Give Up The Mining In Zambia

ROAN Member of Parliament Chishimba Kambwili has advised National Energy Sector and Allied Workers' Union (Nesawu) general secretary, Yotam Mtayachalo to concentrate on resolving issues affecting the energy sector.

Mr Kambwili charged that instead of Mr Mtayachalo commenting on matters affecting the mining sector, he should concentrate on resolving issues such as the pending 66 per cent electricity tariff hike as well as improving the working conditions for employees in Zesco.

Speaking in an interview yesterday, Mr Kambwili said he would continue speaking for miners, particularly the plight of former Luanshya Copper Mines (LCM) and the issue of a new investor for the mine.

"What he (Mr Mtayachalo) needs to concentrate on are issues of Zesco and the impact that electricity tariff increase will have on the citizens, and let me tell him that I will continue speaking for the miners.

"If the Mine Unions of Zambia is going to support Chinese investors, I am not going to support them. LCM is in my constituency and I will not stop talking for the miners," Mr Kambwili said.

Mr Kambwili said that with Mr Mtayachalo concentrating on issues that did not fall within his jurisdiction, it was only logical that he stepped down and concentrated on commenting on matters outside his ambit.

He alleged that Mr Mtayachalo was not representing the interests of Nesawu members but those from other sectors like mining.

"I will continue speaking against the Chinese running the mines unless they change, and I do not know why Mtayachalo is condemning an innocent man doing an innocent cause," Mr Kambwili said.

On Tuesday, Mr Mtayachalo urged Mr Kambwili not to take an antagonistic approach over the issue surrounding the new investor for LCM but work in unison with the Government to find an amicable solution to the suffering of the people in Luanshya.

http://allafrica.com/

Opposed The Exclusion Of Asbestos And Endosulfan

The ITUC has condemned the decision to exclude chrysotile asbestos and the pesticide endosulfan from the list of dangerous products under the Rotterdam Convention, the international agreement which regulates exports of hazardous chemicals. “Industry lobbies and the profit motive have tragically prevailed over the safety of workers and consumers with the refusal to include these two highly dangerous substances from the coverage of this Convention” said ITUC General Secretary Guy Ryder, adding that “Governments must move urgently to correct this mistake, which leaves the health of many thousands of workers in mining, construction, agriculture and other sectors at grave risk”.

Under the Rotterdam Convention, governments maintain a list of dangerous substances which may only be exported according to the principle of “Prior Informed Consent” (PIC) – exporting countries must get specific permission from potential importing countries before the substances can be shipped. According to the rules of procedure of the Rotterdam Convention, chemicals can only be added to the PIC list if signatories to the 1998 convention reach consensus

At the most recent meeting on the Convention, seven asbestos-importing countries (India, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, Pakistan, Philippines, Ukraine and Vietnam) supported asbestos-exporting Kazakhstan in opposing the PIC-listing. Other exporters (Brazil, Canada, Russia and Zimbabwe) are known to oppose restrictions on the trade in asbestos, despite the huge toll of death and disease it is known to cause.

Endosulfan, a neurotoxin which is poisonous to the human nervous system and is also believed to affect reproduction, is used as a pesticide in production of cotton, food crops and animal feed. As one of the more toxic pesticides available, its dangers to agricultural workers in particular and to consumers in general, are well documented. Alternative chemicals exist for all of its uses, but endosulfan is often preferred by producers because it is cheaper.

If you want more information, you can visit ITUC website.

http://www.sustainlabour.org/index.php

Global New Deal

The launch of the call took place at the Global Progressive Forum, a huge gathering of over 2,000 politicians, trades unionists, NGOs, representatives of progressive international organizations and grassroots activists in the European Parliament, and timed to coincide with the end of the G20. ITUC affiliates from every region also took part in the event. The declaration states “Together it is possible to change the face of globalization”

“Over recent decades, progressive forces have been warning about the accumulation of risks and injustices for people and the planet. Now, the fundamental and systemic failures of the current economic system are undeniable: the time has come to restate our values, our vision and our proposals for a new direction, transforming our societies, improving the lives of our and future generations”, said ITUC General Secretary Guy Ryder

1.The biggest coordinated fiscal stimulus in modern history to stop unemployment and poverty

2.Financial market regulation, including an end to tax avoidance by the elite by abolishing tax havens

3.Supporting the transition to a renewable and energy efficient economy

4.Promoting fair trade

5.Pushing decent work up the global agenda

6.A more equitable sharing of revenue between capital and labour

7.Ensuring women’s rights

8.Massive new resources to secure development in the world’s poorest countries

If you are interested in the Forum and its launch, please click here.

http://www.sustainlabour.org/index.php

Venepal Workers Fighting Spirit

On September 7, 2004, the owners of Venepal, a paper mill in Morón, Carabobo, in Venezuela, decided to cease their operations and not pay their 400 workers their wages. This is not the first time something like this has happened. A year ago the company took the same decision alleging financial difficulties. At that time the workers decided to occupy the premises in a bitter eleven-week struggle. Now they are demanding that the government nationalises the company and puts it under workers’ control and management. This is an extremely important struggle which could be crucial for the future of the labour movement and the Bolivarian revolution in Venezuela.

Venepal is one of the main producers of paper and cardboard in Venezuela and its installations are located in Morón, in the industrial state of Carabobo. At one point it employed a total of 1,600 workers, controlled 40% of the national market and was one of the main producers of Latin America in this sector. But the company’s management allowed the paper mill to slowly lose market shares and revenues. In April 2002, at the time of the short lived military coup against Chávez, some of its main shareholders were present at the swearing in ceremony for the new, illegitimate, “president” Pedro Carmona. During the bosses’ lockout against the Chávez government in December-January 2002-03 the workers resisted attempts by the employers to paralyse the installations.

Finally, on July 4, 2003, the company declared bankruptcy and left 600 workers without jobs and owing them large amounts in back wages. The company had accumulated debts of $100million with the banks (60% with international banks, Citybank and Chase Manhattan Bank, and 40% with national banks), and a further $30 million with the Venezuelan state in unpaid taxes, national insurance contributions, gas and electricity bills, etc.

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Production Without Paraquat

A new report by the IUF and Berne Declaration, a Swiss-based NGO, shows that production without paraquat is entirely feasible and is already happening in important crops. The report “Goodbye Paraquat” emphasizes that 50 major producers of bananas and tea, which traditionally have been big users of paraquat in their crops, have moved away from reliance in this substance.

On palm oil, there are some producers who are paraquat users, but there is a preference amongst palm oil buyers from palm produced without paraquat. As IUF General Secretary,Ron Oswald says, paraquat is a health hazard for agriculture workers. Now, we know that some leading food producers are opting out of using pesticides like paraquat, but it would be better if governments support this attitude by banning paraquat.

The results of the survey show that in palm oil, banana, and tea sectors Paraquat-free production is not only desirable but also economically viable and thus possible. Consequenty, statements by Syngenta, the leading producer of Paraquat, to the effect that the highly-toxic herbicide is indispensable are clearly untenable.

In Switzerland, Paraquat has been banned for twenty years and in Europe it lost approval in 2007. But on many developing countries the product is still sold in great quantities despite the lack of sufficient protection for users. We can not stop here. We need more progresses in occupation health!

http://www.iuf.org/

BATTLE lines have been drawn against the inclusive government in general and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai in particular, as his allies in the civic society mounted an attack this week to derail the constitution making process.

The Financial Gazette can reveal that the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) this week started canvassing for support from members of the Broad Alliance, including the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), to reject the proposed new constitution at a referendum expected early next year.

There is concern within the civic society that ZANU-PF and the two Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) formations want to impose the Kariba draft, albeit with minor adjustments, on the people through a 25-member Select Committee appointed on Sunday to steer the constitution making process.

Since its formation in 1997 the NCA has been pressing for a people-driven constitution, joining forces with other civic allies to denounce previous amendments to the country's supreme law.

The Broad Alliance comprises the ZCTU, the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition and the Zimbabwe National Students Union.

Its partners played a part in campaigning for the MDC-T and ensuring that President Robert Mugabe did not succeed in his re-election bid during the synchronised polls in March last year.

In the run-up to the March 2008 polls, Tsvangirai campaigned on the promise of delivering a people-driven constitution, among a catalogue of other populist policies that resonated with members of the Broad Alliance.

The Prime Minister outpolled President Mugabe in the harmonised polls but did not garner enough votes to be declared winner leading to a blood-letting presidential election run-off boycotted by the former trade unionist due to violence.

President Mugabe won the one-man race roundly condemned as a sham. For the first time in the history of the country, ZANU-PF lost its majority in the august house, creating a hung Parliament.

But the inclusive government has created fresh challenges for the MDC-T and its partners in the Broad Alliance.

Eric Matinenga, the Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs Minister recently told civil society representatives that the Kariba draft document will not determine the outcome of a new constitution.

The Kariba draft was authored by ZANU-PF's Patrick Chinamasa and Nicholas Goche, MDC-T's Tendai Biti and MDC-M's Welshman Ncube in the resort town as the negotiating parties sought to find a solution to the political crisis.

"The Kariba draft is not and will not determine the final constitution", Matinenga was quoted saying. "That draft is on the same footing as the 1979 Lancaster House constitution and the 2000 (draft) constitution which was rejected by the people."

The civic society is however, not convinced.

The alliance met in Harare last Thursday at a consultative meeting boycotted by MDC-T legislators where it was agreed that the new constitution be rejected once it is put to vote at the referendum.

Critics of the NCA and its allies campaigning for the "No Vote" doubt Madhuku and company would succeed, considering that when they rejected the draft constitution in 2000 they were riding on the back of the newly formed MDC.

To succeed, the alliance would need to win the support of the electorate that has so far thrown its full weight behind the inclusive government despite the continued bickering over a number of outstanding issues.

The Financial Gazette established this week that there was consensus within the Broad Alliance not to embrace the constitution making process.

NCA chairman Lovemore Madhuku, whose organisation is fiercely opposed to the political party-driven constitution making initiative, did not mince his words in an interview with The Financial Gazette yesterday, blaming the premier for what he described as a "flawed and defective partisan constitution making process."

Tsvangirai last Thur-sday held a caucus meeting with his legislators where he ordered them not to entertain the NCA and other groupings opposed to the process brought about by the Global Political Agree-ment (GPA) under Article 6 of the September 15 2008 unity pact.

A few days after the premier's meeting, Spea-ker of Parliament Love-more Moyo unveiled the Constitutional Select Committee comprising legislators from ZANU-PF and the two MDC political formations, setting the stage for the political parties driven constitution making process.

The Select Committee would be charged with producing a Draft Constitution for Zimba-bwe to be debated in Parliament before a final draft is subjected to a referendum.

Madhuku said the NCA and like-minded organisations want Zimbabweans to reject for the second time another defective constitution making process.

This was in reference to the 2000 constitutional referendum rejected by the majority of Zimba-bweans.

"This will be a second rejection specifically for (Prime Minister) Morgan Tsvangirai who believes that popularity is all that matters. The second rejection will be his because (President) Mugabe already knows that popular support is not enough to impose a constitution."

Madhuku said the current constitution making process was so defective that the only hope for the inclusive government to succeed was to abuse Prime Minister Tsvangi-rai's current popularity.

"Tsvangirai was able to stop his legislators from coming to our function to eat our food but he will not be able to stop the ordinary people who are suffering during the present equally defective constitution. Let him try and test his popularity using this defective process and he will be surely embarrassed," said Madhuku.

Wurayayi Zembe, the president of the little known Democratic Party added his party's voice to the growing disgruntlement over the constitution making process.

"The ZANU-PF, MDC-T and MDC-M parliamentary route of constitutional making is oppressive, clandestine, and anti-people. We remind those of short memories that at the February 2000 constitutional referendum the people of Zimbabwe rejected a draft constitution that was imposed by the ZANU-PF commission," said Zembe.

"If a ZANU-PF commission of 400 individuals was rejected and dismissed by the people in 1999, it is baffling to see how a tiny committee of 25 can succeed."

Matinenga said yesterday it was unfortunate that there were some people such as the NCA campaigning against the parliamentary process.

"The fact that someone outside Parliament has a different view does not mean that the person will make the process people-driven," said Matinenga in an interview.

"Also the fact that the process has been started by Parliament does not make it less people driven. If there are areas of concern let's talk and we can reach some form of agreement," he said.

"This business of wanting to spoil or start a fight we don't buy it and it will not deter us to produce a new constitution under the inclusive government in a decent manner."

http://allafrica.com/

Polls fray enter for trade union leaders

MANGALORE: After a gap of 18 years, a trade union leader has entered poll fray in Dakshina Kannada parliamentary constituency. Senior trade union
leader and CITU state president B Madhava filed the nomination paper as CPM candidate here on Monday.

CPM last contested from Mangalore parliamentary constituency in 1991 with P Ramachandra Rao as its candidate. Speaking to reporters, Madhava said he was contesting as the candidate of Third Front with support of JD(S) and CPI. He said CPM would contest elections based on pro-people movement that the party had organized in the region. Both Congress and BJP-led fronts have lost confidence of the people who were looking for a change, which will be provided by the Third Front, he said.

B Madhava is a familiar name in worker's movement of the district. He joined CPM in 1972 and worked with CITU. He had organized several labour movements of beedi, construction and tile factory workers and was instrumental in forming the transport and engineering workers union. JD(S) district president K B Balaraj Rai said his party would extend full support to Madhava.

Assets over Rs 17 lakh
CPM candidate B Madhava has declared assets worth Rs 17,09,214 including fixed deposits, amount in SB accounts, property and cash on hand. His wife Veda Madhava possesses assets worth Rs 3,53,519. Details of the assets are as follows: An amount of Rs 1,01,000 fixed deposits in various banks and cooperative society, Rs 1,05,714 in SB accounts in scheduled and cooperative banks, non-agricultural land worth Rs 10 lakh and a house worth Rs 5 lakh. Veda has Rs 60,000 in a cooperative society, Rs 5,519 in SB accounts in a scheduled and cooperative banks and jewellery worth Rs 2,88,000.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/