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"Trade union rights are human rights"
A monthly newsletter produced by the ILO Bureau for Workers' Activities
No. 7/03
December 3, 2003
Contents
 Luis Anderson - In Memoriam
Workers' rights are human rights
Decent work for Africa's development
ILO acts against violations of workers' rights in Belarus
Burma: no progress and fresh allegations on forced labour
Freedom of association attacked in dozens of countries
Migrants have rights - whatever their status
World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization
Next on the agenda
Global Union Research Network (GURN)
New Director for ACTRAV
Luis Anderson
In Memoriam
News of the sudden death of Luis Anderson, General Secretary of the ICFTU regional organization for the Americas (ORIT), has been received with shock and sadness by his colleagues and friends in the ILO and in the trade union movement. "Brother Luis Anderson will always be remembered for his remarkable contribution to the development of a viable labour movement in the Americas," wrote ACTRAV Acting Director Michael Sebastian in a letter of condolence addressed to ORIT's President, Linda Chavez-Thompson. "His dedication to improving the quality of life of workers, and his untiring efforts at articulating and seeking redress for the many grievances of ordinary workers will always continue to guide the aspirations of unionists and labour leaders throughout Latin America," Mr. Sebastian added.
Luis Anderson died on 15 November in Caracas, at the age of 62. Representatives of international, regional and national trade unions attended his funeral in Panama. The ILO Director General was represented at the funeral by Elizabeth Tinoco, who also represented the Bureau for Workers' Activities.
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Workers' rights are human rights
Human Rights Day, 10 December: remember freedom of association
The ILO has proposed that, as part of this year's theme for World Human Rights Day on December 10, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights should make a clear reference to the human rights of workers, with particular emphasis on freedom of association. In a letter to the Acting High Commissioner, Bertrand Ramcharan, ILO Director General Juan Somavia points out that "the ILO, with its tripartite constituents representing governments and employers' and workers' organizations from 177 member States, accords key priority to workers' human rights. Its supervisory bodies seek constantly to redress abuses of these rights throughout the world. It has long been acknowledged that the strengthening of democracy and of good governance must go hand in hand with the promotion of workers' human rights, of all human rights, and the eradication of poverty." The ILO also recalls that the fundamental human rights of workers are enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Particularly relevant here is Article 23 of the Declaration which, amongst other things, says that "Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests." Workers' rights are also embodied in the International Covenants on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and on Civil and Political Rights, and in other United Nations Conventions. They are recognized in the eight ILO core Conventions and form the basis of the ILO's 1998 Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.
The ILO proposal supports an initiative by the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU). Last year, the ICFTU reported that 209 trade unionists had been murdered while carrying out legitimate trade union activities. The ICFTU report cited violations of workers' fundamental rights of freedom of association and collective bargaining in 133 countries. One thousand union activists were attacked and beaten, 2,562 detained, 89 sentenced to prison, 30,000 sacked and some 20,000 harassed.
Trade unions will mark December 10 with a series of activities denouncing continued violation of union rights in different parts of the world. In Geneva, the ICFTU will hold a special event on Colombia. This will take place at ILO headquarters. Last year, 184 trade unionists were murdered in Colombia.
ILO African regional meeting
Decent work for Africa's development
"The tripartite constituents of the ILO in Africa are meeting at a time when the nations of the continent are creating institutions that promise to set in motion a dynamic process of development founded on their own collective endeavours," says ILO Director-General Juan Somavia in his report Decent Work for Africa's Development. The report was prepared for the 10th ILO African Regional Meeting, which is being held in Addis Ababa on 2-5 December.
"We need to make sure that a decisive step is taken in Africa's struggle to gain control of its own destiny, realize the full potential of its people and natural resources and break out of the trap of widespread and debilitating poverty," Mr. Somavia insists. The launching of the African Union (AU) in 2002 and the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) in 2001 is among such dynamic new initiatives. This July in Maputo, the AU Heads of State and Government decided to convene an Extraordinary Summit on Employment and Poverty Alleviation next year in Burkina Faso. Welcoming this move, the ILO report says the summit could make the link between the new regional initiatives and the daily experience of Africa's working families.
In contrast with other parts of the world, Africa's poverty level is high and getting higher. At one time or another, close to half the region's population - or about 300 million people - live in extreme poverty, on US$1 a day or less. The percentage of poor people in sub-Saharan Africa is almost twice the world average of 24 per cent. (In northern Africa, about six million people, live below the poverty line of US$1 per day.)
Unemployment within Africa's formal economy has been increasing, from 13.7 percent in 2000 to 14.4 percent in 2002. Despite evidence that sub-Saharan Africa has a fairly large proportion of women in the labour force - in fact, higher than the international average - women and girls are frequently trapped in the lowest-paid, least skilled and most precarious occupations.
Youth unemployment is another major concern. It is estimated that only 5 to 10 per cent of new entrants into the labour market can be absorbed by the formal economy. The bulk of new work is found in the informal economy. Overall, about 55 per cent of Africa's population are under 18 years of age.
One of the most serious challenges for African policy-makers today is the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The effects of HIV/AIDS on employment and on the labour market are therefore a major concern of the ILO, which views the pandemic as a workplace issue and a major development challenge. Another issue is discrimination against workers, and others, who have HIV/AIDS. This poses a threat to fundamental principles and rights at work. It also undermines efforts to prevent the spread of the disease and mitigate its impact on the world of work.
Africa's ratification rates for the eight fundamental Conventions of the ILO are remarkably high, the report notes. However, the trade union situation still gives cause for concern. Anti-union repression is particularly serious in Zimbabwe and has led the ILO Committee on Freedom of Association to make strong recommendations to the government there (see below). Last month, Adams Oshiomole, leader of the Nigeria Labour Congress and a member of the ILO Governing Body, received death threats. He had already been arrested twice during 2002, after protesting against a rise in oil prices. Jan Sithole, General Secretary of the Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions, was openly threatened during an ILO Conference by a member of the Swaziland delegation. He has already survived one assassination attempt. Dozens of trade unionists have been arrested in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and beatings of union activists have occurred in Côte d'Ivoire and Gabon this year. In Namibia, strikers were injured by police in 2002, and in Mauritania there were reports of disappearances and detentions of trade unionists. In Djibouti, Uganda and Senegal, there have been numerous instances of interference in, and obstruction of, union organizing.
Unpaid wages are also a major concern in a number of French-speaking African countries.
The ILO report says progress on four key objectives will provide a way of breaking out of the cycle of poverty:
Ending the discrimination and social exclusion that marginalize millions of African families and hamstring economic development
Raising the productivity and earning power of work on farms and in small businesses that are the heart of Africa's production system
Uniting to win a better deal for the continent in the world trade and financial system
Strengthening the mechanisms of social dialogue, representation and accountability at the workplace, at the national level and in the emerging new structures for regional development cooperation.
"Working to reinforce tripartism in the negotiations with bilateral donors and with the multilateral institutions at the national, regional and international levels will advance the cause of ending poverty on several fronts," says the report. First, it will ensure that essential elements for the reduction of poverty are not overlooked - such as a high rate of employment generation, and extension of social protection to the poor. Second, the strengthening of fundamental principles and rights at work and social dialogue will advance democratic governance and the participatory nature of the poverty reduction process. Third, the strengthening of these rights, particularly for women, will also enhance the bargaining position of working people living in poverty and will promote greater gender equity. Finally, it will create the enabling environment for entrepreneurship, investment and enterprise creation, which are at the heart of more opportunities for employment and sustainable livelihoods.
The Global Campaign on Social Security and Coverage for All will be presented to delegates at the Meeting.
ILO Governing Body
ILO acts against violations of workers' rights in Belarus
Abuses by the Lukashenka regime will be probed by a Commission of Inquiry
The worker members of the ILO Governing Body have welcomed the decision, made at its 288th session (Geneva, 6-21 November 2003), to set up a Commission of Inquiry into allegations of serious abuses of workers' rights in Belarus.
The establishment of a Commission of Inquiry is one of the strongest procedures available to the ILO's supervisory bodies when seeking to end abuses of workers' rights. It is used only in the most serious cases.
The Governing Body decision followed a complaint lodged by workers' delegates at the June 2003 International Labour Conference. They denounced the use of arrests, imprisonment, harassment, dismissals and threats against independent trade unionists in Belarus, as well as the takeover of the country's most important trade union federation by allies of President Lukashenka.
Violations of freedom of association have been documented in detail in a series of complaints lodged by Belarus independent trade unions and international trade union organizations since 1996. Only recently, Aliaksandr Bukhvostau and Aliaksandr Yaroshuk, two independent trade union leaders, were arrested and imprisoned for ten days for publicly criticizing the authorities' repressive anti-trade union measures.
"Looking at the economics of the country and the situation of workers, no wonder the regime is trying to silence the voice of trade unions," says a document released by the Secretariat of the ILO Workers' Group (click here). "Wage arrears totalled millions of dollars (billions of roubles) and hundreds of thousands of workers have no other choice than receiving their salaries in kind. Per capita income nationwide was approximately 56 US dollars per month in 2002 but two thirds of the 4.5 million working population were said to survive below this level. A third of the population lives under the poverty line," the document says.
A few days before this session of the Governing Body opened, the Belarus government decided to close down all ILO projects in the country. It has made participation in these activities illegal.
"By virtue of its membership in the ILO, the government of Belarus has subscribed to the tripartite character of the ILO and has an obligation to ensure that direct cooperation with the social partners, employers and trade unions, can be carried out by the ILO without any government interference. The decision of the Belarus government is totally unacceptable and a quite unique violation of the ILO constitution by a member State, which is also a member of the Governing Body of the Organization," commented Leroy Trotman, spokesperson for the ILO Workers' Group.
"The ILO decision to have a Commission on Inquiry on Belarus sends a clear message to the authorities that the international community is taking workers' rights very seriously and that things will need to improve rapidly. This will give us strong backing to seek action being taken also at other levels," Mr Trotman added. Members of the ILO Governing Body Workers' Group say they will mobilize support for the European Union to launch an inquiry into Belarus, possibly leading to a withdrawal of trade privileges under the EU Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), if labour rights abuses continue in the country. EU imports from Belarus were worth 681 million Euro in 2001. Of these, 390 million Euros' worth were eligible for GSP treatment and 186 millions' worth were actually imported under the GSP.
The ILO Commission of Inquiry will be chaired by Budislas Vukas, Professor of Public International Law at the University of Zagreb and a member of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. He is also a member of the ILO Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations. The two members of the Commission will be Niklas Brun, a former member of the ILO Committee of Experts and Professor of Business Law and EU Labour Law at the Swedish School of Economics and Business Administration in Helsinki, and Mary Gaudron, former Justice of the High Court of Australia and Judge on the ILO Administrative Tribunal. The Governing Body has allocated a budget of US$577,000 for the work of the Commission.
According to the ILO Constitution, the Commission will prepare a report embodying its findings and containing recommendations on steps to be taken by the government and the time within which they should be taken.
Burma: no progress on forced labour - amid fresh allegations
Forced recruitment of children into the army has been documented
Discussions with Rangoon have reached "stalemate", says an ILO Governing Body report on developments concerning the observance by the government of Myanmar (Burma) of the Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29). The report deplores the lack of substantive progress on the elimination of forced labour in Myanmar. The assessment of the ILO's Liaison Officer in Burma, according to the report, is that "although the situation in central parts of Myanmar has improved somewhat since the Commission of Inquiry, the situation in border areas where there is a large presence of the army remains serious and has changed little." The ILO continues to receive credible reports of forced labour from various sources inside and outside the country and fresh allegations have come to light. Information that children were forcibly recruited into the army and that systematic military training programmes for civilians were carried out is of particular concern to the ILO. This information has been conveyed to the Governing Body.
"Up to now," said Workers' Group spokesperson Leroy Trotman, "we have not seen any evidence, from the reports that have reached us, that anything whatsoever is being done to satisfy us that sufficient - or anything at all in fact - is being done by the Government." Cecilia Brighi, a worker deputy member, gave her own first-hand evidence on the situation in Burma after visiting border areas of the country in October this year. "After the ILO resolution, it is more difficult for the junta to compel villagers from Central Burma to work for the army," she told the Governing Body. "The new technique is to arrest people arbitrarily, sentence them and use them as porters in the army, very often in the frontline." Ms. Brighi spoke of people being arrested on the basis of false and stupid accusations. They end up digging trenches for the soldiers 12 hours a day, felling trees, fetching water and even sweeping for landmines so that the soldiers do not step on them.
Last May, a joint plan of action was agreed between the ILO and Myanmar, but its implementation has been hampered by the uncertainties surrounding the situation in the country. The action plan includes the appointment of a Facilitator for potential victims of forced labour who wish to seek remedy. The Governing Body asked the ILO to make an urgent assessment of the situation in Myanmar, as regards the prospects for implementing the action plan.
Freedom of association attacked in dozens of countries
Belarus, Zimbabwe, Cuba, Ecuador under spotlight for anti-union repression
There are presently 114 cases before the ILO Committee on Freedom of Association based on complaints for alleged violations of Conventions on freedom of association and the right to organize and bargain collectively. At its session this November, the Committee dealt with 28 cases and reached definitive conclusions on 23 of them. The Committee's conclusions and recommendations were adopted by the Governing Body. It recommended referring the case of Belarus to a Commission of Inquiry (see above).
There were, however, a number of other cases brought to the attention of the Governing Body:
Zimbabwe
Arrests, intimidation and threats against trade unionists have become a recurrent phenomenon in Zimbabwe, according to the Committee's report. The Governing Body dealt with a report on allegations involving threats made against the General Secretary of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), Wellington Chibebe, and his arrest together with other ZCTU leaders in December 2002. While the discussion was under way, Workers' Group representative Ulf Edström broke the news that 350 people had been arrested in Harare on 18 November 2003. They included Chibebe and other ZCTU leaders. The Zimbabwean Government was requested to refrain from interfering in trade union activities and from resorting to arrest and detention of trade union leaders or members for reasons connected to their trade union activities.
Cuba
Between 20 and 25 years' imprisonment. That is the threat faced by people joining or forming independent trade unions in Cuba. According to the Committee's report, at least seven trade union officials were arrested in 2003 and sentenced for what the government regards as "subversive activities". They include Pedro Pablo Alvárez Ramos, Secretary-General of the Single Council of Cuban Workers (CUTC) (sentenced to 25 years in prison), Iván Hernández Carillo, a member of the National Executive Committee of the National Workers' Confederation of Cuba (CONIC) (sentenced to 25 years), Carmelo Díaz Fernández, a member of the National Executive Committee of the CUTC and Deputy Director of the National Trade Union Training Centre (sentenced to 15 years), Miguel Galván, another Deputy Director of the Training Centre (sentenced to 20 years), Héctor Raúl Valle Hernández, Vice-President of the Confederation of Democratic Workers of Cuba (CTDC) (sentenced to 20 years), Oscar Espinosa Chepe, a member of the CUTC (sentenced to 20 years), and Nelson Molinet Espino, Secretary-General of the CTDC (sentenced to 20 years). While the trade unionists are accused of having links with "the US intelligence service", evidence provided to the ILO Committee by international trade union organizations - and confirmed by the Cuban government itself - suggests that Cuban state security agents had infiltrated parts of the independent trade union movement.
Cuban legislation recognizes only one trade union centre, controlled by the State and the ruling Communist Party, and it prohibits independent trade unions. Such a situation "violates the intents and provisions of Conventions Nos. 87 and 98," the ILO Committee concluded. The Committee urged the Cuban government to release detained trade unionists and, in view of the seriousness of the case, to accept a direct contacts mission.
Ecuador
The government of Ecuador was asked to take measures to prevent violence against workers in connection with collective bargaining disputes, and to ensure protection of the workers concerned. It was also invited to amend its legislation so that workers unfairly dismissed could be reinstated. These recommendations by the ILO Committee followed the repression of a strike at the Los Alamos banana plantation in May 2002. Information presented to the Committee suggests that hundreds of armed and hooded men invaded the plantation and shot at the strikers, wounding 12 workers. The attackers were subsequently evacuated by helicopter. And when negotiations began, the employers brought in strike-breakers accompanied by hired killers. Los Alamos plantation, in Guayas Province, belonged to the Noboa Banana Corporation. In May 2002, it was subdivided into seven "mini-ranches" in order to prevent unionization. Speaking at the Governing Body, Ulf Edström, spokesperson for the Workers' Group, stressed the importance of strong and deterrent penalties for such violence against workers.
The Philippines
"The case 2252 on the Philippines is an illustration of how a multinational company, apparently with little regard for corporate social responsibility, has done everything in its power to prevent recognition and certification of the Toyota Motor Philippines Corporation Workers' Association," Ulf Edström told the Governing Body. Interference by the company in the establishment and activities of the union, its refusal to bargain collectively despite the certification of the union as the sole and exclusive bargaining agent, and its anti-union discrimination including the dismissal of union members, as well as government restrictions on the right to strike, were cited as violations of freedom of association. Members of the Workers' Group were particularly concerned by the government's argument that the Toyota Motor Company represented "an industry indispensable to the national interest". This would be tantamount to including such operations in the list of "essential services" and thus placing them outside the scope of certain labour standards. This, according to the Workers' Group, totally contradicts the provisions of Conventions Nos. 87 and 98, ratified by the Philippines. The government was reminded that to determine a situation in which a strike could be prohibited, the criterion is the existence of a clear and imminent threat to the life, personal safety or health of the whole or part of the population. The Committee therefore urged the Philippines government to amend its legislation on this question. The Committee also asked the government to initiate discussions with the Toyota Company in order to seek the reinstatement of the 227 workers unfairly dismissed or, failing that, to obtain adequate compensation.
Cambodia, Paraguay, Madagascar, India
Dismissal of trade unionists in various textile companies in Cambodia (case 2262), the retroactive application of criminal law against trade unionists in Paraguay (case 2086) and the suspension of existing collective agreements in enterprises awaiting privatization in Madagascar (case 2132) were among the cases dealt with by the Committee on Freedom of Association on which the Workers' Group expressed particular concern. Again, a case of anti-union repression in an Export Processing Zone (EPZ) was submitted to the Committee. It concerned the dismissals, arrest and detention of hundreds of striking workers at World Wide Diamonds Manufacturers Ltd, in an EPZ in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The Workers' Group spokesperson reminded the government of India of its responsibility to ensure that the principles of Freedom of Association are respected on the whole of its territory, without exception.
Migrants have rights - whatever their status
ILO Committee on Freedom of Association reaffirms the right to equal treatment
Undocumented people should enjoy basic workers' rights
Migrant workers will be on the agenda at next year's International Labour Conference, and preparations for the general discussion there are continuing. Meanwhile, the Governing Body has had to deal with a number of cases in which the rights of migrant workers, and particularly undocumented workers, came under attack. A case in point is a complaint against the US government, submitted to the ILO Committee on Freedom of Association by the American labour centre AFL-CIO and its Mexican counterpart, the CTM. The complainants allege that a 2002 ruling by the US Supreme Court may have the far-reaching consequence of depriving millions of undocumented migrant workers in the United States of their only protection against violations of freedom of association. The facts date back to December 1988 when José Castro, a Mexican worker hired in May of the same year by Hoffman Plastic Compounds, and his co-workers began a union organizing campaign. Castro and three of his colleagues were subsequently dismissed. In 1992, the National Labor Relations Board ordered the company to reinstate the workers and to pay wage arrears owed to them, as they had been unfairly dismissed. In June 1993, at a hearing to determine the amount of back pay due, José Castro acknowledged that he did not have proper work authorization papers. While this made his reinstatement impossible, the NLRB insisted on back pay for Castro and his colleagues. The company refused and went to the Supreme Court. There, it got the NLRB ruling overturned, thus denying back pay to Castro. The Supreme Court argued that immigration law's prohibition of unauthorized employment takes precedence over labour law's protection of the right to form and join a union.
In its conclusions, the ILO Committee on Freedom of Association said the Hoffman ruling means that "undocumented workers hired by employers in full knowledge of their status... may then subsequently be dismissed for exercising their fundamental right to organize..." The consequences to the employer stemming from the illegal dismissal of such workers are, therefore "now limited to a cease and desist order and the conspicuous posting of a notice to employees." This, says the Committee, is "likely to afford little protection to undocumented workers who can be indiscriminately dismissed for exercising freedom of association rights without any direct penalty aimed at dissuading such action." The US government was therefore invited to explore all possible solutions, including amending the legislation to bring it into conformity with freedom of association principles. It was reminded that freedom of association applies to all workers, regardless of their status, and that whether or not the government had ratified Conventions Nos. 87 and 98, the ILO Committee on Freedom Association was mandated to seek protection of this right by virtue of the ILO Constitution.
Ratifications up
Since November last year, 83 new ratifications of Conventions have been registered, bringing the total number of ratifications registered to 7172 for the ILO's 185 Conventions. This year, 16 more countries have joined the group of member states that have ratified all eight fundamental Conventions. 99 countries are now on that list.
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World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization
Independent report will address all players
The report of the World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization is due to be released in February 2004. In the run-up to its publication, H.E. Ms. Tarja Halonen, President of the Republic of Finland, and co-chair of the Commission, addressed the ILO Governing Body on November 17. Ms. Halonen was the first Head of State ever to address the Governing Body of the ILO.
"In order to make globalization a positive force for people, it is important that the rules governing it are fair," the Finnish President said. "We have today a global economy, but not a global society. The governance and rules are clearly lacking behind the economic developments."
President Halonen said that the work of the independent World Commission will be highly relevant for the ILO, but "its scope and mandate go well beyond the Organization."
Workers' Group chairperson Leroy Trotman reiterated its support for the Commission's objectives. "The World Commission might use this opportunity (of releasing its report) to recommend that the ILO's fundamental principles and rights at work be embraced by all world planners, legislators and others who influence decisions taken in the global economy," Trotman said. He welcomed the Commission's meetings with the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organization.
In the ensuing discussion, the hope and expectation were widely expressed that the Commission's report will have an impact within the system of international organizations, while increasing the influence of the ILO. The report and its possible follow-up will be discussed at the next session of the Governing Body in March 2004.
Next on the agenda
Youth employment and safety and health for discussion in 2005
The agenda for the 2004 International Labour Conference has already been agreed. It includes a second discussion on human resources development and the proposed adoption of a new recommendation, as well as a first discussion on the fishing sector and a general discussion on migrant workers. As for the 2005 Conference, the Governing Body decided it should include a general discussion on youth employment. There is also to be a discussion on occupational safety and health (OSH), with a view to adopting a new promotional instrument on this issue. And a second discussion on the fishing sector should lead to the adoption of a Convention or a Recommendation.
The main aims of the proposed new instrument on occupational safety and health, according to the resolution adopted by last year's Conference, would be to ensure that priority is given to OSH on national agendas and to foster political commitments to develop national strategies for the improvement of OSH, based on a preventative safety and health culture. The instrument may be either a Convention or a Recommendation. As an overarching instrument with a promotional rather than prescriptive content, it would also contribute to increasing the impact of existing up-to-date ILO instruments and to a continuous improvement of national OSH systems, including legislation, supporting measures and enforcement. Such a practical and constructive instrument should, the resolution says, emphasize the right of workers to a safe and healthy working environment; the respective responsibilities of governments, employers and workers; the establishment of tripartite consultation mechanisms on OSH; and the formulation and implementation of national OSH programmes.
The general discussion on youth employment, based on an integrated approach, would provide the ILO with an opportunity to review strategies in this area. In doing so, it could take account of the present economic, social and political context, but also the foreseeable future developments. This is of concern to millions of young people. In fact, more than 1 billion people today are between 15 and 25 years of age, and nearly 40 per cent of the world's population is below the age of 20. Eighty-five per cent of these young people live in developing countries, where many are especially vulnerable to extreme poverty. The ILO estimates that around 74 million young women and men are unemployed throughout the world, accounting for 41 per cent of all the 180 million unemployed persons globally, 31 and many more young people are working long hours for low pay, struggling to make a living in the informal economy. An estimated 59 million young people between 15 and 17 years of age are engaged in hazardous forms of work. Young people actively seeking to take part in the world of work are two to three times more likely than older generations to find themselves unemployed and the global situation is deteriorating.
Global Union Research Network (GURN)
The ILO Bureau for Workers' Activities (ACTRAV) and the global labour movement have started developing an international union research network.
An international union research network was one of the ideas to emerge from the millennium debate held by the global labour movement. Responses from trade union organizations worldwide to a questionnaire show broad interest in this concept. Additional consultations with Global Union Federations (GUFs), international and national trade union organizations have further developed the network's approach, objectives and the implementation.
The initial aim is to strengthen links between trade unions and research institutions. This can help to improve knowledge dissemination, address knowledge gaps, initiate new research and stimulate international cooperation. It will also reinforce national union organizations' capacity to directly assist effective union participation in Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSP) or similar processes, as well as the development of employment and social policies at national level.
In addition to the network, ACTRAV has developed a Masters Programme on Labour Policies and Globalization, in cooperation with the University of Kassel and the Berlin School of Economics, the international labour movement and academic partner institutions throughout the world. Together, they are part of a long-term high-level qualification strategy. This programme was presented in the last issue of Human Rights@Work.
Key elements of the implementation of the network will be discussed by about forty researchers from trade union organizations and institutes and pro-labour academics from universities, in a workshop to be held in Turin next January
Some of the proposed elements are:
an online overview of trade union research institutes and researchers within trade union organizations
a mailing list on which interested network members can post information and hold discussions
online information packages on issues of special importance/interest to the trade union movement
a regular e-mail newsletter to provide up-to-date research information to the network subscribers.
The International Institute for Labour Studies (IILS) will also cooperate closely with the network.
For more information, comments or suggestions, please contact:
Mr Frank Hoffer
Ms Verena Schmidt
E-mail: researchnet@ilo.org
New Director for ACTRAV
Jim Baker has been appointed Director of the ILO Bureau for Workers' Activities and took up his responsibilities on 1st December 2003. He replaces Manuel Simón who retired in April this year. Jim Baker was, until his appointment at the ILO, Director of the Multinational Enterprises; Organising and Recruitment Department of the ICFTU in Brussels. Before that he served the American trade union centre, AFL-CIO, in various capacities. He was a member of the ILO Governing Body from 1986 to 1991. He takes over at ACTRAV from Michael Sebastian, Deputy Director, who was acting Director from April to end November 2003.
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