IMF convenes 30th World Congress

GENEVA: The International Metalworkers' Federation is holding its 30th World Congress in Sydney, Australia, from November 11-15, 2001. Approximately 800 Congress delegates from 101 countries will come to Sydney to represent the 23 million metalworkers worldwide who are members of the IMF.
Congress discussions will focus on solidarity for metalworking jobs and sustainable growth, and how to deal with global challenges. Delegates will debate the new draft IMF Action Programme for 2002-2005, a follow-up to the previous four-year plan accepted by the San Francisco Congress, and adopt the necessary action and strategies which the IMF will undertake for the upcoming years. Among main points underlined in the draft 2002-2005 Action Programme are:

• the reform of international financial institutions to facilitate
  - employment creation,
  - creation of comprehensive social safety nets,
  - improved educational opportunities,
  - the elimination of child labour;
  
• a special tax on capital transactions aimed at speculation;
  
• the cancellation of external debt for poor countries.
  

Main speakers at the IMF Congress in addition to its president, Klaus Zwickel, and general secretary, Marcello Malentacchi, will include Kim Beazley, leader of the Australia Labour Party; Bob Carr, the premier of New South Wales; Bill Jordan, general secretary of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions; Jürgen Hoffmann, professor of political sociology at the Hamburg School of Economics and Politics and scientific advisor to the European Trade Union Institute; and Erik Reinert, head of research at the Oslo-based Norwegian Investor Forum.
The Congress will be considering 16 new requests from metalworkers' unions for affiliation to the IMF.
On November 13, during a break in the IMF Congress, a rally to address trade union concerns on globalisation and in support of a fairer society is being organised by the IMF's three Australian affiliates -- the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union, the Australian Workers' Union and the Communications, Electrical, Electronic, Energy, Information, Postal, Plumbing and Allied Services Union.