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6 April, 2000"Globalising Social Justice - Trade Unionism in the 21st Century" was the central theme for the five-day ICFTU Congress.
SOUTH AFRICA/GLOBAL: The 17th World Congress of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions has taken place this week in Durban, and was the first-ever ICFTU Congress in South Africa. With a central theme of "Globalising Social Justice - Trade Unionism in the 21st Century", Congress delegates heard opening addresses by the ICFTU's general secretary, Bill Jordan, and the Confederation president, LeRoy Trotman, and were welcomed by South Africa's deputy president, Jacob Zuma.
In a video address, the U.N. secretary-general, Kofi Annan, called for fair global trade and investment, to give the global market a human face.
ILO director-general, Juan Somavia, gave a keynote address in which he said that globalising social justice was "our common challenge for the future," and that globalisation would not survive unless more people shared in its benefits. "We cannot continue down the track of increasingly deregulated national economies toward a growing unregulated global economy."
Debates related to the central Congress theme dealt with:
- Spreading and Deepening Democracy in the Era of Globalisation;
- Jobs and Justice in the Global Economy;
- Social Protection;
- Human Rights and the World of Work;
- Ending Discrimination in the Workplace;
- Organising International Solidarity;
- The Millennium Review;
- Trade Unions in the 21st Century;
- Global Unions on the Internet (with the launch of a new website, mentioned on the IMF website yesterday).
Representing the IMF at the Congress were Marcello Malentacchi, general secretary, and Brian Fredricks, assistant general secretary. While Fredricks addressed the debate on organising international solidarity, Malentacchi told Congress that the question of trade union rights was not just an issue for the ILO and national legislation, but "it is essential that we include it in all collective bargaining at all levels - national, local and plant." He also stressed the necessity of building up international trade unionism.
Congress resolutions dealt with trade union development/cooperation, youth, a campaign to end child labour and the fight against AIDS.
In the middle of the week, 3,000 trade unionists, including South African women workers, marched through the streets of Durban in protest at poverty and violence against women.
Today, April 7, Fackson Shamenda, president of the Zambian Congress of Trade Unions, took over as the new president of the ICFTU, the first African to preside over the organisation in its 50-year history. Bill Jordan remains as general secretary.
For in-depth information on the Congress, access the ICFTU website on www2.icftu.org
In a video address, the U.N. secretary-general, Kofi Annan, called for fair global trade and investment, to give the global market a human face.
ILO director-general, Juan Somavia, gave a keynote address in which he said that globalising social justice was "our common challenge for the future," and that globalisation would not survive unless more people shared in its benefits. "We cannot continue down the track of increasingly deregulated national economies toward a growing unregulated global economy."
Debates related to the central Congress theme dealt with:
- Spreading and Deepening Democracy in the Era of Globalisation;
- Jobs and Justice in the Global Economy;
- Social Protection;
- Human Rights and the World of Work;
- Ending Discrimination in the Workplace;
- Organising International Solidarity;
- The Millennium Review;
- Trade Unions in the 21st Century;
- Global Unions on the Internet (with the launch of a new website, mentioned on the IMF website yesterday).
Representing the IMF at the Congress were Marcello Malentacchi, general secretary, and Brian Fredricks, assistant general secretary. While Fredricks addressed the debate on organising international solidarity, Malentacchi told Congress that the question of trade union rights was not just an issue for the ILO and national legislation, but "it is essential that we include it in all collective bargaining at all levels - national, local and plant." He also stressed the necessity of building up international trade unionism.
Congress resolutions dealt with trade union development/cooperation, youth, a campaign to end child labour and the fight against AIDS.
In the middle of the week, 3,000 trade unionists, including South African women workers, marched through the streets of Durban in protest at poverty and violence against women.
Today, April 7, Fackson Shamenda, president of the Zambian Congress of Trade Unions, took over as the new president of the ICFTU, the first African to preside over the organisation in its 50-year history. Bill Jordan remains as general secretary.
For in-depth information on the Congress, access the ICFTU website on www2.icftu.org