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SUB-REGIONAL CONFERENCE OF METAL WORKERS FROM SOUTH-EAST EUROPE

EMPLOYMENT AND UNCERTAIN JOBS




Belgrade, September 28 2007
The Sub-Regional Conference of trade unions from South-East Europe, IMF members, took place in Sarajevo on 13 and 14 September 2007 and was organized by the IMF. The Conference was attended by over 40 representatives from 8 countries from the Region, with IMF representatives, coordinator, Anne Marie Moreau and Rob Johnston. The intention and major task of the participants was directed to the subject of job safety and industrial hygiene in the Region.

A Draft of the ��Global Agreement of Arcelor Mittal Steel�� was also presented to participants and an information given, at the same time, on the situation and developments in Arcelor Mittal, which were presented at the IMF International Meeting. Rob Johnston stressed in his presentation and report, submitted to Arcelor Mittal, that the word was about a serious employer and his presence in South-East Europe. Referring to this subject, colleagues from Bosnia and Herzegovina explained the situation in Zenica Steel Works in detail, where Mittal Steel is a majority owner. Trade union activities culminated with a strike in Zenica, which ended successfully and the result of which were increased earnings and considerably improved working conditions. Mittal Steel is a company that trade unions have to monitor attentively, which is present on all continents and employs, directly or indirectly, one million people, and the number of workers it will hire, will be increased soon by another 500 thousand.

The participants in the Conference indicated the necessity of closer regional cooperation, mutual informing and support, exchange of experience and information. Creating a global unionist network would be a proper response to the current situation, as well as signing international agreements with companies being recognizable on the international level and employing a large number of workers. Trade unions cannot respond individually to globalization problems and presence of multinational companies in an adequate manner, especially in the area of job safety and IH, and this must become a joint responsibility of all unions.

Colleagues from Bulgaria, Metallici Union, emphasized a problem with Global Steel which has its plants and facilities in Bulgaria, Serbia, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and have shown similar indecent treating of employees and trade unions, non-observance of international standards and laws, as well as other specified regulations.

A conclusion was drawn that trade unions had to approach Global Steel from a regional level, and a joint meeting of national trade unions has been planned, where Global Steel is present. Also, the participants in the Conference answered three questions, through verbal presentation:

1.Which are the weak points in approach to the problem of job safety and IH?
2.Which are the most important issues from the area of job safety and IH?
3.What are the problems at national level in communication with the Government, Ministry, departments responsible for job safety and IH and employers representatives, when the word is about job safety. It has been planned that all the information should be processed through a study of the status of protection and safety in South-East Europe, in order that trade unions would use them in their work.

An important topic was also discussed at the Conference, and this was a presentation of the International Provisional Agreement model, prepared by the IMF, and information was given at the same time on the Conference on International Provisional Agreements, which took place in Frankfurt.

A great interest was shown by participants in the Conference in the subject of ��Uncertain jobs in South-East Europe and change in the employment practice��, and a presentation was given by Anne Marie Moreau, who presented this problem as an international one, being increasingly present on the territories of South-East Europe. It was pointed out that employers exerted a strong pressure on national legislations in order that employment for a very short time period would be in compliance with the law and with various sub-modalities.

This topic shall be a major subject of the IMF Central Committee Meeting to be held in Brazil. All participants in the Conference spoke about the cases of uncertain jobs and a conclusion was drawn that one had to take preventive measures in order that the consequences for employees in case of the employment practice change and uncertain jobs would not be included in statutory regulations. Colleagues, Women�s Section representatives, read the reports on the activities performed by trade unions in the previous period, through Women�s Section work.

The conclusion of the participants in the Conference was positive and it was agreed that, if a need arose, national trade unions should maintain permanent contacts and organize meetings at international levels.

 
     
 
 
 
 
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