Papiermühlen Arbeiter in USA und Canada zeigen Solidarität mit den ausgesperrten Arbeitern in Finnland

"Nashville. Tenn, 16. Juni 2005: Heute haben die Gewerkschaftmsmitglieder der Stora Enso und UPM Kymmene in den USA und Canada ihre Solidarität mit den 25.000 Gewerkschaftsmitgliedern in Finnland demonstriert, die von diesen und anderen finnischen Konzernen ausgesperrt worden sind....

'Wir glauben, daß wir hohe Standards und faire Arbeitsbedingungen in dieser Industrie, egal an welchem Standort, nur erhalten können, wenn wir weltweit zusammenstehen' sagte USW Regional Direktor Richard LaCosse, dessen Zuständigkeitsbereich Wisconsin, Upper Michigan, Minnesota und andere Staaten abdeckt.."       Übers. Uwe Müller

die vollständige Originalmeldung der finnischen Gewerkschaft Paperiliitto:


Weitere aktuelle Meldungen (in Englisch) zum Kampf der finnischen Papiermühlenarbeiter bei Papiriillo:    

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    "...'Even if the salary and living standard vary from country to country , basically in this kind of dispute there are always ordinary people facing capital, often global multinationals with endless resources'.
    In the industrialized world the working conditions and problems of workers are alike. On the opposite side are the same multinationals, trying to introduce weaker and weaker terms of working from one country to another.
    - 'In the same way the national employers try to dump different items of the contract to the lowest level, pressuring on trade unions one by one', says Mr. Ahonen.    "

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Paper Mill Workers in U.S., Canada Show Solidarity for Locked Out Workers in Finland

Nashville. Tenn, June 16, 2005 – Today thousands of union members who work for Stora Enso and UPM Kymmene in the United States and Canada are demonstrating their support for 25,000 union members in Finland, who have been locked out by these and other paper

”UNITED WE STAND AGAINST OUR UNSCRUPULOUS EMPLOYERS, SOLIDARITY FOREVER”, says the President of the Malaysian Paper Workers’ Union Zainol Mat in his message.

” Long live the struggle of Paperiliitto. Long live the struggle of the working class globally”, says Zainol Mat, the President of the Malaysian paper workers’ Union. He has sent a letter also to the Federation of the Finnish Forest Industries.

companies in Finland. They will be wearing stickers inside the plant expressing their support of the locked-out workers and taking their case to local management. Further local actions are expected if no settlement is reached in Finland.

“We believe that only by sticking together all over the world can we maintain high standards and fairness for workers in this industry, no matter where they work,” said USW Regional Director Richard LaCosse, whose jurisdiction covers Wisconsin, Upper Michigan, Minnesota and other states.

On May 18, Finnish paper companies, led by Stora Enso and UPM Kymmene, locked out 25,000 members of the Finnish Paper Workers’ Union in order to enforce a series of demands that would sharply curtail union member’s rights in the mill. Among these demands are unlimited contracting our of work, harsh restrictions on vacations, holidays and sick leave, and the loss of laid-off workers’ rights.

“These companies have taken a leaf right out of the worst U.S. companies’ playbook,” said USW Director of National & International Affairs Keith Romig. “What’s worse is the little bit of money the companies saved by pushing these kinds of demands here did nothing to prevent the crisis that has devastated the U.S. industry since the late 1990’s.”

Members of seven different unions are taking part today. They include the Steelworkers (USW), the Teamsters, the CEP in Canada, the Electrical Workers, the Machinists, the Office Employees and the Plumbers & Pipefitters. Handbills explaining the situation are being distributed at each plant gate, and union members are wearing stickers inside the plants to make clear their support of their colleagues in Finland.

“We have been letting our local managers know for weeks of our concern over the companies conduct, and this helps take it to the next level,” said Doug LaCount, president of USW Local 7-1166 and head of the Works Council that handles the local unions’ dialogue with workers in Finland.

“We believe this is a must-win, and we’re working together to see the union does win” said LaCosse. “If the companies can get away with this in Finland, no union in the world is safe.”

Source: http://www.paperiliitto.fi/paperiliitto/english/usw.php

 

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