From Left: Ralf Olaf Stender, Jürgen Schlicht, Holger Rösser, Hans-Joachim Weis, Reynaldo Zavala, Stefan Hübner, Bernd Hager, Johann Seger and Jasmin Redzepovic
The BWI – IG Metall annual coordination meeting on International Framework Agreements (Social Charta) took place on 5 February 2020 at the IG Metall’s Office in Nuremberg, Germany.
The chairs of the Works Councils of Staedtler, Jürgen Schlicht and Johann Seger, of Faber – Castell; Bernd Hager and Stefan Hübner, and of Wilkhahn; Ralf Olaf Stender participated in the meeting. The IG Metall was represented by Holger Rösser, the IG Metall Department for Company Policy, IG Metall Board, Harald Dix and Zavala Reynaldo, Hans – Joachim Weis, IG Metall Nuremberg and Jasmin Redzepovic represented BWI.
Participants were informed about the outcomes of the 2nd BWI Global Conference on MNCs and IFAs, held in May 2019 in Brighton and London, United Kingdom and the first Faber-Castell Global Union Network meeting convened in October 2019 at Steinbach and Nuremberg/Stein, Germany.
The meeting considered the networking of trade unionists at global level to be crucial in ensuring respect of workers’ rights and a successful implementation of International Framework Agreements. The dialogue with the representatives of the management and their participation in these activities was seen as essential.
The meeting was a good opportunity to review the roles and responsibilities of the workers representatives, including the Works Councils in Germany, the local Trade Unions and the BWI and IG Metal in social audits and to take stock of the developments and discuss the plans and coordination of the upcoming social audits in India, Indonesia, Poland, Germany, Austria, USA, Peru, etc. Special, emphasis was given to the importance of auditing suppliers and addressing issues of outsourcing and subcontracting, where workers, often migrants, can be exposed to precarious forms of employment.
Additionally, the participants discussed severe attacks on workers and union rights through policies adopted by governments in Brazil and India and expressed their solidarity with the labour movements in those countries.
The meeting recommended the organisation of a global network meeting in 2022 of union representatives active in MNCs with which BWI and IG Metall have signed International Framework Agreements.
The IFAs (Social Charta) of Faber – Castell, STAEDTLER, and Schwan Stabilo/Cosmetics, Wilkhahn, play a key role in ensuring worldwide workers’ rights and the respect of ILO Fundamental Labour Standards for 17,000 workers and many more in company supply chains.