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20 June, 2000Speaking at the IMF Central Committee meeting, the general secretary reports on major developments for international metal trade union work.
BIRMINGHAM: Reporting today, June 21, to the Central Committee (CC) meeting of the International Metalworkers' Federation, taking place in Birmingham, UK, the IMF general secretary, Marcello Malentacchi, outlined activities of the federation in the past year.
As part of the IMF's emphasis on building a global metalworkers' movement, regional structures -- with both regional and sub-regional meetings -- continued to play a key role on all continents in addressing local and regional problems as well as wider issues of globalisation. He said that the probable affiliation at the CC of two Moroccan unions would open the door to developing further discussion in the region, and joint meetings with Tunisia, Egypt, Israel and Morocco were planned. Two major projects for Eastern and Central Europe were envisaged in the near future: a workshop on transnational companies in Moscow, and a joint three-year project with five Bulgarian affiliates on the social effects of globalisation on both Bulgaria and the metal unions. In Asia, three metal unions in Thailand with some 20,000 members pledged to form a new federation, talks had been held with the SPMI and LOMENIK-SBSI in Indonesia, and missions were planned for Vietnam and China.
Turning to the major IMF priority of unionising workers, a landmark was Latin America where the IMF set up its Project Office for Mexico this past March. The metal industry in Mexico, the most important in terms of GDP and workforce, employs over 1.6 million workers, representing 38 per cent of all industry workers. Only five metalworkers' unions, with 35,730 members are affiliated to the IMF. Another key organising project is set up for four states in India, plus a new database for Latin America and the Caribbean.
A new impetus is being given to international solidarity, with major activities in India, Malaysia, South Korea, Eastern and Central Europe. Training programmes were focussed on critical areas like Croatia, Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina, and leadership seminars in Russia and South Asia.
Over 300 participants representing 112 unions in 75 countries, are in attendance at the IMF CC meeting.
As part of the IMF's emphasis on building a global metalworkers' movement, regional structures -- with both regional and sub-regional meetings -- continued to play a key role on all continents in addressing local and regional problems as well as wider issues of globalisation. He said that the probable affiliation at the CC of two Moroccan unions would open the door to developing further discussion in the region, and joint meetings with Tunisia, Egypt, Israel and Morocco were planned. Two major projects for Eastern and Central Europe were envisaged in the near future: a workshop on transnational companies in Moscow, and a joint three-year project with five Bulgarian affiliates on the social effects of globalisation on both Bulgaria and the metal unions. In Asia, three metal unions in Thailand with some 20,000 members pledged to form a new federation, talks had been held with the SPMI and LOMENIK-SBSI in Indonesia, and missions were planned for Vietnam and China.
Turning to the major IMF priority of unionising workers, a landmark was Latin America where the IMF set up its Project Office for Mexico this past March. The metal industry in Mexico, the most important in terms of GDP and workforce, employs over 1.6 million workers, representing 38 per cent of all industry workers. Only five metalworkers' unions, with 35,730 members are affiliated to the IMF. Another key organising project is set up for four states in India, plus a new database for Latin America and the Caribbean.
A new impetus is being given to international solidarity, with major activities in India, Malaysia, South Korea, Eastern and Central Europe. Training programmes were focussed on critical areas like Croatia, Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina, and leadership seminars in Russia and South Asia.
Over 300 participants representing 112 unions in 75 countries, are in attendance at the IMF CC meeting.