World Union Congress To Set Global Strategies

Global corporate power is already an undisputed reality.

Now, mergers are concentrating that power within fewer and fewer, bigger and bigger corporations.

What does all this mean for workers and their trade unions?

How can they defend their vital interests in the age of the mega-corp?

Union leaders from all parts of the world will be tackling these issues when they meet in Durban, South Africa, on 3-5 November for the World Congress of the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM).

Amandla Awethu will be the Congress slogan - Power Is Ours.

That motto also underlines the key role played by ICEM-affiliated South African trade unions in overcoming apartheid and building the new South Africa.

But, as the background documents and resolutions for the Congress make clear, trade unions worldwide have much to do if they are to defend and build their own power.

So the world union leaders meeting in Durban will be assessing the ICEM's achievements and future priorities in a number of important spheres, including:

• global agreements between the ICEM and multinational companies in its sectors, covering such issues as union rights, equality, workplace health and safety, and the environment
• worldwide and regional trade union networking within companies and sectors
• cooperation with other campaigning groups - for instance, on human rights, development and environmental issues
• integrating the unions' regional structures and agendas with both their national and their global efforts
• realising the potential for organising women workers, and ensuring equality of access within the International
• targeting trade union development effectively, so as to build trade union strength on the ground worldwide.
  

In short, the Durban Congress will be voicing the ICEM's call to workers everywhere:

UNITE AND ORGANISE