Below is a non-exhaustive overview of ICEM projects for 2010 (programmes through extra-budgetary, i.e. donor, funding). For general guiding principles on the ICEM's project work, please have a look at the ICEM Motion on Project Work, adopted at the ICEM's Executive Committee in 2008.

1. Global projects 
2. Sub-Saharan Africa projects
3. Asia/Pacific projects
4. Central and Eastern European projects
5. Latin America and Caribbean projects
6. Middle East and Northern Africa projects

1. Global Projects

ICEM Contract and Agency Labour Project (CAL) 

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The Global ICEM Contract and Agency Labour project has entered its next 3-year cycle in 2010-2012, continuing to provide day-to-day assistance and practical solidarity to unions facing CAL problems, as well as organising meetings, seminars, workshops, conferences and other activities on the subject, both at national and international level, bringing trade unionists from different countries, regions and continents in contact with one another. In addition to this, the project also aims to concentrate on organising CAL workers, and on exchanging best practise examples. Among the more recent priorities of the project are the efforts to work with other GUFs in the area of “precarious work”.

Solidarity Support Organisation: LO/TCO Sweden and LO Norway, ICEM Swedish (IFMetall and Pappers) and Norwegian affiliates (Fellesforbundet)

Project coordinators: Aranya Pakapath (Bangkok, Thailand – Asia coordinator), Rosane Sasse and Elias Pintado (Sao Paulo, Brazil - Latin America coordination), Ashling Seely (global project consultant, Newcastle, UK)

ICEM HIV/AIDS Project

The ICEM HIV/AIDS Project has entered a new phase (2010-2012) in a slightly revised format, partly after a change in donors. Following the transition year 2009, the programme continues its work at regional and national level, mainly - but not exclusively - through national programmes in various Sub-Saharan Africa countries, while also still maintaining a global angle. Awareness and prevention campaigns, Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) and the need to include the issue in collective bargaining all continue to be emphasised. 

The ICEM also still be involved in a Danish sponsored HIV/AIDS project in Ethiopia and support continues to be received in 2010 from the Canadian ICEM affiliate CEP’s Humanity Fund for an ICEM HIV/AIDS project in Nigeriq and Trinidad and Tobago.

A similar HIV/AIDS project in Jordan is funded by Norwegian ICEM affiliate IndustriEnergi. Funds are also received from German Boehringer Ingelheim for an HIV/AIDS programme in India and the Women's Department of the IG BCE Germany sponsors an HIV/AIDS project in Tanzania in 2009 and 2010, with special focus on awareness, counselling and VCT advocacy for women unionists.

Project coordinators: Paule France Ndessomin (Johannesburg, South Africa - Project coordinator for Africa), Hans Schwass (Geneva, Switzerland - Global consultant), Cho Charlotte N’Guessan (Abidjan, Ivory Coast - Sub-regional coordinator, Francophone West Africa)

Solidarity Support Organisation: FNV Mondiaal and SASK Finland; ICEM Finnish (Kemianliitto), Dutch (FNV Bondgenoten) and Canadian (CEP) affiliates and IGBCE women (Germany)

2. Sub-Saharan Africa

ICEM Organisational Growth Project Africa
(OD programme)

Following an independent external evaluation in 2009 - which praised the work done by the project so far - the previously called SSDP project (Shop Steward Development Project) changed into the OD (Organisational Development) project. Emphasis as of 2010 is more on Organisational Development planning, mainly through the adoption and implementation of OD strategic plans by the individual unions that participate in the project.

These OD plans will contain - and implement - several sub-sections, dealing with different areas of union work, ranging from leadership skills and education and training to gender and financial management. The project operates in 7 countries in the Sub-Saharan region. 

Solidarity Support Organisation: LO-TCO Sweden and FNV Mondiaal, ICEM Swedish affiliates (IFMetall and Pappers) and FNV Bondgenoten

Project coordinators: Kenny Mogane (Johannesburg, South Africa - Project coordinator), Fabian Nkomo (Johannesburg, South Africa - Project coordinator), Cho Charlotte N’Guessan (Abidjan, Ivory Coast - Sub-regional coordinator, Francophone African countries), Paule France Ndessomin (Johannesburg, South Africa - Project Management Assistant)

ICEM Contract and Agency Labour Project for Sub-Saharan Africa

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This Sub-Saharan CAL project is an essential and integrated, yet administratively separate, element of the global CAL campaign, aiming to provide technical support and practical solidarity to those Sub-Saharan African unions that are, or could become, active in the campaign. 

The project aims to provide coordination and an exchange of information on a regional basis, while also directly linking the region to the global campaign, as well as providing direct training for negotiators in those countries where the campaign is proving most successful.

Solidarity Support Organisation: SASK Finland, together with Finnish ICEM affiliates (Kemianliitto, Toimihenkilöunioni, Paperiliitto and Sähköalojen ammattiliitto)

Project coordinator: Joseph Toe

Workshop on Petroleum and Mining in West Africa 

A priority area for work in the West Africa region is the setting up of a number of MNE networks, i.e. international regional networks for workers working for the same company. Given the core industries in the region, obvious choices are the energy (oil and gas) and mining sectors, where a lot of valuable work could be done, including in the area of contract and agency labour.

Solidarity Support Organisation: FES

3. Asia/Pacific

ICEM Asia Social Dialogue Project 

This sub-regional project, which is facilitating a constructive dialogue between the different ICEM affiliates in 6 South-East Asian countries, was broadened out in early 2010 as the LO-TCO also stepped in as a donor.

Whereas the earlier work – on MNEs and social dialogue, promoting agreements and joint action on key trade union issues, including in cooperation and discussion with employers, on such topics as OHSE, HIV/AIDS, contract & agency labour, gender, productivity & competitiveness and CSR/international standards – was continued, the new project also works on trade union development.

Another novelty is that the project is also operating in India. And there are 2 additional country coordinators (one for India, one for Indonesia).

Solidarity Support Organisation: LO/TCO Sweden and FNV Mondiaal, ICEM affiliates in Sweden and FNV Bondgenoten

Project coordination: Yoon Hyowon (Seoul, South-Korea – central coordinator), Ashutosh Bhattacharya (Nagpur, India – India country coordinator) and Indah Saptorini (Jakarta, Indonesia – Indonesia country coordinator)

ICEM Nepal Rights Project

After several project cycles, the LO-TCO sponsored ICEM Nepal Rights Project ended at the end of 2008. An ICEM mission to Nepal in early 2009 evaluated very positively the work of the project, as it led to some excellent results. However, the mission also had to acknowledge the need for more work done, given the precarious situation of the country’s political system, as well of the Nepalese trade unions themselves.

So, possibilities were looked into to continue the project and, thanks to the assistance of the FNV Mondiaal, a new programme was written and accepted, meaning that the project restarted in mid 2009. It is this programme that now also continues throughout the period 2010-2012.

Solidarity Support Organisation: FNV Mondiaal

Project coordinator: Jeni Jain (Kathmandu, Nepal)

Asia Contract and Agency Labour Conference 

In a continuation from past practice - and linked to the global CAL project - the ICEM is continuing to make an effort to organise, each year, a series of regional meetings on contract and agency labour, so as to bring together trade unionists from different countries within a specific continent. The objectives of these regional exchanges include identifying union experiences and successes, discussing national and regional actions and campaigns, looking at ways to support regional and international level campaigning, and generating solidarity for ICEM affiliates that need it.

Solidarity Support Organisation: FES

Asia-Pacific Oil and Gas Network Seminar

This meeting in Hanoi is part of the ongoing series of Asia/Pacific company and industry network meetings, bringing together workers working within a particular ICEM sector in the region to discuss national as well as international issues.

Solidarity Support Organisation: FES

Asia-Pacific Electricity Network Seminar 

Similar to the above, this meeting in Seoul, Korea, is also part of the ongoing series of Asia/Pacific company and industry network meetings, bringing together workers working within a particular ICEM sector in the region to discuss national as well as international issues.

Solidarity Support Organisation: FES

Asia-Pacific Pharmaceutical Union Seminar

This is the third in this series: also a regional network meeting for workers from the same industry, in this case the Pharmaceutical sector. This meeting is scheduled for Jakarta, Indonesia. Networks at key multinational companies (Novartis, Aventis, Bayer, Takeda) would be an essential part of the agenda.

Solidarity Support Organisation: FES

4. Central and Eastern Europe (including Turkey)

Joint ICEM/EMCEF-IUF/EFFAT-IMF/EMF South-East Europe Trade Union Organisational Development Project

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This joint project is a follow-up project on a joint ICEM/IUF programme, which had been running for quite a few years when it ended in June 2010. The primary objective is - and has always been - a modernisation of trade unions, and of trade union structures, in the region, coupled to efforts to provide assistance to unions with their struggles to cope with new challenges.

Activities, of which some are organised on a sectoral basis, are concentrating on a wide range of subjects and methods, including leadership skills training, social dialogue, general trade union education, union transformation, research, affiliation fee structures, gender issues and outsourcing. A specific objective is the technique of “twinning” (having one trade union “guide” another). 

Project coordination: Mato Lalic (Zagreb, Croatia), Jacim Milunovic (Belgrade, Serbia), Teuta Krilic (Zagreb, Croatia)

Organising and Social Dialogue Project in Turkey

This 2-year project, which started in early 2009, aims to introduce more and better social dialogue with and within Turkish trade unions, develop organising methods and exchange experiences. The project counts on the active involvement of Dutch trade union FNV Bondgenoten and others. Activities include national and regional conferences, and training workshops.

Solidarity Support Organisation: FNV Mondiaal/FNV Bondgenoten

Project coordination: Kemal Ozkan (ICEM)

Multi-GUF International Project on Organising and Union Modernisation

Following an earlier leg, which ended in February 2008, a new, and fully revised, cycle of this project on strategic management and modernisation of trade unions started in March 2009. During this new project cycle, regional affiliates of 6 different GUFs (ICEM, IUF, UNI, IMF, BWI and ITF) cooperate.

The programme intends to, through a consistent series of “courses”, train trade union leaders, organisers, members and lawyers on a number of subjects, including modernisation issues, legal issues, organising and working with multinational companies.

Solidarity Support Organisation: FNV Mondiaal/FNV Bondgenoten

Project coordination: Marina Guliy (Moscow, Russia)

Eastern and Central European Chemical Networking Meeting

Similar as in other parts of the world, this meeting is part of an ongoing series of company and industry network meetings, bringing together workers working within a particular ICEM sector in a particular region(s) to exchange information and to discuss national, as well as international, issues that are of interest to their industry.

Solidarity Support Organisation: FES

Caspian Sea Energy Network

The objective of this meeting is to continue to create an effective social dialogue between the trade unions of a number of countries around the Caspian Sea, with a number of multinational companies active in the oil and gas sector there.

Solidarity Support Organisation: FES

5. Latin America and the Caribbean

ICEM Colombia Social Dialogue Project

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The ICEM Colombia project continues its formal process of social dialogue - a process successfully set up by this project - with the joint participation of representatives from the target companies and ICEM affiliates in Colombia.

Through various meetings, training sessions and other activities, with trade unions, but also jointly with management, the project aims to assist Colombian unions with their negotiations with companies, concentrating on particular social dialogue issues, including OHSE, HIV/AIDS, contract & agency labour, productivity & competitiveness, CSR, international labour standards, global framework agreements and sustainable development.

In addition to that, it is also concentrating on union leadership training.

Solidarity Support Organisation: LO-TCO, ICEM Swedish affiliates (IFMetall and Pappers)

Project coordinator: Carlos Bustos

Colombia Contract and Agency Labour and Unity Project

As part of the FNV Colombia country project, a project proposal has been written to start activities in Colombia that would work on the 2 different, but related, issues: bringing a number of ICEM affiliates closer together - working towards a merger - and start more activities that concentrate on contract and agency labour.

Having a larger multi-sectoral ICEM affiliate might, given the problems faced by many CAL workers in Colombia to get unionised, also facilitate organising CAL workers, as these could then all become part of the larger union.

Solidarity Support Organisation: FNV Mondiaal (to be approved)

Project coordinator: To be decided

ICEM Brazil Social Dialogue Project

This project, which is loosely modeled after the successful Colombian version, started in mid-2008, organising activities to not only educate trade union members from 4 key Brazilian ICEM affiliates, but also to bring them in contact with each other, as well as with the managers of the 10 target companies, all operating in the Brazilian chemical, petrochemical, mining, materials and electricity sectors. The effort concentrates on developing an efficient and effective social dialogue that strengthens trade unions and their members’ position.

Solidarity Support Organisation: SASK, together with Finnish ICEM affiliates (Kemianliitto and Toimihenkilöunioni), LO/TCO Sweden and ICEM Swedish affiliates (IFMetall and Pappers)

Project administrator: Elias Soares (Sao Paulo, Brazil)

Strengthening the organisational capacity of ICEM affiliated trade unions in Brazil

As a result of the 2009 Latin America Trade Union Consolidation Pre-project, a 2nd ICEM project was prepared – and adopted in early 2010 – for Brazil. This new 2010-2011 project concentrating on working on, among other, gender, youth and trade union networking.

It is partly an effort to work on a number of ICEM priorities - as established in 2008 by the ICEM for its Latin American region – that have not been dealt with yet through the Brazil Social Dialogue project.

Solidarity Support Organisation: SASK and Finnish ICEM affiliates 

Project administrator: Patricio Sambonino (Quito, Ecuador)

ICEM Mercosur Pulp and Paper Project

This 3.5 year project (Mid-2009 to 2013), which was written after a planning phase in early 2009, during which the ideas were sought of all actors involved, aims to bring together the different paper sector unions in Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Chile, in an effort towards continuous cooperation and communication. Activities not only concentrate on trade unity, but also on information gathering and collective bargaining.

Solidarity Support Organisation: SASK, together with Finnish ICEM affiliates

Project coordination: Patricio Sambonino (Quito, Ecuador)

Latin America Energy Project

This project aims to improve the collective bargaining situation of unions in the energy sector in Latin American countries, both at national as well as at regional level. Focal points of the project include designing strategies and work plans. A particular objective of the programme is to encourage unions to exchange information with each other in this issue.

Solidarity Support: FITEQA-CC.OO, Spain

Trade Union Capacity Building Project in Latin America

ICEM has recently started to cooperate with the Spanish foundation ISCOD, which is an organisation close to the Spanish UGT national centre. ICEM has participated in a joint project with UNI in the region, and a new project will soon start for women.

Solidarity Support Organisation: ISCOD, Spain

Latin American Workshop on Multilatinas

The objective of this meeting, which was postponed from 2009 to 2010, is to allow the ICEM, together with the IMF and BWI, to organise a meeting on particular “Multilatinas” (Latin American multinational companies headquartered in Latin America). The effort will concentrate on particular companies, possibly also including companies that would fall under the jurisdiction of other GUFs. ICEM would, for example, focus on Petrobras and Vale.

Solidarity Support Organisation: FES

 

6. Middle East / North Africa

Strengthening Capacity and Position of Arabic-speaking trade unions from the MENA region within ICEM and an introduction to International Instruments regarding Multinational Companies

This regional meeting for trade unions from Middle Eastern and North African countries, carried out in early 2010, aimed to raise awareness of, and knowledge on multinational enterprises, as well as on various international labour instruments (and how these can be used). The subjects of the conference also included international cooperation in the region, a regional exchange of information and a discussion on how to play an active role at the international level.

Support Organisation: FES