call of the millions 3 winter 2012

7/29/2019 Call of the Millions 3 Winter 2012

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1

1the call of the millions...he call of the millions...

we are nothing but we should be everything:this is the call of the millions...

Issue 3: Dec 2012

Tackling The BigTackling The Big

GunsGuns

Features:Features:Chinese Workers P2Chinese Workers P2

At A Wal-Mart Near You P4At A Wal-Mart Near You P4

The Millions In Action P6The Millions In Action P6

Solidarity And Global Frameworks P7Solidarity And Global Frameworks P7

International Women P8International Women P8

Anti-Austerity Pictureboard P9Anti-Austerity Pictureboard P9


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An Eye On ChinaMade in China?Made in China?20% of all manufactured goods are,including over a half of PCs and mobilephones. We've heard the stories of

shocking working conditions in itsgarment,toy and IT assembly plants. Sowhat about the Chinese workers then istheirs only a tale of woe? Or can the newproletarians of this economic powerhousedo anything about their situation? Thanksto the series of reports from the HongKong based NGO China Labour Bulletin,we have an unparalleled eyeon events unfolding.....

the economic boom town of Shenzenthe economic boom town of Shenzen

First a bit of background. China haschanged massively over the last 30 years.The old collective economy has beendismantled and privatised, displacingmillions of workers and peasants, whohave migrated to the cities and theeastern seaboard to find work. Here theyfunction as a huge surplus labour pool forincoming foreign capital in the 'exportprocessing zones' open to superexploitation, harsh labour conditions and

restrictions on residency.

These changes have stripped workers andpeasants of their old securities and socialsupports, leaving them 'naked before themarket' and increasingly desperateenough to fight back. China is now thesecond largest economy in the world, butits success has been built on the sweat ofa newly formed proletariat. Economicrecession has created extra instability: theprice of china's reintegration into the

capitalist world economy.

The workers and the unionsThe workers and the unionsThe new Chinese proletarians are mostlymigrant workers over 150 million peoplenow work outside their home county. Forsome this is a transient state of affairs:

they shift between factory and field aseconomic fortune dictates. Others are fullyurban based, but retain migrant statusunder the 'hukou' household registrationsystem, which denies residency rights tothose of rural origin.

It is the young urban strata of this mass,'second generation' migrants, that areleading the recent labour protests. Bettereducated than their parents, with noagricultural ties, they are less tolerant of

employer abuses and make good use ofnew ICTs to coordinate and publicise theirstruggles. Economic downturn andrecurrent labour shortages have amplifiedtheir voices.

And labour protests are on the rise. Newwaves of conflict have swept across theexport processing zones in the lastdecade, made most vivid to us in theHonda dispute of 2010 and the recurrentproblems at Foxconn, but going far wider.Longer running disputes in the stateowned enterprise sector, concerningprivatisation and job losses are stillsimmering too. Strikes, walkouts and roadblocks are the favoured forms of protest.

ConstructionConstructionWorkersWorkers


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SStrikers At Nanhai Honda 2010trikers At Nanhai Honda 2010


An Eye On ChinaThese struggles are occurring outside thecontrol and influence of China's officialand sole trade union federation, the

ACFTU. Although 209 million members

strong, the ACFTU is not able to representworkers effectively, operating under thestrict control of the state and acting moreas a agent of social containment. It has nogenuine plant-level presence andundertakes no collective bargaining.

Instead it signs agreements with privatecompanies to set up 'enterprise unions'that fall under management control.Workers confronting exploitation andabuse on a daily basis are forced to takematters into their own hands and bringtheir concerns to the attention of the localauthorities, through mass actions like

roadblocks, to get their grievances heard.

The state and the futureThe Chinese state has itself made someshifts in its policy of maintaining social

control in the face of the protests. Strikesand demonstrations have been tolerated,and the use of coercive force reserved formore serious 'mass incidents'.

Co-optation is evident, as local authoritiesincrease minimum wages to try and buyoff low-paid workers, and also intervene indisputes to help workers win wagearrears. Labour conflict is reflected inofficial media a move forced on theparty by the rise of social and commercial

media.

Real progress has been made over thelast decade by Chinese workers, evenwithout the legal rights to strike,bargain collectively or organise outside

of the ACFTU.

Through their independent action theyhave won some significantimprovements in pay and conditions proving that manufacturers canaccommodate large wage increases,and are vulnerable to disruption alongtheir supply chains (especially in theautomobile industry).

Enterprise unions are now beingrejected, with workers electing theirown representatives and engaging in

plant-level bargaining. In someinstances they have won big gains (e.g.at Nanhai Honda and Atsumi Metal).This action has laid down the basis forthe genuine plant-level collectivebargaining currently missing from theChinese economy. Workers need theirvoices to be heard, throughdemocratically run grassroots unions, ifthe current power imbalance betweencapital and labour is to be shifted intheir favour.

For much more on Chinese labourFor much more on Chinese labour

struggles, look up the China Labourstruggles, look up the China Labour

Bulletin atBulletin at www.clb.hk.orgwww.clb.hk.org

So what does the future hold?So what does the future hold?
http://www.clb.hk.org/http://www.clb.hk.org/http://www.clb.hk.org/http://www.clb.hk.org/http://www.clb.hk.org/


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Wal-Mart :Wal-Mart : From Warehouse Blues to Black FridayFrom Warehouse Blues to Black Friday

Globalisation is generally reckoned to bebad news for workers and their unions:the global rearrangement of productionacross far-flung supply chains proving

difficult for nationally based trade unionsto contest.

But the new system has its own

vulnerabilities, especially at its keydistribution points. Such as the modernwarehouses through which millions oftonnes of goods pass from the globalsouth to western consumers.

Unions have been looking at how bestthey can organise these strategically

important groups of workers. They are upagainst some big opponents none biggerthan the mega retailer Wal Mart.

Aerial view of the Inland Empire zone near LAAerial view of the Inland Empire zone near LA

In America, massive clusters ofwarehouses outside Chicago and LosAngeles now serve as national importcentres for the likes of Wal Mart, Cosco,Home Depot and Target. These structures

can handle up to an incredible 70,000containers a day and cover an area of 1million square feet.In the Chicago area there are around150,000 warehouse workers now, withhalf a billion square feet devoted to thestorage and transmission of goods.Clearly these are vital cogs in moderncorporate supply chains.

Organising for justiceOne current project dedicated to supportingthis workforce is Warehouse Workers forJustice, an Illinois-based workers centre.

They have been at the centre of a disputethat rocked Wal Mart and boosted the beliefthat workers united can stand up to thelargest multinationals and win.

At the Elwood warehouse (Wal-Mart'slargest), WWJ members walked out inSeptember for a 3 week strike against wagetheft and retaliation against workers daringto protest and organise around theirworking conditions. With support from localcommunity and labour organisations theWWJ group even managed to shut down thewarehouse and force Wal-Mart to agree anend to its practice of illegal retaliation.

Around the same time in the Inland Empireworkers struck another Wal-Martwarehouse, then staged a 6 day 'Walmarch'to Los Angeles.

Interesting times were ahead.

Victorious WWJ membersVictorious WWJ members


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Wal-Mart is the largest employer in theUS (over 1.3 million workers) and thebiggest obstacle to trade unionorganising. Efforts by the retail unionUFCW to organise stores (there are over4000 across the country) have failed inthe face of employer opposition. An anti-union culture is deep-rooted within Wal-Mart. Extensive workforce monitoring, adedicated 'labour relations' staff and thedismissal of pro-union workers have allkept the corporation union free. Unionsand their allies have had more successblocking the spread of Wal-Mart storesto particular areas and cities.

So the events of 2012 have proved

historic.Wal-Mart workers (known as 'associates')set up their own organisation last year,'OUR Walmart', and have built supportsteadily. Hot on the heels of thewarehouse disputes, the 'associates'themselves sprung into action and walkedout of a number of stores in October. Theirlist of discontents is long: forced unpaidovertime, erratic scheduling andinsufficient hours, plus companyretaliation against those who dare to

speak out against existing wrongs.

''

Black FridayBlack Friday

All that was only a prelude to 23November, Black Friday. OUR Walmartcalled for a one day nationwide walk-outof all stores.And that is exactly what they got, despitethe employer trying legal manouevres toban the protests as illegal picketing. Anestimated 1000 protests covering 46

states took place although Wal-Mart putthe numbers rather lower, claiming only26 protests involving a total of 50workers. Check out the Our Walmart Flickrpage to judge for yourself:http://www.flickr.com/photos/ourwalmart/

What happens next then? The employerdismissed the protests as having noimpact on its usual sales, and retaliationsagainst Wal-Mart protesters continue. Wellwe can't be sure, but the Wal-Mart'associates' now have shown their power.

We will be following up on this in futureissues; in the meantime look up OurWalmart at: http://forrespect.org/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ourwalmart/http://forrespect.org/http://forrespect.org/http://www.flickr.com/photos/ourwalmart/


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The Millions In Action: Chinese Workers ProtestsThe Millions In Action: Chinese Workers Protests20122012

Many Thanks To China Labor Watch For The Photos. See More AtMany Thanks To China Labor Watch For The Photos. See More At Www.chinalaborwatch.orgWww.chinalaborwatch.org

http://www.chinalaborwatch.org/http://www.chinalaborwatch.org/http://www.chinalaborwatch.org/http://www.chinalaborwatch.org/http://www.chinalaborwatch.org/


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In the repertoires of cross-borderunion activity, the global frameworkagreement (GFA) is one of the mostambitious and far-reaching.

They are a set of rules regulating acorporation's labour practices, agreedbetween a multinational and national /international union bodies. Most haveappeared in the last decade and areespecially associated with the work of theglobal union federations (GUFs).

The most recent of these, IndustriALL, hasaround 40 live agreements. (check outtheir website for full details:http://www.industriall-union.org/)

GFAs look to commit employers to followthe International Labour Organisation'sCore Standards, to cover all employeeswithin a multinational's supply chain, andinclude monitoring mechanisms to tracktheir effectiveness.

Although they fall short of being a genuinecollective bargaining agreement, they areseen as significant in creating a space forunions to organise, campaign andnegotiate with the employer on theground over the regulations theiragreement contains.

Its fair to say, not everyone is convincedof the effectiveness of these newmechanisms.

Some feel they are too weak. The GFAdoes depend heavily on the efforts oflower-level unions to deliver its promise.In certain areas of the world economy,where multinational affiliates are hostile totrade unions (the likes of Latin America)this is a major issue.

Even in the US, agreements withmultinationals are prone to subversion as seen in the recent struggles withSiemens's union busting in their Marylandplant where the United Steel Workers

International Solidarity And Global FrameworksInternational Solidarity And Global Frameworks

were conducting an organising drive justafter IndustriALL had signed a GFA withthe company.

One of the GUFs, the International Unionof Food workers (IUF) has soughtadditional concords around trade union

rights so-called 'Labour RecognitionAgreements' with multinationals in itssector to address these obstacles.

Whatever their current shortcomings,COTM welcomes these initial efforts at

global agreements between trade unionsand the most powerful economic forces intoday's global economy. We hope to reporton the achievement of stronger, moreencompassing frameworks in future.

Protesters in Disguise:Protesters in Disguise:

Spanish Telefonica WorkersSpanish Telefonica Workers
http://www.industriall-union.org/http://www.industriall-union.org/


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International Women:International Women:

The Honduran Womens CollectiveThe Honduran Womens Collective

There aren't many good news stories onlabour rights in Honduras. The same is

true of womens rights. Which makes thetale of the Honduran Womens Collective

one to tell....

This group has its origins in the rapid

growth of the country's maquilaeconomic zone, where garmentproduction has boomed in recent times.

Conditions for its young femaleworkforce are tough the familiar mix

of long hours, dangerous work, sexualdiscrimination and harassment.

The collective (known as CODEMUH)came together to challenge this but

found little support for the cause ofwomens occupational health and

safety in a deeply patriarchal cultureand society. So, in time honouredfashion, they set about fixing itthemselves...

The history of the collective is one ofgradual progression from buildingwomen's self esteem to wider action.

Efforts to win redress for violations ofworking women's rights have been at

the heart of HWC, as has acommitment to put the members ofthe collective themselves in the drivingseat of campaigning, research and

negotiating with employers and official

bodies.

Ultimately the collective found itselfacting on the national stage of law and

policy, aiming to bring aboutfundamental changes to the whole

situation. Pioneering proposals to reformthe country's Labour Code to recognisethe rights of women's health and safetyat work were brought forward to thenational Congress.In 2009 the political coup in the countryled to the collective becoming moreinvolved in issues of national politics, aspart of the widespread opposition.

Along the way the women of thecollective have won the respect of tradeunions in the country, and builtinternational support for their cause,

including alliances with the GMB unionand War on Want in the UK.

Read their full story at:

http://www.waronwant.org/about-us/publications(look for Women's Rights Women's Resistance)
http://www.waronwant.org/about-us/publicationshttp://www.waronwant.org/about-us/publications/doc_download/89-womens-rights-womens-resistancehttp://www.waronwant.org/about-us/publications/doc_download/89-womens-rights-womens-resistancehttp://www.waronwant.org/about-us/publications


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And finally.....we couldn't let this issueAnd finally.....we couldn't let this issue

go without acknowledging the historicgo without acknowledging the historic

anti austerity strikes and protests acrossanti austerity strikes and protests across

Europe on November 15.Europe on November 15.Here's a few images of thisunprecedented international workers

action....

Anti-Austerity Activism: November 15 2012Anti-Austerity Activism: November 15 2012

call of the millions 3 winter 2012

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