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24 October, 2000One of the services of the IMF's website is the possibility it offers to come into direct contact with the IMF, to request information, make comments, ask questions about our organisation, its work, etc.
Thus, a most pertinent question was put to the IMF a few days ago by one of our website readers in Germany, who asks:
"What contribution has the International Metalworkers' Federation made towards achieving a really unified, social Europe, where there is no unemployment, no unprotected working conditions, and no discrimination?"
The question is a fundamental one, and the answer must address the real problem. But this same question should also be asked and answered by others as well, especially by the politicians and those in Europe or elsewhere who have the power to change the reality.
There are organisations at European level more competent than the IMF to deal with this issue: the European Metalworkers' Federation and the European Trade Union Confederation are two of them.
With the division of tasks between the IMF and EMF, the EMF should also be given the opportunity to respond to the question. We should not forget that the EMF was set up in the 1960s to deal with the European Communities.
Although the IMF deals with metalworkers at worldwide level, it is obvious that what happens in Europe is also extremely important for the rest of the world. One very important aspect of this is that the traditional role of the nation-state is changing and will slowly but surely be replaced by international organisations which will act at continental level, such as the European Union.
As the EU is increasingly establishing itself as an important economic and political player, the role of the trade unions must also change and become more global.
The IMF, however, within its own limited responsibilities and possibilities, has most probably not done enough. But let me shortly run through some of the achievements which have also been accomplished with the humble contribution of the IMF.
Some of the most important are historical and probably already forgotten because they have been overtaken by other, more recent events. The fact that the IMF as well as other international trade secretariats (ITS) have managed to keep the trade union movement alive, despite two world wars, is a great achievement in itself. The European trade union movement would not be what it is today without the efforts made by the American, British and Scandinavian trade unions immediately after these wars. Reconstructing the European trade union movement, after decades of dictatorship, fascism, nazism and communism, has been a tough job for all of us.
We should not forget that, since 1989, the IMF together with its affiliated unions in the EU as well as others have been highly involved in the entire process of the integration of the trade union movement of the former Central and Eastern Europe. In terms of funds, we have spent millions of dollars in education programmes, conferences, organisational assistance, to make possible the new, emerging trade unions and to reform the old trade unions so that they build up a strong, democratic organisation which is representative and well-functioning. The result is positive, and I think it meets all our expectations.
Why all this? Simply because we believe that a strong and well-integrated Europe cannot be built up without the involvement of ALL European countries.
A free, democratic, independent and representative trade union movement in each country is a prerogative for achieving this important goal. This is why we have concentrated our resources in this particular field.
Is this enough? My answer is NO!
Negotiations are ongoing between the EU and four Central European countries -- Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Hungary -- as well as Estonia, for membership in the EU. The international trade union movement can only support this process of integration which will eventually even out the differences in living standards between countries on the same continent. In doing so, it is going to be much more difficult to have social dumping or play one worker against another.
I also believe that economic and social integration is fundamental for the political stability of the "old" continent. This is why the Balkans will have to be part of this process as well, and the trade unions have an important role to play there.
The Stability Pact launched by the European Union for the reconstruction of the economy of the Balkans, hit by the war in Yugoslavia, is a good instrument. The EMF, ETUC and the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, just like the IMF, have taken a certain number of initiatives during the last few months -- all aimed at preparing the trade unions in that region to play their role in the implementation of the Pact.
Last April, the IMF, as the first ITS to do so, organised a conference in Skopje to discuss what to do with respect to the Pact. This was followed shortly by other ITSs. This European project is a very important one for all of us, European and non-European.
The introduction of European Works Councils is another aspect which is positive and helpful for the development of the trade union movement.
The social system unique to most European countries is one more example of an achievement made by the trade union movement that we hope others will adopt and improve.
I also think it is time for European trade unions to decide how to build up a strong European movement with responsibility for collective bargaining negotiations across countries and with the possibility to use the strike as a weapon when necessary.
But all this cannot be a subject for discussion for Europeans exclusively. Our role at the worldwide level is to make sure this element forms an integral part of the global discussion. Especially for developing countries, this represents an opportunity, if they are not excluded.
Europe is not just for the Europeans.
"What contribution has the International Metalworkers' Federation made towards achieving a really unified, social Europe, where there is no unemployment, no unprotected working conditions, and no discrimination?"
The question is a fundamental one, and the answer must address the real problem. But this same question should also be asked and answered by others as well, especially by the politicians and those in Europe or elsewhere who have the power to change the reality.
There are organisations at European level more competent than the IMF to deal with this issue: the European Metalworkers' Federation and the European Trade Union Confederation are two of them.
With the division of tasks between the IMF and EMF, the EMF should also be given the opportunity to respond to the question. We should not forget that the EMF was set up in the 1960s to deal with the European Communities.
Although the IMF deals with metalworkers at worldwide level, it is obvious that what happens in Europe is also extremely important for the rest of the world. One very important aspect of this is that the traditional role of the nation-state is changing and will slowly but surely be replaced by international organisations which will act at continental level, such as the European Union.
As the EU is increasingly establishing itself as an important economic and political player, the role of the trade unions must also change and become more global.
The IMF, however, within its own limited responsibilities and possibilities, has most probably not done enough. But let me shortly run through some of the achievements which have also been accomplished with the humble contribution of the IMF.
Some of the most important are historical and probably already forgotten because they have been overtaken by other, more recent events. The fact that the IMF as well as other international trade secretariats (ITS) have managed to keep the trade union movement alive, despite two world wars, is a great achievement in itself. The European trade union movement would not be what it is today without the efforts made by the American, British and Scandinavian trade unions immediately after these wars. Reconstructing the European trade union movement, after decades of dictatorship, fascism, nazism and communism, has been a tough job for all of us.
We should not forget that, since 1989, the IMF together with its affiliated unions in the EU as well as others have been highly involved in the entire process of the integration of the trade union movement of the former Central and Eastern Europe. In terms of funds, we have spent millions of dollars in education programmes, conferences, organisational assistance, to make possible the new, emerging trade unions and to reform the old trade unions so that they build up a strong, democratic organisation which is representative and well-functioning. The result is positive, and I think it meets all our expectations.
Why all this? Simply because we believe that a strong and well-integrated Europe cannot be built up without the involvement of ALL European countries.
A free, democratic, independent and representative trade union movement in each country is a prerogative for achieving this important goal. This is why we have concentrated our resources in this particular field.
Is this enough? My answer is NO!
Negotiations are ongoing between the EU and four Central European countries -- Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Hungary -- as well as Estonia, for membership in the EU. The international trade union movement can only support this process of integration which will eventually even out the differences in living standards between countries on the same continent. In doing so, it is going to be much more difficult to have social dumping or play one worker against another.
I also believe that economic and social integration is fundamental for the political stability of the "old" continent. This is why the Balkans will have to be part of this process as well, and the trade unions have an important role to play there.
The Stability Pact launched by the European Union for the reconstruction of the economy of the Balkans, hit by the war in Yugoslavia, is a good instrument. The EMF, ETUC and the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, just like the IMF, have taken a certain number of initiatives during the last few months -- all aimed at preparing the trade unions in that region to play their role in the implementation of the Pact.
Last April, the IMF, as the first ITS to do so, organised a conference in Skopje to discuss what to do with respect to the Pact. This was followed shortly by other ITSs. This European project is a very important one for all of us, European and non-European.
The introduction of European Works Councils is another aspect which is positive and helpful for the development of the trade union movement.
The social system unique to most European countries is one more example of an achievement made by the trade union movement that we hope others will adopt and improve.
I also think it is time for European trade unions to decide how to build up a strong European movement with responsibility for collective bargaining negotiations across countries and with the possibility to use the strike as a weapon when necessary.
But all this cannot be a subject for discussion for Europeans exclusively. Our role at the worldwide level is to make sure this element forms an integral part of the global discussion. Especially for developing countries, this represents an opportunity, if they are not excluded.
Europe is not just for the Europeans.