| Home | Bookmark | Tell | Active petitions in over 75 countries | Follow GoPetition |
Petition Tag - trade union
1. Don't Sell Out the Pensions Fight! 
This ConDem government wants ordinary men and women to pay for a crisis in the financial system brought about by those at the very top of our society.
As UK corporations evade their taxes to the tune of £25bn every year, HMRC chooses to target those who can least afford it.
By slashing investment in education, health and public services, this government of millionaire ex-public schoolboys are condemning communities everywhere to years of poverty and unemployment.
Now is the time for those who head the labour movement to show real leadership - to defend and improve on the gains made by previous generations.
2. Oppose ConDem anti-worker Employment law changes
The ConDem coalition Government is biased towards Employers. So it comes as no surprise that the Government is proposing a new Employer’s Charter.
Some of the suggestions are reasonable. For example, encouraging parties to resolve disputes between themselves by requiring all claims to be lodged with Acas (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) in the first instance to allow pre-claim conciliation including settlements to be offered and speeding up the tribunal process.
However buried in the detail is a proposal to increase the period an employee qualifies in most cases for Employment rights from one to two years. This means that unless you are in a specially protected class (racial, sexual etc.) you will not be able to bring a claim for unfair dismissal until you have been employed for two years.
Just to turn the screw tighter the Coalition is proposing that sacked employees provide a financial ‘bond’ before they can apply to a Tribunal. Many low paid workers struggle to make ends meet and they simply have no savings to be used in this regard. The very workers that are most vulnerable would be the ones unable to take their case forward!
The Solidarity Trade Union rejects these outrageous proposals and campaigns to resist their implementation.
3. Support the Struggle for Trade Union Rights at Accor Novotel Canada Hotels
Since 2008 workers at three Accor hotels in Canada, have been organizing to win union recognition and collective bargaining rights in the face of fierce opposition from management.
Several workers at the Novotel Mississauga, Novotel North York, and Novotel Ottawa have been fired or punished with reduced shifts or hours after becoming public union supporters. Management has repeatedly pressured workers to vote ‘no’ in union elections.
UNITE HERE! Local 75, which represents more than 6000 workers in 40 Greater Toronto Hotels, including Novotel Toronto Centre, has filed dozens of complaints of labour law violations against Accor management, and community leaders and local politicians have expressed their outrage at the ant-union actions of these hotels.
The Novotel chain is part of the Accor Group of Hotels, which operates 3,982 hotels worldwide with over 150,000 employees. In 1995 Accor signed an agreement with the IUF, by which they undertook "not to oppose efforts to unionize its employees"' The agreement also states that the company "considers respect for union rights to be part of the good reputation of its brand names."
At the Novotel Mississauga in April 2009, 64% of workers demonstrated their support for the union by signing union cards. Despite this, less than a month later only 40% of workers voted for the union - a measure of intense pressure and threats from management.
Myriam Toribo has worked at the Novotel since 2000. She has been an active supporter of the campaign to unionize the hotel since 2005. Over this time, like many of her co-workers, she has been subject to harassment and discrimination for being a union supporter. This has included being told by a manager that the union 'is not good for you' in one-on-one meetings, and not being allocated shifts in accordance with her seniority in line with normal practice at the hotel.
In February this year, the situation escalated when Myriam was fired from her employment at the hotel with no due process. This came after the Hotel had implemented new policies to try and discourage housekeepers from talking to each other either during or before their shifts. Myriam's termination was then announced to the other housekeeping staff to frighten and discourage them from supporting the union. Other union supporters were also told to 'watch out' as they could be next.
In April this year, workers at the Novotel Ottawa showed overwhelming support for the union, and Unite Here! Local 75 called for a recognition ballot. Management then ran an aggressive ‘Vote No’ campaign in the run up to the ballot. This included firing union supporters and holding captive audience meetings with workers to dissuade them from supporting the union. On the day before the ballot, a letter was delivered individually to each worker, encouraging them to vote ‘no’. This pressure led to a 50% vote in favour of the union, just short of the number needed to secure recognition.
At a recent union rally Jeff Segat, a young father of two who helped lead the organizing drive and was fired from his position as cook at the Novotel Ottawa three weeks before the recognition ballot, told supporters “I'm not giving up, and we're not giving up!" The spotlight will continue on Accor’s anti-union record in the coming weeks during the G20 summit and alternative civil society People's Summit. Workers at the Novotel Toronto have overwhelmingly voted in favor of strike action (click here for more information).
In October 2009, the Accor European Works Council called on the company to fully respect the International Trade Union Rights Agreement with the IUF and comply with their commitment to protect employees against all acts of discrimination that tend to violate freedom of association by positively engaging with Unite Here! Despite European and international pressure, the company refuses to sign an agreement with Unite Here! guaranteeing freedom of association.
http://vimeo.com/7119465
http://www.uniteherecanada.org/pages/releasedetail.php?press_id=211
Jack Layton meeting:
http://vimeo.com/10961670
4. Solidarity with Honda Workers’ Struggle
全球呼吁：支持中国本田工人斗争 要求提高工资改组基层工会
各工会、民间团体和关心中国劳工状况的朋友：
位于广东省佛山市的本田汽车零部件制造有限公司工人罢工已经进入第十四天。这是近年来中国工人的罢工行动中较为持久的一次，在关心中国工人状况的朋友为富士康工人的跳楼事件感动悲伤的时候，本田工人的斗争无疑起到很大的鼓舞作用。
本田员工向我们反映，他们的斗争已经取得一定的成果。在工厂共1800多员工中，竟然高达8成是技校未毕业的实习生，由于他们和公司签订的是实习合同，不受《劳动法》保障，工资低至每月900元，低于最低工资水平，也没有购买任何社会保险。在学校招工时，公司承诺包吃包住，但实质上只是每天包一餐，工资扣除宿舍的水电费后，工人每月只能拿到700多元。实习生在实习约一年并取得毕业证之后才能转为正式员工。但是即使正式员工的工资也只是每月1000元。
5月17日，全体员工开始罢工，在资方召集的大会上，员工提出108项要求，并应资方的要求选出30名代表。其后，资方不但没有拿出诚意谈判，还解雇了两名员工代表，企图杀鸡儆猴。一直到5月24日，资方才愿意每月给予55元的伙食津贴，被员工严正拒绝。实习生和正式工人保持了高度的勇气和团结，坚持罢工。到了5月26日，本田提出分化方案，实习生增加工资477元，正式员工只是增加355元。员工拒绝资方分化方案，5月27日经集体协商后再次向资方提出几点重要的要求：1）基本工资加800元，工资提升三天内重签劳动合同，年度提升不可以少于15%，年终奖、节日补贴不能少于上一年；2）追加工龄补贴，工龄每增加一年加100元，10年封顶；3）对罢工员工不秋后算账，被辞退的员工必须安排复工；4）重整工会，重新选举工会主席及各相关工作人员。
5月28日，资方再次提出新方案，实习生的工资在第三个月起增加到634元，正式员工维持加薪355元。同时，资方开始透过种种手段迫使实习生复工，包括要求他们在5月31日上午9时之前签署和提交不罢工“承诺书”，并召来部分实习生的在校老师连同地方政府官员向实习生施加压力，要求31日上班。在整个过程中，本田工会不但没有为罢工员工提供任何协助，反而要求员工尽快回到自己的岗位上恢复生产。
Global Appeal
Solidarity with Honda Workers’ Struggle for Demanding Higher Wages and Restructuring of the shop floor Trade Union
To brothers and sisters at trade unions, civil society and friends who concern about the labor situation in China:
Honda Auto Parts Manufacturing Co., Ltd. located in Foshan City, Guangdong Province, has entered the 14th day strike. This is one of the many strikes of Chinese workers that lasts the longest in recent years. When many people are concerned and moved with great grief by the tragedy of Foxconn’s workers who had committed suicide by jumping from a building, the struggle of Honda workers undoubtedly is very encouraging.
Honda workers told us that their struggle has got some success. Among a total of more than 1,800 employees in the factory, 80 percent of them are student interns from technical schools. Since they signed a internship contract, they are not protected the labor law and their wages is as low as 900 Yuan per month which is lower than the minimum wage level, and they are not covered by any social insurance. When these interns were recruited in schools, the company promised free lodging and meals but only one meal is provided a day. After deducting the cost of utilities for lodging, workers can only get around 700 Yuan per month. Interns can become regular employees only after they finished one year internship and obtained a diploma. Even these interns become regular employees the wages is only 1,000 Yuan per month.
On May 17, all workers went a strike and at the general assembly convened by the employers, the workers made 108 demands and elected 30 representatives upon employer’s request. However, the employer not only failed to show good faith in negotiations, but also dismissed two worker representatives in an attempt scare the others.
May 24, the company agreed to give 55 Yuan a month as meal allowance which was sternly rejected by workers. The regular employees and the interns maintained a high degree of courage and solidarity and insisted to continue the strike.
May 26, Honda management proposed a differentiation that interns will get a wage increase of 477 Yuan per month but the regular staff will only get an increase of 355 Yuan. All workers refused the differentiation formula.
May 27 after discussing collectively, the workers again proposed a few important demands:
1. An increase of basic pay of 800 Yuan per month. Within three days of the wage increase, re-signed a labor contract, and the annual raise must not less than 15%. Year-end bonus, festival subsidies cannot be less than the previous year;
2. Compensation of additional years of service subsidies--for each year of service, there will an increase of 100 Yuan per year with a 10-year cap;
3. Reinstate the dismissed employees and no punishment for workers who joined the strikes;
4. Re-structure the company’s trade union—Re-elect trade union chairman and the trade union related staff.
May 28, Honda management again came up with a new proposal:
Interns’ wages will be increased to 634 Yuan per month after the first three month employment and regular staff’s wage increase remains the same (355 Yuan per month). At the same time, through various means, Honda began to force the interns to sign a “no more strike” promise which has to be submitted before 9 am of May 31. What is more, Honda called in some teachers of the interns and the local government officials to exert pressure on the interns and urged them to go back to work on May 31. Throughout the process, the Honda trade union not only failed to provide any assistance for the strike workers, but urge them resume production as soon as possible.
Three of Community's union reps who worked at Corus Strip Products in Llanwern were made redundant by Corus. The union proved at a tribunal that they were victimised in the selection process because they are trade unionists.
An employment tribunal agreed with Community but Corus are still refusing to give the Llanwern 3 their jobs back.
Facts; Trevor Hall has been a workplace trade union representative at Milliken, Cam, UK for 7 years. Trevor Hall has been a very effective rep. He has negotiated annual wage rises worth 20% in total, extra holiday and in the last 2 years alone he has supported colleagues in over 100 disciplinary cases.
Trevor has raised equalities issues with management at Milliken, asking for equal treatment of Women and Disabled People.
His union, the Transport and General Workers Union, believe he has been sacked on unproven charges of bullying in order to remove him from trade union duties.
