ICFTU Youth Action Plan:
Our future starts with integrating young people today

A threat which undermines the strength and future of the trade union movement, is the fact that far too few young people join unions, which is one of the main reasons for a decline in membership rates. And still, millions of young people desperately need the union for work, a decent wage, education, training and acceptable living and working conditions.

Young people do not join the union due to various reasons. They hardly know, see or hear about the union when they entr the labour market. It is not clear for them what the benefits are of a trade union membership. And they perceive unions as to traditional and bureacratic, which does not respond to their own culture.

Young people will join the union, but that requires change in the union attitudes and approaches towards young people. It requires as well a deep commitment of the trade union movement to work hand-in-hand with young trade unionists to make the unions a more attractive and open place for the young:

It is not a matter of why trade unions should do this, it is a matter of survival. The gap between young people and unions is expanding and the trade union movement is growing old. It means a great risk of losing the valuable experiences and know how of the older generations.

Only together, the young and the older generation, will the trade union movement be strong enough to organise young people into unions and to win the fight for jobs, proper education, training and good working conditions. Trade unions will become stronger and its future becomes brighter. That future is not a far-away-option. When we put words into deeds, that future starts today.

Action Points

The trade union movement is urged to give priority to policies and action programs to organise, recruit and integrate young people in unions and to implement the following actions.

1. Organising and recruitment of young people

Instead of waiting for the young people to come, unions should reach out to the young to obtain a greater knowledge of their concerns and needs and what they expect from trade unions. Action programs at or near schools and the work place are needed to inform them about the union and organise them into unions. As an ongoing process to increase membership rates and to fully integrate young people in unions, effective strategies and policies should be identified and made available within all levels of the trade union movement.

Trade union action at national level

Organising:

Trade unions need to mobilise their union to develop and organise regular activities and campaigns to organise young people into unions. They will become more effective:

• when they take place in areas where trade unions are not traditionally present: at school, in the new jobs (informal sector, flexible and part-time jobs) and at places where young people who are unemployed and/or are in the transition of school and work can be found.
• when co-operation is sought with student organisations and various youth NGO’s , which will enlarge the scope of the activities.
• when specific publications for young people are developed (e.g. posters, brochures, flyers).
• when media is used which are popular to young people.
• when trade union members are encouraged to contact and organise young workers at the workplace.

Trade union membership:

Trade unions should create an attractive trade union membership, which is accessible for all young people:

• by providing special services and publications and training for young members on young workers’ rights, career planning and job searching.
• by offering a special trade union membership to students and unemployed young people.

and to ensure that young people benefit from a trade union membership because young people’s issues are reflected in trade union policies and programs.

Recruitment:

Trade unions should provide young trade unionists with adequate training in leadership skills, decision making processes and organising strategies.

Trade union action at regional level and international level

Regular campaigns:

To stimulate action, to keep the work of organising young people in unions going and in support of affiliates to increase their membership rates, each year one or more international trade union youth campaigns should be organised.

Best practices on organising and recruitment:

Best practices to organise and recruit young people should be identified

• and made available to affiliates and the network of young trade unionists.
• and should be a priority issue at relevant trade union meetings and conferences to stimulate and intensify actions in this area.

Training:

To ensure young trade unionists are fully equipped to organise and recruit young people, training programs will be organised during (sub)regional and international meetings.

2. Integrating young people in unions.

The new generation in the trade union movement is hardly seen and their voices not heard. The main reason is the fact that young trade unionists are hardly represented at decision making level (e.g. congresses, conferences, Executive Boards). They do not get sufficient political support to set up youth structures and youth committees and to implement policies and activities.

Trade unions need to change their culture and procedures, to ensure the full integration of young people in the trade union movement. Trade unions should undertake the following actions:

Trade union action within the trade union movement

Youth structures:

Youth structures and youth committees are essential for young trade unionists. It enables them to identify the needs and problems of young people and to develop and implement adequate policies and activities. It creates a positive entrance into the union, because they meet other young people in their fight for better and more jobs and learn through them about trade unions. Therefore the trade union movement is urged to:

• forward their full support for the setting up and strengthening of youth structures and youth committees
• that regular youth meetings take place to ensure continuity and to enable young trade unionists to develop and implement proper youth policies and activities
• to ensure a smooth implementation of youth policies and activities which requires a close cooperation between youth structures/committees and other departments of the trade union
• to ensure that young trade unionists can easily provide exchange information through various forms of communication (e.g. newsletters, Email, youth magazines)

Representation at meetings and at the decision making level:

Young people should be properly represented at decision making bodies and trade union meetings. Therefore it is essential to set a system of quotas and where necessary, to adapt the rules of procedure or statutes. Only then the full integration of young trade unionists can take place.

Trade unions should ensure that:

• at least 15% of the participants at congresses, conferences and other trade union meetings should be young trade unionists
• at all levels of the trade union movement, young trade unionists should be represented at Executive Boards.
• the above mentioned measurements should be gender balanced to ensure the full participation of young women

Training:

Training in leadership skills and on decision making processes. During (sub) regional and international meetings should be provided to young trade unionists.

Research:

Ongoing research should take place on trade union youth membership, effective trade union policies, programs and strategies to measure if and in which areas progress has been made to organise, recruit and integrate young people in unions.

 

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