Final Document : Athens 1985  
     
  We held the second meeting of the IBM Employees International Solidarity in June 13 and 14, 1985 in Athens, Greece.  
  The representatives of 9, Labor unions and one non-union group in IBM were from 8 countries : France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Sweden and the United-States.  
  Each country made a prsention concerning benefits, working conditions and the problems in the respective countries. The points mentioned ware :  
 
  1. secrecy of information related to the employees' careers,
  2. forced over time,
  3. subcontracting instead of hiring additional personnel,
  4. remote control of workers,
  5. the need of more freedom to express ourselves,
  6. salaries not keeping up with the cost of living,
  7. forced transfers,
  8. environmental pollution from manufacturing plants,
  9. authoritarian management system.
 
 

We, the represensatives, have agreed on the following :

  1. We all regret that in the past year IBM's anti-union in most countries did not change. IBM must fully recognize the right of workers to organize and must follow the labor laws and practices in every country. IBM should give all information needed by the employees to be able to exercise their rights,
  2. We are very much concerned about the fact that computerization leads to unemployment. We want to change to a 35 our work week and increase the hiring rate,
  3. We realize the need to have more IBM employees organised in unions and the need for unions, to deal with the every-day problems of employees.
  4. We want IBM to contribute in a more specific and permanent way to the economies of the countries in which it operates,
  5. We feel that the extensive use of VDU's could lead, to mental and physical disabilities. We therefore demand that IBM concern itself in preventing these risks,
  6. We join the Appeal from Hiroshima and Nagasaki for the total ban and elimination of nuclear weapons (attached).
 
  We expect our co-workers around the world, as well as IBM management, to ceriously examine the issues we have raised. Our next meting will be held in 1987.  
  Finally we are determined to continue our efforts to enlarge the IWIS society and will exchange all valuable information to that effect, through our Swedish Communication Center.  
     
 
  • France CGT France
  • CFDTGermany
  • Greece
  • ITALY
  • Japan
  • Portugal
  • Sweden
  • IBM Workers United (USA)
  • NBWA (USA)