Rail Workers March to Stop EU Plan to Privatize Railways

Thousands of railroad workers protested in Paris Nov. 12 against continuing European Union (EU) plans to force governments to sell off national railways in the latest stage of a relentless ideological campaign to restructure and privatize them. They will gather from across Europe to take part in a demonstration called by the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) against EU plans that could lead to the complete fragmentation of the continent's railways.

Sabine Trier, ETF deputy general secretary, commented: “In the last few years, the EU, the European Parliament and the Council of Transport Ministers have adopted three legislative packages for the railway sector. The consequences have been total restructuring, fragmentation and privatization, and for workers more stress less job security longer hours and a cut in the workforce of a half.”

In their demonstration in Paris, European rail workers will cry “enough is enough” to the efforts to privatize state-owned railroads, but they will also proclaim the importance of publicly-owned, environmentally-sound, properly-funded, customer-responsive rail networks.

Colombian Sugar Workers End 56-Day Strike with Major Gains

A strike by 18,000 Colombian sugar cane workers that lasted 56 days came to an end after companies employing 75 percent of the workers agreed to their major demands on Nov. 10. Their union (SINALCORTEROS), that carried them through the longest, toughest, and highest profile strike in recent memory, expressed confidence that negotiations, still underway with the remaining 25 percent of employers, will shortly result in agreements, following the pattern already set.

The union won an average 15 percent wage increase, a limitation on the working day to eight hours, plus a maximum of two hours per day of overtime (replacing the 12 to 14 hours a day previously worked). Employers will contribute to funds for sick pay and their commitments for housing, education and social security for workers and their families. Stricter controls are to be placed on the weighing of harvested cane, a procedure through which workers have in the past been routinely cheated.

The union was not able to win direct employment contracts to replace the system of phony “cooperatives” that has allowed the mill owners to evade responsibility for collective bargaining and health and retirement benefits, but the union feels the gains won through the struggle and the tripling of union membership in the course of the strike position it to successfully challenge the arrangement in the future.

Union Seeks to Rescind Cuts in Pension Benefits for Millions

Trade union representatives in India started working to rescind a government decision to cut pension benefits for millions of workers by changing the way retirement payments are calculated. The effort came during a Nov. 11 meeting of the trustees of the Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO). India’s social security organization has about 44.4 million members.

The decision to “rescind” the notification of the change was unanimous, said W.R. Veranda, a trade union representative from the Center of Indian Trade Unions. He added that until this was done, the notification would be “put on hold.” The trustees left the decision to annul the government notification to the EPFO chairman and labor minister Oscar Fernandez.

A government notification, dated Oct. 1, said that pensions would be based on average monthly salaries from the entire period of an employee’s contribution to the Employees’ Pension Scheme (EPS) instead of the last 12 months, as has been the usual practice and is more favorable to employees.

Chile’s Public Employees Strike for Pay Raise to Beat Inflation

Thousands of Chilean public sector employees began a two-day strike last week, demanding higher wages to counter the highest inflation rate in 14 years. Teachers, health workers and prison workers blew whistles, banged drums and waved banners as they marched through downtown Santiago in the latest series of protests against the government. Schools, health facilities, garbage collection and other public services shut down.

The National Association of Fiscal Employees (ANEF), which groups workers from across the public sector, is demanding a 14.5 percent pay increase for its members. Protesters said they were simply asking for their pay to be kept in line with inflation, which hit 9.9 percent in the 12-month period through October, the highest pace since 1994.

Roberto Conejos, 30, who works in the social security arm of the police, said the government should spread around some of Chile’s windfall copper revenue, which have enabled it to save $21 billion. “We have been asking for inflation adjustments for two years,” Cornejo said. “The government says it has to hold onto the money and be more austere because of the (global financial) crisis.”

Steel Unions Agree to Environmental Global Strategy

Affiliates of the International Metalworkers’ Federation (IMF) from both the developed and developing world reached an historic agreement last week to develop a global response to climate change in the steel industry. Metal unions from Australia, Brazil, India, Russia, Britain, United States and Japan met in Tokyo on Nov. 5-6 as part of the IMF Steel Action Group.

The meeting discussed ways in which unions and the IMF can tackle the growing problem of global warming and its impact on workers. “Climate change is a vitally important issue for workers in the steel industry; it stands to affect not only our employment prospects in the future, but also the environment we live in,” said Rob Johnston, IMF steel director. "This agreement proposes a practical approach that unions can advocate Internationally on behalf of metalworkers.”

As part of the agreement, unions are committed to support low carbon innovation and technological developments that affect climate change. They will try to ensure that revenue generated by any international trading permit or carbon tax scheme should be used to benefit the workers in affected industries. They intend to develop an agenda for a 2009 meeting in Asia with a view of engaging the All China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) and its metalworking organizations on climate change issues.

Air France Pilot Strike Causes Major Disruption

Air France passengers around the world suffered cancellations and long delays Nov. 14 as pilots began a costly four-day strike to protest new rules that will make them work until the age of 65. The airline said that 40 percent of its pilots had stopped work, but the pilots’ union, SNPL, said the figure was as high as 80 percent.

The SNPL called the strike to protest legislation that would effectively end the current requirement for pilots to retire at 60, and flight attendants to wrap up their careers at 55. The legislation, tacked onto a wider bill on financing social security in 2009, was adopted by France’s National Assembly on Nov. 1. It is currently being examined by the Senate, the upper house of parliament. The strikers want the Senate to withdraw the plan.

An SNPL statement said the legislation was a “violation of the commitment [by the French transport minister] that any change in the retirement age for pilots would be preceded by negotiations with the social partners.” Transport Minister Dominique Bussereau insisted that proper negotiations had been carried out with pilots, who would, under the new rules, still be able to retire at 60 if they so chose.

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