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Spin Bees

e The Chilean delegation stopped at MB's Nanaimo Lakes Division accompanied
by Local 1-80 First Vice President Carmen Rocco (left).

Chileans seek cooperation
and assistance from Canada

During their two week visit to Cana-
da, the Lwmberworker had an oppor-
tunity to interview Brother Carlos
Lopez and Leonel Soto in order to find
out more about the problems that
Chilean forest industry workers face
and what assistance they require from
Canada and Canadian workers.

Carlos Lopez, a 61 year old former
bushworker and now President of the
Confederation of Chilean Forest
Workers, says his union has grown to
a membership of about 9,200 mem-
bers since its founding in 1982. Today
there are over 100,000 forest workers
in the country, however, who remain

uno} ft
About 5,000 of the union’s members
work in manufacturing operations
while the other portion is spread out
in the logging and pulp and paper sec-
tors.

With a modest office in the city of
Concepcion, Lopez is only one of two
full-time officers in the country that
represent the members.

Conditions could
worsen for workers
in Chile of there are
no protections built

into trade
agreements

Although, on the surface, labour
Jaws in Chile give workers the rights
to form unions with 25 members or
more, the reality is much different.
Workers are routinely fired without
restitution when they try to exercise
those rights.

“We are fighting so there are labour
reforms,” says Brother Lopez, “so
there is respect for union (and) where
they (workers) are not persecuted for
trying to negotiate.”

He says that employers fire workers
during organizing campaigns and then
rehire some of them when the cam-
paigns finish. Labour laws, introduced
under the military dictatorship of
General Augusto Pinchet, are still in
effect and they do not limit the firings.

Althought the country has under-
gone democratic elections in recent
years, the senatorial body is stacked
with appointments made by Pinochet.
‘The Senate has been an obstacle to re-
forming labour laws.

“At the same time we realize that
there are a number of parliamentari-
ans who have not played a role for the
rights of workers,” he adds.

Brother Lopez believes that Canadi-
an workers can have an impact on the
Chilean government in putting pres-
sure on ministers and parliamentari-
ans to improve the lot for workers in
his country. He says that pressure
from Canada, during the present “free
trade” talks between the two coun-
tries can work to expedite labour re-
forms that have been stuck in Con-
gress for over a year now.

He would like to see some built-in
protection for unions in any trade
agreement and says that if this does
not happen, conditions may actually
worsen.

Most importantly, Lopez says work-
ers must have a right to freely join the
union of their choice without the fear
of reprisals and have the right to
strike without interference from the
state.

If language is not included in any
such “free trade” agreement he says
that workers in Chile will continue to
struggle with whatever modest re-
sources they have.

Lopez also says that the Canadian
government must put pressure on
Canadian companies operating in
Chile to respect the rights of those
workers, of which are hired through
employment agencies.

Although most Canadian companies
now operating in Chile are in the min-
ing sector, he says that they are no
better in the treatment of workers
than other multinational corporations.

He says there is not much Canadian
presence in the forest sector although
more Canadian forest technology and
equipment is being introduced.

As far as areas of cooperation are
concerned, Lopez says his union
needs help in educating its members.
He says that the union lacks experi-
enced leaders and thinks that Chilean
workers can learn from the I.W.A.’s
experiences.

“In Chile we lack many good union
leaders. those leaders can not be
made overnight. They have to be
formed, trained and educated so they
can build awareness amongst the
workers. That is the only way workers
can defend their organization.”

During his tour, he says that he has
learned a lot about how Canadian
unions present their bargaining posi-
tions and how to build collective
agreements step by step.

“We acknowledge that Canadian
workers have over a century of tradi-
tion in the forest industy,” he says. “In
Chile we have just over 50 years un-
der very different conditions. But that
should not allow forest companies to
exploit us or abuse us.”

He says that although rates of pay
are higher in manufacturing plants,
conditions have been getting worse in

recent years. He also says the the

wages paid bear no resemblance to

the wages paid to Canadian workers.
In Chile workers are constantly ha-

. rassed to produce as much as they

can under uncomfortable conditions
that for every 5 production workers
there is a foreman constantly watch-
ing over their every move, which is
very different from the Canadian ex-
perience.

He says that workers are unable to
afford adequate nutrition because of
their low wages and there is no com-
pensation for those who lose their

jobs. If a worker retires is in only be-

cause he has saved enough money.
There are no pension plans.

In logging, Lopez says some camp
conditions have improved and diet in
the camps have improved as well.

But he says that workers are often
shunted from one work region to an-
other and that workers often lose con-
tact with their families.

Transportation to and from the
worksite lacks proper safety and com-
fort and workers are often piled into
the back of trucks.

Brother Lopez says that hazardous
equipment is often used by workers
that are poorly trained or not trained
at all.

“We have also seen that you Canadi-
ans have a culture which deals with
the training of workers,” he says.
“Your workers have been trained to
be more productive while working in
better conditions.”

In the pulp and paper sector, which
is the smallest portion of his union’s
membership, Lopez says wages and
working conditions are better.

Brother Leonel Soto, a 31 year old
local union president who works at a
moulding plant in Cabrero, about 60
kms. south of Concepcion, says that a
normal work week, without overtime
pay, is 48 hours from Monday to Sat-
urday.

“But the workers realize that, in
these 48 hours, there is not enough
pay to make a living,” he says. Thus
11-12 hour days are not uncommon
and workers often go up to 65 hours
per week, including Sundays.

“The conditions are such that work-

er is forced to spend a larger number
of hours in the plant than with their
family,” he says.

Legally workers are supposed to
put in up to 214 hours per month with-
out overtime, but Soto says that 260-
270 hours is not uncommon.

In his plant, which is owned by
ANDINOS S.A., a division of the multi-
natinal CAT corporation, only 600 of
the operations 1,300 workers are
unionized. 5

In July of 1995 a one month strike
saw the intervention of state police
and, in the end, no further improve-
ments for workers.

“The company doesn’t care if the
police fight us,” says Soto. In addition,
the company stockpiled inventory to
break the strike action.

Soto became, who has worked in
the plant for over 9 years, became ac-
tive in the union 3 years ago. One of
the main issues at the time was that
workers were forced to work Sundays
under the threat of termination.

“There’s no concern about us,” he
says. “The (the owners) only care
about us giving the best of our youth
to the enterprise. We have to make
great sacrifices and the company does
not give anything in return.”

Both men know that Canadian
workers are concerned about compet-
ing with low wage Chilean workers.

Brother Soto says that Chilean
plants are inefficient by Canadian
standards but that new technological
change isn’t being seen.

“I don’t know what we can do in the
future but it definately concerns us,”
he says.

Brother Lopez says that technologi-
cal change is a new reality that the
union is struggling to come to grips
with.

But he fears more layoffs and dislo-
cation because of tech change.

“The government is promoting tech-
nological advances but the truth is
that it will work to destroy the small
Jabour movement that we now have,”
says Lopez. “Companies do not care
about layoffs. They only care about
costs, quantity and quality of produc-

C.L.C. President appointed
leader of OECD committee

On April 18 the Canadian Labour
Congress announced that National
President Bob White was elected as
President of the Organization for Eco-
nomic Cooperation and Develop-
ment’s (OECD) Trade Union Advisory
Committee (TUAC).

Brother White, who originates from
the Canadian Autoworkers’ Union,
takes over the job from Lane Kirk-
land, former President of the AFL-
CIO, and becomes the first Canadian
to hold the position in TUAC’s 25
years of operations.

The TUAC is a consultative body
first established in 1948, following the
Second World War. It now represents
the interests of over 67 million union
members in 25 OECD member states.

“My priorities as President will be
to promote economic policies that
create jobs, and to promote the inclu-
sion of human and trade union rights
in all international trade agreements.
These include freedom of association,
the right of workers to organize and
bargain collectively, an end to forced
and child labour, and equality be-
tween men and women,” said Brother
White, upon his election.

In addition White’s appointment,
former Liberal cabinet minister Don
Johnson took on the job of being the
OECD's Secretary General on June 1.

I.W.A. CANADA President Gerry
Stoney says that White’s presence on
the OECD will be an important one.

“As Canadians we have to have
more input into international trade
agreements,” says Stoney. “We believe
that Brother White will push for the

7 7

° C.L.C. President Bob White.

inclusion of workers’ rights in all in-
ternational trade agreements.”

Currently the I.W.A. is working with
the Canadian Labour Congress to en-
sure that the voices of Chilean trade
unionists, through the Central Uni-
taria de Trabajadores, which is the na-
tional labour body in that country.
The 1.W.A. is pressuring the Canadian
federal government to include the
rights of trade unions in its current bi-
lateral “free trade” talks with the
Chilean government.

Brother White is also the chairman
of the International Confederation of
Free Trade Union’s Human and Trade
Union Rights Committee. He also sits
as President of the Commonwealth
Trade Union Council.

LUMBERWORKERJJUNE 1996/9