Eurofer and EMF common position on Commission climate change package

Common position of the Steel industry’s employers and trade unions warns Commission climate change package, if not improved, would put European steel industry and tens of thousands of jobs at stake

Joint statement of European Metalworkers’ Federation and European Confederation of Iron and Steel Industries

Rio Tinto workers express grave concern over the future of 20,000 jobs

Action Day 23 April 2008 in Strasbourg (European Parliament)

Today, the workers of the Rio Tinto group in Europe are organising an Action Day in front of the European Parliament to demand a revision of the proposals issued by Rio Tinto with regards to the sell-out of large parts of its activities.

Successful outcome of Dacia strike

After a 3-week strike, employees at the Renault Group’s Romanian plant, Dacia, have accepted the new offer from management and called off their strike.

The struggle of Dacia workers is the struggle of all European workers

The EMF supports the current struggle of the workers of Renault’s Romanian subsidiary, Dacia, to obtain a wage increase and improvement in their working conditions.

Announcement of the 2nd European Shipyard Week

As in all high-tech sectors, success is first of all based on knowledge and innovation. European Shipyards’ highly-skilled workforce is a key factor in ensuring productivity, innovation and competitiveness. The European Shipyard Week 2008 – entitled “Sea your future” – aims at making young graduates and highly-skilled workers aware of the exciting opportunities resulting from the dynamic evolution of shipyards. Modern shipbuilding offers manifold perspectives, posting new challenges regarding skills and adaptability in a high-tech job environment.

EMF demands planning security for the energy-intensive industries

The European Metalworkers’ Federation (EMF) supports the demand made by the EU Industry Commissioner Günter Verheugen to come to a quick decision regarding which energy-intensive industries are to be exempted from the auctioneering of CO2 certificates planned for 2013 onwards. The Vice-President of the European Commission called on the heads of state taking part in the up-coming EU summit to bring forward the deadline for a decision. The EMF demands free allocation of emission rights for those energy-intensive industries whose process-related production would barely allow any further emission reduction.

The EMF expresses support to shipyard workers in Tuzla, Turkey

The European Metalworkers Federation wrote today to Commissioners Vladimir Spidla and Olli Rehn -responsible respectively for Social Affairs and Enlargement - to draw their attention to the worrying, hazardous health and safety conditions and trade union rights violations in the Tuzla Shipyards in Turkey.

Workers in Tuzla were informed of the death of two of their colleagues on 21st February 2008. The two employees were said to have suffered smoke poisoning and subsequently died from heart failure, one at the workplace, the other one in hospital later the same day. These deaths bring the number of workers who have died at this Turkish shipyard in the last eight months to 18.

Nokia declaration

by trade union leaders from Metalli, TEK, UIL, TU, the IG Metall, and European Metalworkers’ Federation in respect of Nokia corporate policy

Disconnected workers at Nokia declare lack of faith in their company

“Nokia is no longer a social company”, trade unionists acknowledged at today’s coordination meeting, which took place at the EMF in Brussels.

Retracing the way Nokia announced, on 15th January, its intention to close the Bochum site, workers’ representatives came to the conclusion that Nokia made a mockery of its obligation to inform and consult its employees in line with the EU Directive on European Works Councils and German law.

Photos available at: http://www.eup-images.com (by Horst Wagner, photojournalist).

Press conference on Nokia

Members of the press are cordially invited to attend the EMF press conference organised in connection with the trade union coordination meeting on Nokia.

Wednesday 30 January 2008
15H00

The venue is the
Auditorium
International Trade Union House (ITUH)
Boulevard du Roi Albert II, 5
B-1210 Brussels

Registration of press representatives will be from 14H45.
Interpretation available in German and English.

“The unexpected communication from the Nokia management of the closure of the Bochum mobile phone manufacturing site is a slap in the faces of employees and local people, all of whom had placed their trust in the company” stated Peter Scherrer, General Secretary of the European Metalworkers’ Federation.

Please confirm attendance to Caroline Jacobsson, Information & Communications Adviser, by fax 0032(0)2.217 5963 or email cjacobsson@emf-fem.org by 30 January at 12.00.

Press 6/2008

The EMF is the representative body defending the interests of workers in the European metal industry. The EMF has a mandate for the external representation and coordination of the metalworkers' unions and a mandate to engage in bargaining at European level.

Support for protest demonstration by Gandrange workers and their union

24 January in Luxembourg

In solidarity with the employees of the ArcelorMittal plant in Gandrange (F), the EMF calls for support for the demonstration called by the French trade unions which is taking place tomorrow in front of ArcelorMittal’s headquarters in Luxembourg.

SCHLIEßUNG DES NOKIA HANDY­-WERKES IN BOCHUM

Der Europäische Metallgewerkschaftsbund (EMB) in Brüssel erklärt sich solidarisch mit den Beschäftigten des Nokia-Werkes in Bochum. Er unterstützt die Forderung der Nokia Beschäftigten und der IG Metall nach Erhalt des Standortes und damit nach dauerhafter Beschäftigung uneingeschränkt.

EMF demands the withdrawal of the plans to cutback 600 jobs at the ArcelorMittal steel plant in Grandrange (F)

The management of ArcelorMittal is planning to close down huge parts of the plant in Grandrange (France), which will mean cutting 600 of the existing 1,000 jobs. “I am shocked by this announcement”, said Peter Scherrer, EMF General Secretary. There has been no investment in the plant in recent years and the announced cutbacks pose a threat to the existence of the whole site.

EMF warns against the impact of the scheduled revision of the CO2 Emission Trade Scheme on Europe’s energy-intensive industries

The European Metalworkers’ Federation (EMF) supports the European Union’s efforts to effectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions on a lasting basis. “Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century and it is good to see Europe taking a leading role in this field” said Peter Scherrer, General Secretary of the EMF.

Closure of the mobile phone factory in Bochum

EMF examines legal repercussions for Nokia

“The unexpected communication from the Nokia management of the closure of the Bochum mobile phone manufacturing site is a slap in the faces of employees and local people, all of whom had placed their trust in the company” stated Peter Scherrer, General Secretary of the European Metalworkers’ Federation in Brussels today.