metals
News and articles about work, policy and workers' struggles in manufacturing, research and development, mining and materials around the world.
Russian Bauxite miners occupy mine shaft
After over a week of occupation of a mine shaft, the Russian miners returned to the surface, with the promise of compromise on key wage demands and the restoration of social programmes.
The occupation began on March 26th, with the workers producing a list of 11 demands including a 50% wage increase, and the restoration of previously suspended parts of the workers welfare packages.
The myth of 'co-management' in Venezuela: Reflections on Alcasa and Invepal
An analysis of two of the most famous cases of Venezuelan 'co-management', Alcasa and Invepal.
With a lot of rhetoric and propaganda the Chavez administration has advanced different examples of co-management which, they claim, demonstrate their desire to transform Venezuela’s relations of production. A compañero from Europe visited us recently and got to know two of the most celebrated cases: Alcasa and Invepal.
Thousands on strike in Colombia
3,500 workers are on strike in protest at temporary employment contracts in the world's most dangerous nation to be a trade unionist.
Members of the Sintracerromatoso union at the nickel mine operated by Cerro Matoso, a subsidiary of the multinational company, BHP Billiton, have begun a strike after negotiations failed to produce an agreement with the company.
Germany: Metal workers strike for higher wages
Metal workers in Germany participated in a one-day strike on Thursday to push for an 8% wage hike.
Germany's main metal workers union, IG Metall, estimates that up to 10,000 workers participated in the strike on Thursday, most of whom work in the major industrial region of the Ruhr Valley. The strike affected over a dozen plants, including the ArcelorMittal factory in Bremen, where 1,500 workers succeeded in shutting down the plant for the day.
Papua New Guinea: Wildcat causes millions in losses
Ongoing wildcat action by striking workers has caused millions of dollars in losses for a massive mining project.
Workers at the Lihir gold mine in Papua New Guinea walked out five days ago over a pay dispute in an unofficial action that is still unresolved. Efforts to cut a deal have stalled while managers consider Lihir's workers' demands, which include sacking the entire management of the mine. It is claimed that workers have been consistently denied the right to organise to protect their rights at work.
Zambia: Mine workers wildcat strike
Workers at the First Quantum Kansanshi copper mine have been refusing to work since Wednesday when they noticed that an agreed pay rise had not been properly implemented.
Operations at the Canadian-owned plant have been paralysed.
Allafrica.com reported that the strike started around 05:30 hours when morning shift miners refused to enter the mining premises, claiming they had been underpaid.
A Times reporter found the more than 100 miners gathered at about 100 metres from the main gate around 07:00 hours.
South Africa: 260,000 workers on strike
Striking workers in the metal and engineering industries said yesterday it was time they got a slice of the profits that they worked so hard to create.
More than 9000 metal and engineering companies were affected by industrial action as 260000 workers took to the streets yesterday demanding a 10% increase for lower grade workers and 9percent for higher grade workers. Employers are offering between 7.3% and 7.8%.
France: Metal workers defend undocumented colleagues
Workers at the Métal Couleur Système factory in Bonneuil went on strike after 19 of their colleagues were fired due to their immigration status.
The workers were originally fired towards the end of January, after a government inspection of the factory showed that 19 of the factory's 64 workers. The worker's contracts were cancelled after the inspector declared that they were using false papers.
South African platinum industry halted by two major strikes, 2004
Very short article on two South African metal workers strikes.
1766: The Real del Monte miners' strike
A short history of the first ever strike in North American history, by Mexican silver miners.
In the summer of 1766 Mexican silver miners of Real del Monte, about one hundred kilometres north of Mexico city, developed a major industrial strike without a trade union or a political ideology to sustain them. It was the first strike in the history of Mexican labour and the first strike in North America
