|
International Seminar
The Labour Movement: Opportunities and Strategies
A Report
1. International Seminar
An international seminar on "The Labour Movement: Opportunities and Strategies" was
organized by the International Institute for Labour Studies (IILS) in collaboration with the ILO Bureau
for Workers' Activities (ACTRAV) and Cornell University's Comparative Labour Revitalization Project
Team. The seminar, held in Geneva on 19-21 April 2001, marked the completion of the
Institute project on "Organized Labour in the 21st Century".
2. Purpose
The seminar brought together scholars, union practitioners and ILO officials to discuss and
synthesise the findings of two projects organized respectively by Cornell University and the ILO to
identify the priorities and strategies of the labour movement in the global economy. The seminar is also
expected to identify new directions for the Institute's research programme on Decent Work.
The seminar drew upon the findings of the two projects to assess the situation in both
developed and developing countries. The final session was devoted to a comparative evaluation and
a synthesis of the findings from the two projects.
3. The Labour Movement in Developed Countries: The Cornell Project
Cornell University has an international team with a global programme of
comparative research on the labour movement. The aim is to evaluate strategies for revitalizing the labour movement through
a coalition of interests for transforming the movement into a grass-roots level force at the workplace,
in politics and in society. The topics investigated by the team include: organizing the unorganized,
political action, coalition building, social partnership, mergers and internal restructuring and
international solidarity. Findings of comparative research done in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Spain
and Italy were discussed at the seminar. Several of these studies have been brought out as Discussion Papers of the Institute (D.P. 131, 132, 133)
4. The Labour Movement in Developing Countries: The Institute Project
The project "Organized Labour in the 21st Century" was initiated in 1998 to analyse the
challenges posed by globalization for trade unions in different parts of world, and to identify examples
of creative responses to these challenges. The project has had two major components: an electronic
network for generating interaction between academic scholars, labour practitioners and the ILO; and a
series of studies on trade union responses to globalization in different countries.
The Institute Project and its case studies were global in scope. The seminar however focussed
on its findings in respect of the developing world. It highlighted research outcomes in the areas of
organizational strategies; the representation of non-traditional constituents and the provision of new
services; and alliances and coalitions with other civil society actors for common goals.
5. Agenda
The seminar agenda covered three broad areas:
(i) The country studies prepared by Cornell University's International Comparative Labour
Revitalization Project Team. This was followed by a panel discussion on lessons learned,
future research and preliminary policy implications.
(ii) The ILO Studies on developing countries were discussed in three sessions dealing with:
- The conclusions of the Institute project on "Organized Labour in the 21st Century"
- Presentations by the Workers Activities Bureau and the International Confederation of
Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) on workers in the informal economy, and perspectives for
the international trade union movement.
- A panel discussion to explore new directions for research and action in developing
countries. It will also help to identify and highlight the role of the labour movement in
realizing Decent Work and promoting development.
(iii) A roundtable to synthesize the findings from the ILO project and the Cornell University Team's
studies and to draw policy lessons for the labour movement in a global economy.
6. Dates, venue and participants of the conference
The seminar took place on 19 to 21 April 2001 in Salle VII (R2) of the ILO in Geneva. It
included some 45 participants among whom were distinguished academics, trade union practitioners, members
of the Cornell University's International Project Team and ILO officials.
 Agenda
| 
