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14 September, 2004Increasingly, unions in the region address the specific needs of non-manual workers.
BRAZIL: Some 40 delegates from affiliated unions in Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Mexico and Venezuela gathered in Sao Paulo on September 2-3, 2004 to participate in the first IMF regional seminar on organising non-manual workers.
With the structural and technological transformation of industries in the metal sector, major changes have taken place in the composition of the labour force, with non-manual occupations accounting for an ever-increasing share of employment.
Consequently, the IMF Executive committee earlier this year called for
unions to put greater emphasis on making unions relevant to non-manual workers who, just like their manual colleagues, are bearing the brunt of ruthless competition and corporate restructuring.
The objective of the IMF seminar was to raise the issue of non-manual workers in the region and discuss organising policies and strategies. As a contribution to the debate, some European and US trade unions were also present.
CNM-CUT working group
Amongst others, CNM-CUT of Brazil reported that it was setting up a working group with the mandate to "propose specific policies to organise and mobilise non-manual workers". Non-manual workers account for about 30% of the labour force in the Brazilian industry.
"The seminar was well received," says Anne-Marie Mureau, responsible for non-manual workers within the IMF secretariat. "The differences between countries in the field of national legislation, the composition of the workforce, the union structure, etc. obviously mean that different tactics and strategies need to be developed to reach out to non-members. Each union has to find its own way
to move ahead but it is important to address the issue of the growing gap between the employment and the membership structure," she says.
The meeting decided, among others, that a network should be established, to facilitate contact, information exchange and solidarity assistance between non-manual workers in the region and the IMF.
With the structural and technological transformation of industries in the metal sector, major changes have taken place in the composition of the labour force, with non-manual occupations accounting for an ever-increasing share of employment.
Consequently, the IMF Executive committee earlier this year called for
unions to put greater emphasis on making unions relevant to non-manual workers who, just like their manual colleagues, are bearing the brunt of ruthless competition and corporate restructuring.
The objective of the IMF seminar was to raise the issue of non-manual workers in the region and discuss organising policies and strategies. As a contribution to the debate, some European and US trade unions were also present.
CNM-CUT working group
Amongst others, CNM-CUT of Brazil reported that it was setting up a working group with the mandate to "propose specific policies to organise and mobilise non-manual workers". Non-manual workers account for about 30% of the labour force in the Brazilian industry.
"The seminar was well received," says Anne-Marie Mureau, responsible for non-manual workers within the IMF secretariat. "The differences between countries in the field of national legislation, the composition of the workforce, the union structure, etc. obviously mean that different tactics and strategies need to be developed to reach out to non-members. Each union has to find its own way
to move ahead but it is important to address the issue of the growing gap between the employment and the membership structure," she says.
The meeting decided, among others, that a network should be established, to facilitate contact, information exchange and solidarity assistance between non-manual workers in the region and the IMF.