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Feature on union fight for social protection badly needed by precarious workers; special report about IMF and affiliates work since IMF World Congress in 2009; Jyrki Raina, IMF General Secretary spotlights the future of global unionism; and profile of Miriam Chipunza, talking about her union Zimbabwe National Engineering Workers Union (NEWU) NEWU participation in the recent World Day of Decent Work.
Precarious work is growing around the globe and, with the increased insecurity it brings, workers are ever more in need of social protection. Yet precarious workers are the most likely to be excluded from these very protections.
The IMF World Congress in 2009 took place in the middle of a global financial and economic crisis. In a difficult situation, metalworkers’ unions renewed their commitment to organize and build stronger unions, fight for trade union rights and join the forces of workers to build a counterweight to transnational corporations (TNCs). This article summarizes the IMF’s work in the key priority areas during the past two years.
In June 2012 in Copenhagen, the affiliates of the IMF, ICEM and ITGLWF will found a new unified global union for the industrial workers of the world. The unions are taking a bold step towards a new era of global solidarity and to fight for a model of globalization that is based on social justice.
Miriam Chipunza, NEWU, Zimbabwe, talks about her union’s participation in the global action of the World Day of Decent Work and the importance of decent wages for workers in Zimbabwe.
Feature on vital importance of organizing for the unions across the globe, and trade union responses towards the global jobs crisis; special report on networks in transnational companies to promote solidarity and cooperation between trade unions; and profile of Peta Thomson and Stephanie Eastcott talking about importance of steps encouraging greater women’s participation in unions.
Feature on building a strong union in Mozambique despite low wages and rampant unemployment and overcoming weekness of atomized union movement in Chile; interview with Sharan Burrow on the ways to strengthen international union movement; and the profile of Jairo del Río, a member of the Tenaris Workers’ World Council who keeps on fighting despite death threats.
Two features, one on fight for a representative union in Puebla, Mexico and another on persecution of trade unions in Russia; special report on organizing in electronics industry and profile of Yolanda Morín, the international secretary at the Confederación Sindical de Comisiones Obreras in Spain.
Feature about unionised satellite engineers developing new technologies that will assist in protecting the environment; special report about metalworkers' demanding inclusion of social justice and long-term employment in the climate change debate; and profile of Ainur Kurmanov, talking about grass-roots struggle led by independent trade unions in Kazakhstan.
The struggle for permanent work in Thailand and the work of IMF Thai affiliate TEAM is featured in this issue of Metal World; IMF general secretary Jyrki Raina provides a summary overview of the IMF's work over the next four years as set out in the IMF Action Programme; and Sinter Metal striker Lale Balta talks about her hopes that an eventual victory will inspire workers throughout Turkey.
Feature highliting 32nd IMF World Congress in Gothenburg; special report about global crisis in automotive industry and union responses; and profile of Jyrki Raina, newly elected IMF General Secretary, talking about lessons from the past for unions today and his ambition to use more intensively modern technologies in IMF's daily work.
Feature on Swedish unions putting their efforts into revival of organising; special report about history of IMF development over last twenty years; and profile of Irvin Jim, NUMSA General Secretary, talking about old and new challenges that his union combats in South Africa.
Feature on U.S. election and hope for change following Barack Obama’s victory; special report on mechanical engineering, one of the most important among manufacturing sectors; and profile of Gab-Deuk Jung, KMWU president, talking about his union fight for industry-wide collective bargaining and the rights of workers to form unions in Korea.
Feature on organising precarious workers in export processing zones in Batam, Indonesia, special report on leveraged buyouts in the metal sector to make profits at the expense of workers and a profile on the member of Polish Solidarnosc, Stefan Przybyszewski, fighting for equal rights of permanent and precarious workers
Feature on Nokia's plant closure in Bohum, Germany, special reaport on an unprecedented trade union campaign for workplace rights in Australia and a profile on activist filmmaker, Anne Lewis, discussing the art of storytelling
Feature on challenges confronted by workers and IMF affiliate REPAM in Belarus, special report on gender equality and participation of women in trade union work in Latin America and the profile of Annie Labaj, director of the CAW international department.
Feature on a gold rush in Mongolia that is leading to an epidemic of mercury poisoning affecting gold diggers, local people and the environment; spotlight on the world’s largest resources company group, BHP Billiton, and its relationship with unions globally; profile of Stefan Löfvén a former welder, now president of the Swedish union, IF Metall.
Special report about challenges faced by trade unions influencing the direction of the Mercosul; Feature on metalworking sector in Brazil; and a profile on Alexei Etmanov, organizer of Ford wokers in Russia.
Feature on situation in Zimbabwe, appalling state of economy leading to the average life expectancy of 34-35 years, challenges faced by Zimbabwean unions; report of the IMF regional office on IMF work and strategy in Africa; and a profile of Aghni Dhamayanti, who considers formation of new women leaders is most important task.
Contents: Feature about Brazil, Special report on non-manual workers.
Feature about South Africa; Special report on Export Processing Zones (EPZs); Spotlight on the upcoming IMF Central Committee meeting.
