From the Morning Star, December 30th
Canada steelworkers hail global solidarity
A United Steelworkers of Canada protest against Brazilian transnational Vale Inco
Canadian steelworkers locked in dispute with an "autocratic" Brazilian transnational has praised the solidarity that workers around the world have rendered since 3,500 miners downed tools in mid-July.
One of the most successful campaigns of its kind has attracted 8,000 protest messages from across the globe sent to Roger Agnelli, CEO of Vale Inco.
The protest message campaign is being run via LabourStart, the international trade union news service.
In addition, unions around the world are rallying to provide practical and financial support to over 3,500 strikers at Vale Inco sites in Sudbury, Port Colborne and Voisey's Bay.
United Steel Workers of Canada (USW) members have rejected the company's demands for massive concesions on pensions, profit-sharing bonuses and workplace and seniority rights.
Vale Inco is demanding these huge concessions from its Canadian workers, even though they generated a record £2.56 billion in profits from 2006 to 2008.
Worldwide, Vale bosses enjoyed a record £8.25bn profit in 2008 and the firm remains highly profitable, despite the global recession.
Vale's bosses have awarded themselves pay increases of 121 per cent in the last two years.
The 8,000 email protest messages condemn Vale management's labour relations strategy, which includes hiring scabs in a bid to divide workers and split communities.
Speaking on national Canadian television, USW international president Leo Gerard said: "We don't view this dispute being just about our members and our union.
"This dispute is also about the quality of life we've built in our community - our union is very active in the community and 90 per cent of the wages that are earned or the bonuses that are paid are spent in our community."
Mr Gerard explained that the strike is "about keeping our community strong as well as a decent collective agreement."
He charged that Vale bosses were "autocratic" and "used to hiring and firing people at will," noting that they fired 3,600 junior employees in Brazil last year.
Mr Gerard stressed that the USW has offered to talk to bosses without pre-conditions, "but the company only talk through their PR company or via hired bloggers, who are attempting to get to our members."
He applauded the "tremendous global support we are receiving from south Asia, Europe, Australia, Africa and from Workers Uniting, the first global union formed by us and Britain's Unite," which he said was "working hard to support our brothers and sisters in Canada.
"What our fellow members are doing is more than standing up to one company.
"They are standing up for us and working families everywhere as we take on the ills of globalisation," Mr Gerard said.
Letter from USW to LabourStart
LabourStart Campaign Against Vale a Tremendous Success
Published: December 30, 2009
Posted in: News, Release
29 December, 2009
Eric Lee
Editor
LabourStart
Dear Eric:
In the last few weeks, more than 8,000 protest messages have been sent directly to the chief executive of Brazil-based Vale SA, condemning the mining conglomerate’s callous treatment of workers.
The United Steelworkers (USW) wishes to thank LabourStart for launching this e-mail petition in support of 3,500 USW members in Canada who are into the sixth month of a strike against Vale Inco. The petition reinforces the USW’s global solidarity campaign which is building alliances with Vale workers and communities around the world who are demanding better treatment from this giant multinational.
The USW and its striking members in Canada are grateful for the support and solidarity they have received from LabourStart and the petitioners who made this such a successful campaign. It has been heartening to see thousands of people speak out, within such a brief timeframe, to help expose Vale’s attacks on working families and their communities.
Vale is massively profitable, yet it has provoked a strike in Canada by demanding huge concessions from workers. To date, the company has refused to negotiate a resolution to the dispute, rejecting the USW’s offer to resume meaningful, good-faith bargaining, free of pre-conditions.
Working people around the world joined LabourStart’s petition against Vale because they recognize it is unacceptable, arrogant and callous for a highly profitable foreign corporation to try to impose drastic concessions on workers and their communities, while removing greater amounts of wealth from those communities.
Until Vale decides to negotiate a fair deal with its Canadian workers, we will continue our international solidarity campaign against this company’s attacks on working families and their communities. USW members and their families would like to extend our appreciation and gratitude to LabourStart and our allies around the world for your ongoing support in our struggle.
In Solidarity,
Ken Neumann
USW National Director for Canada
Also here is a video of a holiday message to the Vale
strikers. Please pass on
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=md9RaZc02UI
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