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in LABOUR POLICIES AND GLOBALIZATION Trade Unions, Sustainable Development, Social Justice and International Labour Standards Summary Within the concept of a Global Labour University a network of trade unionists, researchers and ILO experts will be created to develop and deliver high-level qualification programs including a one year Master Course on "Trade Unions, Sustainable Development, Social Justice and International Labour Standards". It is a new approach to strengthen the intellectual and strategic capacity of trade unions and to establish much stronger working relationship between trade unions, the ILO and the scientific community. It will strengthen the trade union capacity and competence to promote the values of the Decent Work agenda and enable them to engage more effectively in social dialogue on social and economic policy issues like employment, social protection and implementation of international labour standards.  The Master program will support the trade unions to improve their intellectual profile substantially and built a channel for qualifying trade union leaders and recruiting younger experts. The global network will provide a unique possibility of research and policy development in a truly multicultural and multiregional environment. The curriculum will be developed in 2003/04 and a pilot course will be delivered in 2004/05. In the following years the program will be disseminated to other universities in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and North America. Where ever possible students from all regions will be represented in the course. Global workshops, conferences, publications and internet working groups will facilitate genuine global dialogue and sustainable international networks.Gender issues will be given high priority in the curriculum. Strong women representation at the course will ensure that the gender perspective will be integrated part of the discussion processes and research activities. The governance structure of the Global Labour University network will be based on partnership between the ILO, the national and international trade union movement and the partner universities. Concept Successful policies for development and poverty alleviation require country ownership and involvement of the civil society in policy development and implementation. Trade Unions play an important function in organising and empowering people. They are a crucial partner in promoting the ILO Decent Work agenda. To engage effectively in the struggle for transparent governance, implementation of core labour standards, employment creation, social protection and poverty alleviation they - like all civil society organisations - have to meet the permanent task of upgrading their organisational efficiency and expertise. Trade Unions throughout the world are facing the challenges of rapid economic and social changes through a globalisation process that is undermining existing regulations and arrangements without providing an adequate new regulatory framework. On national and global level trade unions need to strengthen their analytical capacity, their organisational efficiency and their political ability to represent working people effectively in social and economic policy debates in general and to promote pro-poor social and employment policies. Despite a more complex reality, policy advice and recommendations from international institutions and also from most academic circles are often based on overconfidence in the wealth-creating capacity of freely operating market forces. In the public debate the widening gap between rich and poor, the deconstruction of a public infrastructure and the economic collapse of entire countries are discharged either as inevitable transition costs or explained by the lack of market reforms. Trade unions have consistently called for policies that aim at full employment, sufficient income and social security as essential objectives of a development strategy. The ILO is advocating that decent employment has to be at the core of any sustainable poverty reduction strategy, insisting that alternatives to the often disappointing results of decades of structural adjustment are necessary and possible. Simple and dogmatic answers of market friends and foes are not helpful to solve the complicated development issues. The debates in the UN System, at the IMF and the World Bank or at the Global Social Forum and the Global Economic Forum demonstrate the multilevel search for a more sophisticated approach towards development - based on rigorous analysis of reality instead of ideology. The ILO has initiated a World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization to support the constructive search for solutions to the pressing items of poverty, unemployment and the lack of fundamental rights and substantive freedom for billions of people. In this context there is a growing understanding within the international debate, that in many countries trade unions are rather part of the solution than part of the problem. The issues of good governance, civil society development and country ownership of development programs within the PRSP process or similar restructuring initiatives require a prominent role of workers' organizations. Trade unions are, at an increasing number of occasions, invited to participate from the start in the debate about necessary economic reforms. This is clearly a success after years of trade union protest. However, at the same time, it increases the demands on trade union capacity and competency. Trade unions clearly realize that their members and society at large do not only want criticism of the shortcomings of globalization, but policy proposals that can make a difference and improve the situation. A vision of social justice for all, a coherent concept for social and economic policy, successful collective bargaining and a modern organizational management are key factors to achieve this objective. Highly committed and well-qualified trade union experts and alliances with the academic world are vital to improve trade union capacity in these areas. The growing influence of globalization and transnational companies on the daily life of workers in most countries increases the demand for a global network and an understanding of the global economy for trade unions. The ILO in general and the Bureau of Workers' Activities in particular have the mandate and long standing experience to assist trade unions to engage in a substantive debate on social and economic policy. Within this mandate and in close cooperation with the international trade union movement ACTRAV is developing different instruments for a coherent support strategy. One of them is within the long-term concept of a "Global Labour University" to develop and deliver post graduate qualification programs including a Master course in "Trade Unions, Sustainable Development, Social Justice and International Labour Standards". It is a response to the increasing demand for highly skilled trade unionists engaging in substantive and solution orientated discussions and negotiations with employers, governments, international institutions and civil society organisations.
Updated by LO. Approved by JB. Last updated 9 February 2004
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Project Concept
Project Concept