international summer school starter kit
The “Global Unions”
• The Global Union Federations (GUFs)• The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)
Global Union Federations• Based on industry/sector• Paid for by union subscriptions
The Global Union Federations
• Building & Woodworkers’ International (BWI)
• Education International (EI)
• IndustriALL
2012 merger of:ICEM (Chemicals, Energy, Mining)IMF (Metal/ Engineering)ITGLWF (Textiles/Garments)
• International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)
• International Transportworkers’ Federation (ITF)
• International Union of Foodworkers (IUF)
• Public Services International (PSI)
• Union Network International (UNI)
Or … the International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco
and Allied Workers' Associations (IUF)
• Founded in 1920• 336 trade unions in 120 countries• Membership - 12 million workers • Based in Geneva, Switzerland
IUF Uniting Food, Farm and Hotel Workers World-Wide
• Based in London• Organises seafarers,
dockworkers, civil aviation, railways, road transport, urban transport, fisheries, tourism…
• 681 unions representing 4,500,000 workers in 148 countries
Building & Wood Workers International (BWI)
• Based in Geneva• Organises in building, building materials,
wood, and forestry industries• 350 unions representing 12,000,000
members in 135 countries
• Based in Ferney, France
• Organises in social services, health care, municipal and community services, central government, and public utilities such as water and electricity.
• 20 million workers, represented by 669 unions in 154 countries.
What do the GUFs do?
• Support international organising – particularly in TNCs
• Co-ordinate solidarity actions• TU Development and Education• UN and employer assoc representation• Campaigning • Research• Information exchange
International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)
• Founded 2006 – merger of ICFTU and WCL
• Based in Brussels• Represents national
‘trade union centres’ – the global “TUC of TUCs”
Where did ITUC come from?
International Confederation of Free Trade Unions
Formed 1949
Social-democratic / democratic socialist
World Confederation of
Labour
Formed 1920
Christian (Catholic) in origin
What is the ITUC for?
• Represents trade union interests at international governmental bodies, particularly at the ILO
• Campaigns for workers’ rights
• Co-ordinates solidarity actions against trade union repression
• Research and union development
• DECENT WORK
World Federation of Trade Unions
Communist Party dominated
Formed 1945
Previously based in Prague
… now Athens
Roots in 1922 Profintern
Resurgence of WFTU?
Global Unions: Regional Structures
CORE LABOUR STANDARDS
Freedom of Association
Right to Collective Bargaining
Elimination of forced labour
Effective abolition of child labour
Freedom from discrimination
… decent work
The political agenda for the international movement
Some agenda items for discussion
“New” Capitalism
Financialisation of modern global corporations
The problem with Europe…
The demise of ‘Social Europe’
European Trade Union Confederation &
European Industrial Committees – EFFATT,
ETF, EFBWW …
Unions & the European Commission
€…..
Climate Change, Energy and the trade union movement
Anti-Capitalism
The future of public services
The rise of precarious work
and informal work….
Rebuilding unions
from below
The International Organising Agenda
1970s • World Company Councils
• International Shop Steward Committees
1980s• Networking on the Internet
• International collective bargaining?
1990s• International Framework
Agreements
2000s• Global organising strategies
• Global Organising Alliance
Where are the politics?
Crisis in social-democracy
Onward march of Neo-Liberalism and austerity
Resurgence of WFTU?
Do we have a democratic socialist alternative?
“We are not only losing collective bargaining rights, we are now in a labour war effectively acrossEurope, the U.S., emerging democracies. Why? Because the old stakeholders who drove theneo-liberal economic policies that would seem to be foul policies, the Washington consensus if you’d like, are back in control. We thought the global financial crisis showed them this was a failed economic model. We were wrong. We have now a situation where we are largely engaged in what I can only describe as a labour war”.
Sharan BurrowITUC