VOICE OF ELECTRICITY WORKERS

October 2002 - March 2003

VOL. 3-4                  NO.4-5
 

International Energy and Mineworkers Organisation (IEMO) in Kerala- India November 2002-  STEVE KEMP

In a time when workers throughout the World face the prospect  of globalization and the workers in each industry  are under attack there has never been a more important time for demanding the establishment of one International Energy and Mineworkers Organisation. 

            The National Union of Mineworkers has always supported the concept of one international organisation for mine and energy workers. Over a century ago the Miners’ Federation of Great Britain (MFGB) was responsibility for the creation of the Miners’ International Federation (MIF). 

            For years there were no barriers, no bans or proscriptions and no one was debarred from membership  on the basis of religion, colour, creed or political belief. It was in essence a truly international organisation. 

            Throughout the history of the Miners’ International Federation, the British NUM played a leading role and a British mineworker held the position of Secretary  General of the MIF for many years. 

            The NUM held the position of President or Vice-President continuously until the Americans broke away from the WFTU – of which the IMF was a member – and established the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU). 

            As a result of this split engineered by right wing American and West German influence – the Minters’ International Federation – became a major casualty in 1950 when it was “forced” to leave the Wold Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) and become an affiliate of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU).

This was because the NUM as an affiliate of the British TUC could not belong to an international organization which had been outlawed by the right wing dominated British TUC. This position continued until 1983 when once again the British NUM showed great innovation when in conjunction with the French CGT  founded the International Miners’ Organization (IMO) which later became the International Energy and Mineworkers’ Organization (IEMO). 

The NUM National Executive in 1983 unanimously called upon the Miners’ International Federation to merge into one international organization yet despite all efforts the MIF refused to even discuss let alone combine together in one single international organization. 

The British NUM pointed out that employers had no such ideological barrier and the French mining and enrage employers combined together with the British mining and energy employers whilst both had powerful connections with the former Soviet Union. 

Yet the United States and the then Wet German mining trade unions were virulent in their opposition to the creation of a single international organization. The strength of the IEMO is its constitution which makes clear that it is not affiliated to and will not affiliate to either the WFTU or the ICFTU. 

The IEMO is non-aligned and this is a strength and not a weakness. It does not prevent any of its affiliated organizations being affiliated to, through their central           trade union organizations, an international organization of their choice. 

For example we have affiliates such as the British NUM who hold major positions in the IEMO whilst at the same time we are affiliated indirectly to the ICFTU because we re an affiliate of the British TUC. 

On the other hand we have countries which are affiliated to the IEMO and yet are affiliated through their trade union center to the WFTU. 

The IEMO has grown steadily during the course of the past 19 years and now represents 52 unions with an estimated membership of well over five million. 

In spite of its rapid growth – which includes nearly every Middle East country – apart for Israel – the IEMO has constantly  argued for an  international organization and to this end made approaches yet again to the MIF in January 1992 in South Africa. 

Following discussions a proposal was made by John Banovic, the General Secretary of the United Mineworkers of America, that both the MIF and the IEMO should be dissolved and a new single international organization for all mine and energy workers should be established. 

The proposal by Banovic was agreed  by representatives of the Miners’ Union in South Africa, Germany, United States, Australia and Great Britain. A document drafted by Arthur Scargill was actually signed on 26 January 1992. 

In March 1992 the British NUM was astonished to be told that the German Miners’ Union would not attend the meeting because it objected to Alian Simon, the General Secretary of the IEMO, attending or being involved in any discussions or decisions relating to the establishment of one united international organization. 

At a meeting in Germany the British representatives Peter Heathfield, Frank Cave and Arthur Scargill were astonished to learn that twenty four hours prior to the meeting to discuss the establishment of a united international organization the MIF had met and decided on a recommendation from West Germany and America to reject the Agreement they had reached in South Africa in January 1992. 

The British NUM learned that despite reaching a written agreement in South Africa in 1992 the MIF  leaders were already involved in discussions with the ICEF – an affiliate of the ICFTU – with a view to a merger between the MIF and ICEF. 

The Americans and West Germans were so paranoid in their opposition to communist countries or countries which did not “fit in with the US Government’s view” that they would go to extraordinary lengths to exclude organizations such as the French CGT which had given magnificent support to the British NUM at its historic 1984/1985 strike. 

For example the German Miners’ Union Secretary proposed that if the British NUM agreed to affiliate to the MIF they would guarantee that Arthur Scargill would be elected president. However this was on the clear understanding that the French CGT could not be included in any merger and Alain Simon would not be allowed to hold any position or be a member of the MIF. 

The British NUM made clear that they would not deer their friends and Arthur Scargill told the Germans that neither  he or the NUM would ever betray Alian Simon or the French CGT who had shown real class commitment to the British NUM and stood by the NUM’s leadership throughout some of the most difficult periods in trade union history. 

I would like to propose on behalf of the British NUM the following motions to Congress:- 

1)       All affiliates to reaffirm its affiliation to the IEMO which is a  non-aligned, non-sectarian international organization and an organization which allows all its affiliates to be affiliated through their trade union centres to the international organization of their choice, i.e. either to the ICFTU, the WFTU or none at all.

2)       To call upon all energy and mineworkers trade unions currently in membership of the ICEM and those unions who are not in membership of any international organization to hold discussions with the leadership of the IEMO with a view to establishing a single international organization for all energy mineworkers and chemical workers. 

3)       At a time when employers throughout the world are combining together without any ideological or philosophical barriers it is time that the trade unions should also combine together to defend our countries industries. 

4)       To recognize that the closure of mines in one part of the world will inevitably have an effect on workers in other parts of the world and we should resist the globalization tactics which are designed to destroy our industry, our jobs and our way of life. 

5)       Reaffirm that we want an organization which is not afraid to speak out and condemn not only industrial and political attacks on our industries abut also condemn acts of aggression and war against countries such as Afghanistan, Yugoslavia, Korea, Cuba and Iraq. 

The trade union movement was built both nationally and internationally on the principle of unity – without unity we have nothing – with unity we have the power and strength to make all our aspirations become a reality.
 

Copyright © 2002 - 2004 Electricity Employees Federation of India. All Rights Reserved.
Email: info@eefi.org · Feedback · Terms and Conditions ·