18 December, 2012Only 7 per cent of the world’s workforce is organized in free and independent trade unions. IndustriALL will therefore launch a global organizing project to build our power throughout strategic supply chains.
Sometimes you need a loud wake up call. How about these figures recently published by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC):
- The global workforce is 2.9 billion.
- Only 60 per cent or 1.7 billion belong to the formal sector, the rest is informal work
- Only 7 per cent or 200 million workers are organized in unions that meet ITUC’s membership criteria
The power of trade unions is based on their ability to join the forces of workers and mobilize them in action.
The fact that union density has been dropping in Europe and North America and remains low in developing countries erodes our force.
Some of the reasons behind the negative trend are obvious. Changes in company structures and the explosive growth of precarious work have made organizing more difficult. Right-wing governments and multinational companies that dominate our industries are applying increasingly anti-union policies.
But another reason is that unions simply do not allocate resources for recruiting new members, and they lack skills on organizing. In addition, unions are often too divided and weak for handling their fundamental tasks.
Therefore the Executive Committee of IndustriALL Global Union in December endorsed a strategy focusing on action to build power through organizing, trade union rights and political influence. This is in line with the Action Plan adopted by our founding Congress in June.
IndustriALL’s global organizing project means making recruitment of new members and building stronger unions the leading theme in everything IndustriALL does. Trade union networks and world works councils in multinational companies (MNCs) will target unorganized plants, when possible with the help of Global Framework Agreements (GFAs).
Union building projects will include elements of organizing, with numerical targets for recruiting new members and building sustainable structures. IndustriALL will seek partners to train its staff and affiliates on organizing and campaigning in different parts of the world.
We will work with our sister global unions to build power and solidarity throughout the supply chains. UNI, representing retail workers, is our partner in the textile and garment chain. With the transport workers’ ITF we are developing strategic cooperation in the oil and gas, mining and aerospace-aviation industries, where a new exciting initiative called Components to Carriers has been launched.
Without freedom of organization it is difficult to organize new members. IndustriALL will therefore target a number of multinational corporations and governments for campaigns on trade union rights. In 2013, trade union networks in the viciously anti-union mining giants Rio Tinto and Xstrata will meet to plan next steps in the campaign while corporate research is being carried out.
Bangladesh is one the principal country targets for improving workers’ rights, low wages and dreadful fire safety conditions. IndustriALL will mobilize its affiliates during a global Mexico action week on 18-24 February 2013 in a continued fight for free and independent trade unionism.
Do not forget that we need all of you to participate in our campaigns. It is easy on our web site. Sign up to our newsletters and action at www.industriall-union.org!