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Labour and Society Programme
The Labour and Society Programme was launched in 1998 as a sequel to an earlier programme of the Institute, "Labour Institutions and Development". The main focus of the new programme was on organized labour and its emerging role in the changing world of work. The work was based on the premise that the last decade has seen an acceleration of cumulative change, which is transforming the position of labour in society.
For most of the twentieth century organized labour operated within a stable paradigm: a powerful State; a significant public sector; organized social actors; stable employment relationships; and shared values.
This paradigm has significantly changed. The traditional equations between labour, business and the State have altered. Economic outcomes are more a function of market mechanisms and less the result of mediation by labour through collective bargaining or legislative change. Globalization has moved capital and product markets out of alignment with labour markets and increased the vulnerability of labour, which is the least mobile factor of production. It has segmented the labour force, bringing both increased prosperity and deepening inequality. The diffusion of power to a multiplicity of actors and locations has eroded established structures for social dialogue. Social justice is increasingly perceived in terms of equal access to knowledge and skills, rather than the equitable distribution of material assets.
These changes have had deep significance for workers everywhere, and for the ILO as a whole.
The Labour and Society Programme examined the outlook for labour at the beginning of the new millennium in the light of changes at the workplace and in society. With a focus on organized labour, it sought to identify approaches and strategies appropriate to the changed environment which enhance the profile of labour as a major actor in civil society, and as a contributor to dynamic and equitable growth.
The programme was undertaken in close collaboration with international and national trade union organizations, international trade secretariats and ILO technical departments, notably the Bureau for Workers' Activities. It utilized surveys, case studies and bibliographical reviews and is implemented through networks consisting of trade union practitioners, academics, research institutes and other policy-makers. These networks, both international and regional, have been a means of disseminating research outcomes to a wider audience.
The programme addressed three major issues:
(a) The changing environment of labour and unions. Several aspects of the changing environment have already been extensively discussed, such as the deregulation of markets, technological change and the decentralization of collective bargaining. However, their relative importance for trade unions and differential impact on unions in various regions of the world have not been adequately assessed. Neither has there been a systematic examination of the impact on trade unions of such developments as regional trade and production systems, the growth of the informal sector, the emergence of community-based organizations, or the changing relationship between trade unions, the academic community and other opinion-makers.
(b) Trade union responses to the environment of the 1990s. The decade of the 1990s has seen a variety of trade union responses to liberalization and social change in different parts of the world. The range and variety of recent initiatives indicate their inherent potential. Some unions have turned to programmes of social partnership with governments and employers to promote employment, productivity and skill development, underpinned by minimum standards. Others have reoriented their strategies away from lobbying governments and legislatures, towards a more direct involvement in electoral processes, and increased emphasis on organization and representation within industries. Steps have been taken to promote consultative mechanisms within trade and regional economic arrangements on labour and social policies. Trade unions have undertaken active gender policies, and initiatives have been launched to organize potential constituents, including immigrants and minorities. Many unions now provide services including training, health, social insurance, legal assistance and credit to constituents. The programme tried to document such initiatives with a view to making them better known and assessing their potential for the future.
(c) Future perspectives. The programme also highlighted promising approaches for trade union influence in civil society and the global economy in future. Its aim was to suggest the type of policy and institutional environment required for the growth of free and effective trade unions.
In particular, the programme explored the following relationships between trade unions and society:
Trade unions as vehicles for the broader concerns of civil society. Can strategic alliances be forged with other actors, such as women's groups, human rights bodies, community-based organizations and cooperatives, to benefit workers across the board? This involves difficult issues of representativity, accountability and conflicting constituent interests. What are the pros and cons of such alliances? Are they feasible? Can they endure?
The potential for a new partnership with business and government to achieve growth with equity and social cohesion. Can such partnerships spell out the common ground between business and labour in the workplace and in the economy? What supporting institutional and policy measures are called for?
Trade unions and human rights. Concern with human rights is a striking feature worldwide, arising from a deeper awareness of individual identity among people everywhere. Human rights are at the centre of trade union concerns and labour rights, and unions have traditionally been at the forefront of the struggle for democratic freedom. There is increasing media interest and a multiplication of civic groups dealing with a variety of human rights, many of which impinge directly on labour concerns. Important questions arise concerning the relationship between labour rights and other human rights, and concerning the future role of labour in promoting and monitoring these rights.
Trade unions as development partners. Development agencies and bilateral programmes are increasingly turning to actors in civil society to promote sustainable development and participative democracy. Community-based organizations and NGOs are now directly involved in development programmes as partners rather than recipients. Trade unions, as the largest organized group in civil society, can also bring a unique contribution to the development community. They are directly involved with economic systems of production and distribution; they are representative and accountable; they have considerable experience in organizing the more vulnerable sections of society; and they have the experience and standing required to access national legal systems and public facilities. The possibilities of associating trade unions with major development programmes remain to be explored with funding agencies, governments and other development partners.
Programme implementation
The activities of the programme were organized along two tracks. Track I concerned an electronic network linking trade union practitioners with the academic community. Track II undertook comparative research on the successes and failures of trade unions in different countries.
Track I activities
Website
A project website was established where a collection of key documents on union concerns used to be posted. The website carries all the studies, reports and special contributions prepared under the Labour and Society Programme.
Interactive conference facility
The second component of the network was an interactive conference facility for promoting an exchange of information and ideas among a large number of union practitioners, academics and other interested persons. The first Online Conference on "Organized Labour in the 21st Century" was announced on 28 July 1999. More than 700 members signed up to take part. The virtual conference was opened on 15 September when Mr. Juan Somavia, Director-General of the ILO, made a keynote speech on "Trade Unions in the 21st Century". Another opening speaker was Mr. Bill Jordan, the then General Secretary of the ICFTU, who responded to the points raised by the keynote speaker. Each month a new topic for discussion was launched.
Track II activities
The Institute organized research into the successes and failures of trade unions in different countries. A total of 16 case studies on trade union responses to globalization were prepared, with a view to understanding how far the unions in a given country have adapted to the new environment by addressing new concerns; taking on new roles in society; organizing new constituents; forming new alliances; and adjusting union structures and finances. Case studies were prepared on Brazil, Canada, Chile, Ghana, India, Israel, Japan, Republic of Korea, Lithuania, Niger, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Tunisia, United States and Zimbabwe. Most of these studies have been brought out as Discussion Papers and posted on the Programme's website. An edited volume has been published by the Institute under the title: Organized labour in the 21st century
The case studies served as source material for the regional and subregional meetings organized by the project on union strategies. The meetings were intended to facilitate a region-specific flow of information and reflection on the future of trade unions. The gatherings were multidisciplinary in character and attended by approximately 30 participants, including union practitioners, academics, media specialists and ILO officials. They comprised a series of brainstorming sessions where the invited participants examined the possible responses of trade unions to the emerging needs of society, particularly the extent to which they involve themselves in maintaining social cohesion, promoting human rights and achieving social development.
Two regional meetings were held under the Programme: an Asian regional meeting in Seoul, Republic of Korea on 7-8 December 1999, and a Latin American regional meeting on 16-17 December 1999 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Publications / Discussion Papers
Organized Labour in the 21st Century. Edited by A. V. Jose
Towards global social movement unionism? Trade union responses to globalization in South Africa, Andries Bezuidenhout. No. 115. 2000. ISBN 92-9014-624-9.
An emerging agenda for trade unions?, by Richard Hyman. No. 98. 1999. ISBN 92-9014-606-0.
Trade unions and transnational industrial relations, by Robert Taylor. No. 99. 1999. ISBN 92-9014-607-9.
Trade unions and development, by Henk Thomas. No. 100. 1999. ISBN 92-9014-608-7.
Network on Organized Labour in the 21st Century: Progress Report. No. 101. 1999. ISBN 92-9014-609-5.
Network on Organized Labour in the 21st Century: Report of a meeting to review the activities of the Network. No. 102. 1999. ISBN 92-9014-610-9.
Union responses to a changing environment: The New Histadrut - The General Federation of Labour in Israel, by Roby Nathanson et al.. No. 104. 1999. ISBN 92-9014-612-5.
Organized labour and economic liberalization. India: Past, present and future, by Debashish Bhattacherjee. No. 105. 1999. ISBN 92-9014-613-3.
Japanese trade unions and their future: Opportunities and challenges in an era of globalization, by Sadahiko Inoue. No. 106. 1999. ISBN 92-9014-614-1.
Labour unions in the Republic of Korea: Challenge and choice, by Ho Keun Song. No. 107. 1999. ISBN 92-9014-615-X.
Trade unionism in Sweden, by Reinhold Fahlbeck. No. 109. 1999 ISBN 92-9014-617-6.
Trade union responses to globalization in Lithuania, by Roma Dovydeniene. No. 111. 2000. ISBN 92-9014-618-4.
The future of the labour movement: Some observations on developing countries, by A.V. Jose. No. 112. 2000. ISBN 92-9014-620-6.
Respuestas del sindicalismo ante la mundialización: El caso de Chile, by Guillermo Campero. No. 113. 2000. ISBN 92-9014-621-4.
Respuestas sindicales a la mundialización: El caso español, by Antonio Ojeda-Avilés. No. 114. 2000. ISBN 92-9014-622-2.
Partnership of trade unions in national development programmes and in promotion of labour mobility in Singapore, by Evelyn S. Wong. No. 117. ISBN 92-9014-624-9.
Reinventing the US labour movement, Inventing postindustrial prosperity: A progress report, by Stephen Herzenberg. No. 119. 2000. ISBN 92-9014-627-3.
Les syndicats et la mondialisation: le cas de la Tunisie Institut international d'études sociales, by Mohamed Ennaceur. No. 120. 2000 ISBN 92-2-9014-628-1
The ILO's on-line conference on organized labour in the 21st century, by Jill Murray. No. 125. 2000. ISBN 92-9014-635-4.
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