Union representatives of the Holcim Group in Morocco, Belgium, France, Guinea, Lebanon, Serbia and South Africa have met in Fez Morocco on 10 and 11 February 2012 to create a global Holcim network which should create more transparency and promote solidarity. The conference was organized by BWI and the General Workers Union of Morocco, UGTM, under the theme: “Worker Solidarity in HOLCIM”. Representatives of the ILO and ICEM also attended the meeting.
Jan Voets stated: “The cement market is structured in an oligopolic way. Holcim, Lafarge, Cemex, Heidelberg Cement and Italcementi account for 50% of European and 30% of the global cement market. The strategy of the cement multis focus on the development of the emerging economies such as China, India, Brazil, Magreb countries which create enourmous demand for construction and hence concret and cement.”
The objectives of the global network are:
To exchange information in order to faciliate social dialogue at international level with the direction of the group. To request Holcim to respect ILO conventions in all countries for permanents, non permanents and contract workers. To incite the group at global and regional levels to cooperate with the unions on conventions 87 and 98 on organizing and collective bargaining. to implement health and security including a zero accident plan. To encourage Holcim to set up stable jobs and respect the unionisation of workers whether they are permanent, daily workers or contract workers. To mprove workers living conditions through social dialogue and negotiations with unions for good collective agreements. For Marion Hellmann, Assistant general secretary of the BWI: “The BWI is alarmed and concerned on the plight of contract workers. Holcim’s contract workers performing similar kind of work as regular workers must be entitled to the same wages and service conditions as regular workers. However, according to our affiliates in India, Morocco and Guinea, this is far from the reality at the work place.”
