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30 May, 2001
It was a good discussion that the Executive Committee of the IMF held last week on one of the most important issues that it has ever discussed.
The millennium review, which should look at the next few decades rather than thousand years, aims at strengthening the trade union movement at all levels.
The debate, which was initiated by the ICFTU at its last Congress, in April 2000 in Durban, is an ongoing process. It is structured around five main topics:
- strengthening national trade unions, with the priority to organise;
- tackling transnational companies (TNCs);
- transforming the global economy;
- ICFTU regional structures and constitution;
- campaigns and communications.
Each one of these topics deserves and needs discussion and deep analysis. The first report will be given to the ICFTU Executive Committee in November this year.
At our meeting last week, the IMF Executive Committee focused on two aspects:
- organising and
- transnational companies.
Organising workers, both traditional blue- and white-collar, in democratic, representative and independent trade unions remains our priority NUMBER ONE. Where trade unions do not exist, we have to take care to build up new ones. Where they do exist, we will have to strengthen their position.
By building unity among unions which are divided, but also by giving national trade unions collective bargaining strength at national level, we can contribute to laying the groundwork for strong and democratic organisations.
The international trade union movement can only be strong if it is based on strong national unions.
On this aspect of the debate, provoked by the excellent introduction of Bob Kyloh, from the ILO's ACTRAV, it was clear which way IMF affiliates want to go.
On the question of transnational companies, IMF affiliates say that tackling and targeting TNCs with codes of conduct and worldwide agreements is important.
On the other hand, it is equally important that we do not let TNCs use company-level negotiations to destroy national agreement systems.
Furthermore, the IMF Executive Committee is strongly supporting the initiative taken by the Secretariat with respect to a conference that global trade unions (the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, international trade secretariats, Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD) should organise to decide the strategy to be adopted by all of us before deciding our participation in the Economic Forum in Davos or the Social Forum of Porto Alegre.
If the ICFTU will not take the initiative, the IMF together with other ITSs and with its own affiliates will have to look for alternatives.
The millennium review, which should look at the next few decades rather than thousand years, aims at strengthening the trade union movement at all levels.
The debate, which was initiated by the ICFTU at its last Congress, in April 2000 in Durban, is an ongoing process. It is structured around five main topics:
- strengthening national trade unions, with the priority to organise;
- tackling transnational companies (TNCs);
- transforming the global economy;
- ICFTU regional structures and constitution;
- campaigns and communications.
Each one of these topics deserves and needs discussion and deep analysis. The first report will be given to the ICFTU Executive Committee in November this year.
At our meeting last week, the IMF Executive Committee focused on two aspects:
- organising and
- transnational companies.
Organising workers, both traditional blue- and white-collar, in democratic, representative and independent trade unions remains our priority NUMBER ONE. Where trade unions do not exist, we have to take care to build up new ones. Where they do exist, we will have to strengthen their position.
By building unity among unions which are divided, but also by giving national trade unions collective bargaining strength at national level, we can contribute to laying the groundwork for strong and democratic organisations.
The international trade union movement can only be strong if it is based on strong national unions.
On this aspect of the debate, provoked by the excellent introduction of Bob Kyloh, from the ILO's ACTRAV, it was clear which way IMF affiliates want to go.
On the question of transnational companies, IMF affiliates say that tackling and targeting TNCs with codes of conduct and worldwide agreements is important.
On the other hand, it is equally important that we do not let TNCs use company-level negotiations to destroy national agreement systems.
Furthermore, the IMF Executive Committee is strongly supporting the initiative taken by the Secretariat with respect to a conference that global trade unions (the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, international trade secretariats, Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD) should organise to decide the strategy to be adopted by all of us before deciding our participation in the Economic Forum in Davos or the Social Forum of Porto Alegre.
If the ICFTU will not take the initiative, the IMF together with other ITSs and with its own affiliates will have to look for alternatives.