23 July, 2010Metalworkers' unions of the South Cone in Latin America reaffirm the importance of the Mercosur regional integration process and the need for metalworkers to play a leading role in it.
MERCOSUR: Metalworkers' unions of the South Cone participating in the IMF seminar on "Trade, Employment and Development" held in Buenos Aires on July 21-22, 2010 reaffirm the importance of the Mercosur regional integration process and the need for metalworkers to play a leading role in it.
In a statement adopted at the end of the meeting the participating unions affirmed their commitment against a Mercosur market of asymmetries and inequalities, and for one of productive complementarity.
In this perspective two strategic priorities were identified:
- The structural changes in the labour market due to the shift to precarious forms of employment conditions and in conjunction with the global crisis, and
- The neoliberal productive restructuring and the need for a mapping of the production chains.
Concrete objectives and activities to be implemented include:
- The establishment of an observatory to monitor the variety of forms of precarious work, supported by an ad hoc working group, and
- Goals for common action at regional level such as:
- shorter working time without wage reduction
- recognition of vocational training curricula and certifications in the region
- regional minimum industrial wage
- ratification of ILO Conventions
- strategic coordination of demands
Initiatives in the short term shall include the establishment of a network for systematic information with the identification of a contact person in each organization, and of an electronic forum.
A budget will be defined for each organization to contribute in support of the above strategy.
Finally the participants affirmed the need to play a more prominent role in the regional integration process in the redefinition of the Mercosur "sub-group 10" in close collaboration with the CCSCS (Southern Cone Union Centres Coordinated), the TUCA and other GUFs.