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SESSION FIVE: CASE STUDY 1 |
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Case-study One: BUILDING REGIONAL LINKS IN TNCS
Adapted from: Asian Food Worker, October 1997 - March 1998
By: IUF, Asia/Pacific
From the new faces at the 4th IUF-Asia/Pacific meeting on Nestlé held in February 1998, it was clear that the network of IUF Asia/Pacific Nestlé unions is both well established and expanding. Altogether, there were 15 unions from 10 countries including Australia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Germany.
Developing the regional network of Nestlé unions is part of IUF’s efforts to build global coordination and cooperation between unions representing workers employed by the same TNC.
There were mixed responses on how the unions felt the current economic crisis in Asia would affect their members at Nestlé. In the Philippines, there was already a severe reduction in production. On the other hand, the Malaysian union felt that Nestlé was in a very strong position to be able to survive the crisis, and would probably come out of it even better.
The potential for the crisis to be used as an excuse to reduce jobs was still viewed as a key concern for solidarity efforts between Nestlé unions in the region. Other issues upon which to build regional coordination included: corporate restructuring, workplace changes, food safety and quality and now how to build solidarity with Nestlé workers who do not enjoy effective organisation or the right to organise.
However, it was the desire for a reduction in the normal working week which really captured the imagination of the meeting. A maximum 40 hour working week throughout Neslé’s operations in the region presented the unions with a concrete target. It was proposed that all unions in the network simulateously coordinate activities to raise the issue.
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