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19 August, 2009
Throughout the IMF regions , the implementation of the action programme is being discussed in order to develop positions and ideas on the best way to take the programme forward.
As a starting point, focus areas that are key to implementation have been drafted, these are:
1. Collective Bargaining
2. Union Building
3. Organising
4. Defend and Protect
5. Trade Union Challenges
6. Sustainable Trade Development and Employment
These six areas or the implementation of the action programme require unions to be sustainable and viable.
Sustainable unionism relates to a union being self funding democratic and accountable to workers, while viable unionism relates to the ability to have an impact on broader socioeconomic policy issues at a national level, either directly or through alliances and influence and support in and of the national centre.
IMF Africa in its sub regional meetings has already agreed amongst affiliates the there is an urgent need to move towards sustainable and viable unionism. This entails cooperation and merger of unions into broader sector unions as opposed to industry unions largely because of the structure of labour market. Already there are a number of IMF affiliates in the region that organise in more than one industry.
Union building and meeting trade union challenges means building sustainable and viable unions across small industries mostly populated with vulnerable workers. Once unions are more sustainable they will be better placed to defend and protect workers, including precarious workers.
Organising and collective bargaining are fundamental components of the work of trade unions yet these tasks are often neglected and often whittled down to activities of recruiting and wage negotiation. In unions where values of democracy are upheld, organising and collective bargaining are taken very seriously under the principle of worker democracy which is critical to the sustainability of a union.
Affiliates organise in industries which may have different levels and different forms of precarious work in them so the issue can be taken on board through implementing strategies in collective bargaining and organising.
Affiliates are also well placed to begin to engage with the true nature of precarious work in Africa through engagement on socio economic issues affecting the working class. Addressing precarious work will require broad regional approaches and country specific campaigning that must have solidarity and alliance building at its core.
The establishment of sustainable trade and employment in Africa requires the use of broad local and global coalitions to begin to change the context and nature of the labour market in the region. Capital does not create jobs for the sake of job creation. Jobs are therefore expendable in the chase for competitive lead and higher profits. Many investment surveys on Africa argue that employment is over regulated in the region but in reality this is far from the practiced truth and dropping labour standards will not bring more investment, it will only make workers more vulnerable. African unions need to be strong enough to stand up to the pursuit of capitalist interest in the region. Rich countries living up to their Official Development Assistance promises and fairer trade regimes are key to this focus area. Trade union solidarity between north and south is an essential component for developing pressure towards these ends.
The Southern African sub regional meeting held in June 2008 resolved that discussions on sustainable unionism and on precarious work need to be taken into union structures. In order to stimulate this as a process the regional office will prepare a discussion document collecting relevant facts and ideas together to circulate amongst affiliates from which the IMF hopes to gather feedback and stimulate debate for the development of a position for the region ahead of the next IMF World Congress.
As a starting point, focus areas that are key to implementation have been drafted, these are:
1. Collective Bargaining
2. Union Building
3. Organising
4. Defend and Protect
5. Trade Union Challenges
6. Sustainable Trade Development and Employment
These six areas or the implementation of the action programme require unions to be sustainable and viable.
Sustainable unionism relates to a union being self funding democratic and accountable to workers, while viable unionism relates to the ability to have an impact on broader socioeconomic policy issues at a national level, either directly or through alliances and influence and support in and of the national centre.
IMF Africa in its sub regional meetings has already agreed amongst affiliates the there is an urgent need to move towards sustainable and viable unionism. This entails cooperation and merger of unions into broader sector unions as opposed to industry unions largely because of the structure of labour market. Already there are a number of IMF affiliates in the region that organise in more than one industry.
Union building and meeting trade union challenges means building sustainable and viable unions across small industries mostly populated with vulnerable workers. Once unions are more sustainable they will be better placed to defend and protect workers, including precarious workers.
Organising and collective bargaining are fundamental components of the work of trade unions yet these tasks are often neglected and often whittled down to activities of recruiting and wage negotiation. In unions where values of democracy are upheld, organising and collective bargaining are taken very seriously under the principle of worker democracy which is critical to the sustainability of a union.
Affiliates organise in industries which may have different levels and different forms of precarious work in them so the issue can be taken on board through implementing strategies in collective bargaining and organising.
Affiliates are also well placed to begin to engage with the true nature of precarious work in Africa through engagement on socio economic issues affecting the working class. Addressing precarious work will require broad regional approaches and country specific campaigning that must have solidarity and alliance building at its core.
The establishment of sustainable trade and employment in Africa requires the use of broad local and global coalitions to begin to change the context and nature of the labour market in the region. Capital does not create jobs for the sake of job creation. Jobs are therefore expendable in the chase for competitive lead and higher profits. Many investment surveys on Africa argue that employment is over regulated in the region but in reality this is far from the practiced truth and dropping labour standards will not bring more investment, it will only make workers more vulnerable. African unions need to be strong enough to stand up to the pursuit of capitalist interest in the region. Rich countries living up to their Official Development Assistance promises and fairer trade regimes are key to this focus area. Trade union solidarity between north and south is an essential component for developing pressure towards these ends.
The Southern African sub regional meeting held in June 2008 resolved that discussions on sustainable unionism and on precarious work need to be taken into union structures. In order to stimulate this as a process the regional office will prepare a discussion document collecting relevant facts and ideas together to circulate amongst affiliates from which the IMF hopes to gather feedback and stimulate debate for the development of a position for the region ahead of the next IMF World Congress.