temporary staff whose contracts constantly have to be renewed and who are put under pressure to do overtime under the threat that their contracts will not be extended. English and computer skills are a requirement for senior positions but workers’ promotion prospects are blocked because they are not offered the relevant training. The exchange of information and experience brought home to the Russian trade union delegates that the conditions prevailing in their factories are by no means the norm within the Nestlé corporation and that standards are considerably higher in other plants. (3) The Manila Declaration Infringements of each of the seven principles of the Manila Declaration by local and national management were outlined and discussed at the meeting. This work on the Manila Declaration, as a collective trade union statement on the minimum principles to be complied with at Nestlé, proved to be an extremely productive part of the network meeting. It can be noted by way of a conclusion that the main focus of the network meeting was strengthening national and local trade union structures, the learning aspect. What was particularly important was putting an end to the isolation of union delegates in Nestlé‘s Russian factories which had allowed management to rule over unions and employees with an iron fist. One principal outcome of the meeting from the Russian delegates‘ point of view was the realisation that they have a strong partner in the IUF. Trade union delegates in Nestlé‘s East European factories are dependent on the Nestlé trade union network and on support from the IUF, but they themselves are too weak to promote networking at their own initiative. 3.3. Network activities in Africa: the meeting in Cape Town, spring 2003 The circumstances surrounding the development of the Nestlé trade union network are extremely unfavourable on the African continent. Save for a few exceptions, the IUF affiliate organisations in Africa lack both authority and funds, and are themselves overwhelmingly in need 21