INTERNATIONAL CONFEDERATION OF FREE TRADE UNIONS (ICFTU)
ICFTU OnLine 067/000414/DD
Congress Resolutions I, II, III, IV, V, VIII passed
Brussels April 14 2000 (ICFTU OnLine): The ICFTU 17th World Congress passed 15 resolutions at its Congress held in Durban, April 3 - 7. Below we give details of the first six resolutions on Resolutions on Trade Union Priorities for the 21st Century, Defending trade union rights, Employment, Sustainable Development and Social Justice; Women workers, Trade union solidarity, and Supporting the International Labour Organisation. Those on Child labour and Youth, and the Millennium review have been previewed elsewhere.
Resolution I - ICFTU Congress lays out priorities for 21st Century Congress delegates agreed that strong action was needed to realise the trade union vision for the 21st century, which has five key priorities: * A world free from poverty; discrimination and injustice, and from the threat of war; * A democratic world where universal human rights are acknowledged and enforced; * Democratic processes to regulate the power of international big business; * Full equality for women, and for specialist groups of workers * Ways of living and work which sustain the environment; * Education and the prospect of a decent future for all children. The Congress agreed on the following measures to carry this out: Ensure that those who organise are protected through the application of ILO Conventions 87 and 98, and will act to when they are attacked. Continue its organising drive to reach out unorganised workers, targeting women, young people and informal sector workers. Mobilise for equality at work by encouraging more women to be active in their unions, and making sure that their interests are represented in international debates and meetings, and fighting discrimination against workers. As part of a campaign for decent work for all, work to be an equal partner in discussions with international organisations, and work to upgrade the work of the International Labour Organisation. In order to make multinationals accountable, the ICFTU will continue its dialogue with companies, at all levels, including working with the International Trade Secretariats to do so, and will continue to work closely with TUAC. To streamline trade union structures, the ICFTU will examine the current international trade union framework through a Millennium review, and is inviting all organisations within the international trade union movement, and relevant NGOs to take part.
II Defending and Strengthening Trade Union Rights The ICFTU Congress took a decision to strengthen union centers in the fight to promote trade union rights, because this is the best way of resolving disputes and for building co-operative partnerships with employers, which will help to diminish trade union rights abuses by employers and governments.
As a second plank in its platform to defend trade union rights, Congress agreed that more emphasis should be put on building up an effective network of trained human rights defenders, ideally linked by an electronic network to monitor current events. As well as offering international support for trade unions in danger, this would reinforce local trade union centers abilities to fend off hostile anti-trade union activities. Past experience has proved the importance of international solidarity support for offering rapid response protests.
The resolution also stated that the ICFTU Trade Union rights Department should intensify its pressure on governments via lobbying international funding organizations such as the World Bank or the International Monetary Fund to withdraw funds to countries which are constant violators of workers' rights.
III Employment, Sustainable Development and Social Justice Congress agreed that there should be an internationally co-ordeinated action for restoring social and financial stability, and for laying the foundations for recovery after the 1997/8 economic and financial crisis, which will include: A major increase in financial assistance to developing and transition countries, substantial reforms to the financial system to reduce poverty, including reforming the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, and making sure that human rights, social justice, equality and development are integrated into major development plans.
In addition unions agreed to work for sustainable employment in safe workplace and communities, by extending and broadening occupational health and safety rights nto the wider arena of environmental protection, and by making sustainable employment development targets as part of this work. There should also be a workplace focus for environmental action, which will include working with employers and governments on health and safety problems such as workplace violence, harassment and other work related injuries.
The work of the ICFTU/TUAC/ITS Working Party on Occupational Health, Safety and the Environment will continue to meet, and develop its work on bringing its programme into the workplace.
The third aspect of the resolution is to relaunch social protection systems in the era of globalisation, making sure that the State in each country provides a minimum income for all to avoid abject poverty and provides a social safety net for all workers and their families. An important part of a social safety net is sufficient pension provision for all workers on retirement, again, the State should play a major role in its provision.
IV Doubling female membership in the next four years The Congress has set a target of doubling female trade union membership in the next four years. To achieve this target, national centers and unions will be undertaking recruitment campaigns and implementing positive action measures. . These include examining existing collective agreements from a gender perspective, and training women to be negotiators, as well as assisting women in setting up and strengthening their own committees and departments and actively promoting gender parity in decision-making bodies at all levels. One group of women where recruitment will be emphasized is in the informal sectors.
To encourage a diverse trade union membership, unions will set up workshops, conferences and seminars to examine trade union attitudes to racism, sexism and homophobia, disability, and towards migrant workers.
Unions will be encouraged to work with NGOs and other groups in support of women at the workplace, as well as on related issues such as reproductive rights, sexual harassment, and the rights of young people. The ICFTU General Secretary and the Women's Committee will be responsible for monitoring the Action Plan, and will give a final report on progress to the 18th World Congress in 2004.
V Trade Union Solidarity Resolution V called for strategies to strengthen international union solidarity in the light of world economic changes. Emphasis was placed on four points as follows: Organising workers in precarious, short-term or unprotected jobs: With changes in work organisation and the work force, it is necessary to stepp up their organising work among workers in the informal sector, with those in sub-contracted employment, and within those in teleworking, or short-term temporary work. International Exchange of Information and Experience: The International trade union movement should increase the exchange of information and experience to on organising activities, including information related to trade union methods of organising, including across borders, and with particular groups of people such as women or young workers. Social Dialogue: Congress called for efforts to build social dialogue both on broad policy issues and on sectoral and company levels. This includes framework agreements between multinational enterprises and international trade secretariats as well as using the opportunities offered by European Works Councils to build global social dialogue. The ICFTU - ITS Parthership, seen as a very positive development and supported by Congress, is key to progress on general campaigns and programmes, like child Labour and workers' rights and trade as well as company and sectoral challenges.
VIII Strengthening the International Labour Organisation Congress agreed that the ILO's unique tripartite structure offers a blueprint for many other UN bodies, as the model for a forum of international debate, consultation and negotiation. Congress welcomed the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Works, which represents a rebuff to the belief that the free market alone can aid human development.
Congress called on all governments of ILO member states to reaffirm their commitment to the aims and objectives of the ILO, and to provide it with the financial means necessary, and to commit themselves to ratifying and fully applying fundamental ILO conventions.
Congress called on the ILO governing body to strengthen ILO Work in social protection, occupational health and safety and sustainable development, to improve cooperation with the IMF, World Bank and the WTO, and to strengthen its regional work, including raising its regional profile and re-activating local support.