose shall be to discuss the issues covered by this agreement with a view to jointly agreeing actions that will further develop good working practices. In addition to the general industrial issues and HSE-matters, the following topics may be addressed: 
 
&bull; General corporate policy on employment, occupational health, safety and environmental issues affecting within the company and, as appropriate, between the company and its related companies including suppliers and subcontractors. 
 
&bull; The economic and financial position of the company and the development of its business and related activities. 
 
&bull; Training matters. 
 
&bull; Issues affecting the exercise of trade union rights. 
 
&bull; Any other issues mutually agreed upon. 
 
Participants at these annual meetings will normally be 4-5 senior officials from Industri Energi/ICEM and relevant managers from StatoilHydro. 

StatoilHydro and Industri Energi/ICEM will meet annually to review practice in the area of the agreed principles and follow up this Agreement. The purpose shall be to discuss the issues covered by this agreement with a view to jointly agreeing actions that will further develop good working practices. In addition to the general industrial issues and HSE-matters, the following topics may be addressed: &bull; General corporate policy on employment, occupational health, safety and environmental issues affecting within the company and, as appropriate, between the company and its related companies including suppliers and subcontractors. &bull; The economic and financial position of the company and the development of its business and related activities. &bull; Training matters. &bull; Issues affecting the exercise of trade union rights. &bull; Any other issues mutually agreed upon. Participants at these annual meetings will normally be 4-5 senior officials from Industri Energi/ICEM and relevant managers from StatoilHydro.
4.2 Local Industrial Relations practice 
 
The agreement between the Parties shall be applied consistently throughout StatoilHydro operations but is not intended to replace or interfere with local industrial relations practice related to information, problem solving and negotiations. The Parties to the agreement respect the principle that industrial relations issues are best resolved as close as possible to the place of work. 

4.3 Training Programmes 
 
Industri Energi/ICEM and StatoilHydro will cooperate in developing joint training arrangements covering those issues &ndash; and their implementation - dealt with in this agreement. This will include appropriate training in health, safety and environmental best practice for union delegates from countries where StatoilHydro is the operator. It will also include Management training programmes within StatoilHydro. The cost of Industri Energi/ICEM involvement in StatoilHydro training programmes may be covered by StatoilHydro, subject to agreement. 

4.4 Union delegates 
StatoilHydro will refrain from dismissing or otherwise discriminating against union delegates, identified as such by the Parties, or employees providing information relevant to the observance and implementation of this Agreement. All union delegates must agree to respect the commercial confidentiality of information disclosed in the exercise of their duties. 
 
StatoilHydro will assist union delegates in the performance of their functions by making available relevant information and other agreed facilities. When it is necessary to take time off from work to perform these functions this will be agreed upon locally and may be given as paid time off within the framework of local agreements. 
 
StatoilHydro may also facilitate the opportunity for union representatives from StatoilHydro operations to meet as necessary to discuss the application and future development of this agreement. 

StatoilHydro will refrain from dismissing or otherwise discriminating against union delegates, identified as such by the Parties, or employees providing information relevant to the observance and implementation of this Agreement. All union delegates must agree to respect the commercial confidentiality of information disclosed in the exercise of their duties. StatoilHydro will assist union delegates in the performance of their functions by making available relevant information and other agreed facilities. When it is necessary to take time off from work to perform these functions this will be agreed upon locally and may be given as paid time off within the framework of local agreements. StatoilHydro may also facilitate the opportunity for union representatives from StatoilHydro operations to meet as necessary to discuss the application and future development of this agreement. 
4.5 Information 
 
Industri Energi/ICEM will distribute copies of this agreement to all its member unions that organise employees in StatoilHydro companies around the world, and will broadly publicise the existence of the agreement and explain its implications to its unions in the Company. 
 
StatoilHydro will in the same manner distribute copies of this agreement to all StatoilHydro offices in local languages of the countries concerned and will inform local management of the existence and contents of this Agreement. 
 
Any external information about this agreement shall be mutually agreed by the Parties. 

4.6 Administration 
 
The President of Industri Energi on behalf of ICEM or person authorised by him, and the Vice President Labour Relations in StatoilHydro are responsible for the administration of this agreement. 
 
5 DURATION AND EVALUATION 
 
The duration of this agreement is two years, until 1st September 2010, after which this agreement will be evaluated and may be prolonged for a new period. 

 
Gen&egrave;ve, Nov 13th . 2008 

 
Lars Myhre on behalf of Leif Sande Industri Energi
Erling Brevik StatoilHydro&nbsp; 
Manfred Warda ICEM

Text of the Global Agreement between the ICEM and StatoilHydro

GLOBAL AGREEMENT 
 
between
ANGLOGOLD LTD. (AngloGold) 
 
and 
INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF CHEMICAL, ENERGY, MINE AND GENERAL WORKERS' UNIONS (the ICEM) 
 
on 
 
THE PROMOTION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF GOOD HUMAN AND INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS IN ANGLOGOLD OPERATIONS WORLDWIDE 
 
1 PREAMBLE 
 
1.1 AngloGold is a South African based gold mining company with business operations in several countries around the world. The ICEM represents trade unions that organise workers in the mining industry worldwide. 
 
1.2 AngloGold and the ICEM record their mutual interest in the development and sustainability of the gold mining industry worldwide, and in good human resources and industrial relations practice. 
 
1.3 AngloGold and the ICEM agree to give practical effect to their common interest, and accordingly enter into this agreement to: 
 
&middot; create an effective channel for an ongoing dialogue between them to protect and advance their mutual interests; 
 
&middot; affirm the principles and values of internationally accepted labour relations and human resource practice;and 
 
&middot; establish a procedure for the resolution of disagreements that may arise from time to time. 
 
1.4 In pursuance of this objective and of advancing the interests of all stakeholders in the gold mining industry the parties seek to promote an industry that is safe, humane and productive. 
 
 
2 APPLICATION 
This agreement is intended to apply to operations, wherever situated, over which AngloGold has direct managerial control.The parties agree that no additional processes or rights other than those specified in this agreement will be imposed by the application of the agreement by ICEM affiliates. 
 
 
3 FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES AND VALUES 
 
The parties respect the following principles and values: 
 
&middot; the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, without distinction as to race, gender, language, national extraction, social origin, political opinion or religion; 
 
&middot; the rights of freedom of association with due regard to the principles underlying ILO Convention 87; 
 
&middot; the determination of the terms and conditions of employment through appropriate mechanisms, with due regard to the principles underlying ILO Convention 98; 
 
&middot; the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labour as proscribed by ILO Conventions 29 and 105; 
 
&middot; the effective abolition of child labour as proscribed by ILO Conventions 138 and 182; 
 
&middot; the elimination of discrimination and the promotion of employment equality in respect of employment policies and practices, with due regard to ILO Conventions 100 and 111; 
 
&middot; the provision of a safe and healthy working environment by the application of industry best practice; 
 
&middot; the conduct of mining operations with proper regard for the environment and for the health and safety of all those involved, and the public at large; 
 
&middot; the promotion of good relationships with local communities and a positive and meaningful contribution to community activities; and 
 
&middot; those principles and values referred to in the UN General Secretary's initiative, the Global Compact. 
 
 
4 IMPLEMENTATION 
 
4.1 Review and Application 
 
The parties agree to meet as often as is necessary, but at least annually, to review past practice and to preview future plans relevant to their interests, and to discuss the terms of this agreement. A sub-committee will be established to consider plans and proposals placed before it by either party following any alleged breach of accepted standards of conduct that could not be resolved at the level of local and national operation. 
 
4.2 Information Sharing and Training 
 
The parties agree to distribute copies of this agreement throughout their organisations to each appropriate level and area, and to advise the parties of their rights and duties under this agreement. 
 
 
5 ADMINISTRATION AND DURATION 
 
5.1 The General Secretary of the ICEM or a designated nominee and the Chief Executive Officer of AngloGold or a designated nominee is responsible for the administration of the agreement. 
 
5.2 The agreement will come into effect once signed and remains in force unless otherwise agreed or amended, or terminated by either party giving three calendar months&rsquo; notice, in writing, to the other. 
 
 
Signed by 
 
 
Fred Higgs, General Secretary, ICEM 
Bobby Godsell, CEO, Anglogold 
Senzeni Zokwana, President, NUM

Text of the Global Agreement between ICEM and AngloGold

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