LABOR MOVEMENT POWER IN THE GLOBAL SOUTH

Report on the 8th International Congress of SIGTUR

One hundred and eighty one delegates from nineteen countries in the global south participated in the 8^th International Congress of SIGTUR, which was held in the historic city of Kochi, Kerala, India from the 18^th to the 23^rd April, 2008.[1]

The Congress was hosted by the Center of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), one of the largest and most active trade union federations in India.

CITU has been a major participant in SIGTUR since the early 1990s.  The federation is committed to working with the democratic unions of the global south to empower local action against the ravages of market rule and the ceaseless restructuring (privatizations, corporate closures and geographic relocations, work intensification, casualization and insecurity), which has proven so damaging to the lives of workers and their families everywhere.

CITU's commitment in organizing this Congress was heroic and this is by no means  a rhetorical overstatement.  Theirs was an extraordinary endeavor over a nine month period, which involved their senior national leadership working closely with the local leadership in Kerala.  Considerable financial resources and personnel had to be mobilized for this event.  Preparations included the erection of a large marquee adjacent to the hotel to accommodate the plenary sessions.   SIGTUR banners and flags were draped throughout this port city and a protest demonstration in the city center was organized.  The event received widespread press coverage in India and there was a significant cultural program in the evenings.

All the international delegates felt the warmth of friendship and there was a great sensitivity to the personal needs of the delegates.  We all felt that we were part of a remarkable global movement based on solidarity, friendship and mutual commitment.  These were not well worn slogans - they reflect the lived experience of the delegates.  A genuine labor movement is much more than a defender of rights and conditions, it constitutes relations of solidarity in contrast to the rampant individualism of the market model of society (self seeking, self interested individuals).

And so in this report, on behalf of the nineteen international delegations who participated in Kochi, SIGTUR would like to express a heartfelt thanks to the leadership of CITU for their remarkable commitment to this challenging process of building a new labor internationalism. 

A special thanks to CITU President Pandhe, Dev Roye, International Secretary, Lawrence, Kerala President, Lyer and the hard working reception committee in Kochi, who saw to the every need of the delegates.

The Content of the Congress Program

New Strategic Thinking

SIGTUR Congresses are designed to be part of a movement building process hence they are week long live in events, where the leaderships of the participating unions have an opportunity to share their experiences and their ideas in the formal sessions and informally during the evenings.  A sense of community emerges and lifelong friendships are built, solidifying the connection between national movements.

The Congress was structured around an initial strategic position paper which explored new sources of movement power in the era of global market rule.  The purpose of the paper was not to present a defined SIGTUR policy, but rather to generate debate on the critical issue of building movement power in the global south.  The Action Declaration which was adopted states (p2) that the paper ‘should be carefully reviewed by participating unions and federations with a view to its further development and to its integration into local strategy'.  This process will lead to a further development of the ideas contained in the paper.

This action decision is in line with the spirit of the paper, which makes the following statement at the outset.

This position paper is an attempt to stimulate debate at the Congress over the nature of global change and possible new global responses by the union movement. 

The outcome of the debates we will have and the strategic choices we make may differ markedly from positions taken in this paper.  That is what internal democracy is about - the clash of ideas leading to new insights.

Some might view this as an anti-globalization position in the sense of calling for a return to the closed economies of an earlier era.  This is not the argument in the paper, although some at Congress might advance such a position with passion.  Rather it attacks the social destructiveness of free trade on democracy, society and the environment.

The paper is an attempt to explore the way the free market model massively empowers global corporations, creating difficult conditions for unions to represent the broader interests of society.  In so doing, the paper explores ways in which unions might re-empower themselves in this circumstance of corporate dominance.

The paper highlights the fact that we are now living in an era of experimentation, where local unions and union internationals are searching for a new model of global unionism with the capacity to impose social regulation on corporations.

The underlying vision is therefore one of a socially regulated, democratic and environmentally responsive globalization in contrast to the destructiveness of the narrow profit driven model.

The paper (p2) argued that there are five new sources of power, which need to interlace into a new movement capacity to challenge the free market system:

• The power of ideas (ideology)
• democratic movement & the power of the local  
• Networking global power
• Logistical power
• New labor internationalism power (the role of SIGTUR)

What now follows is the briefest of summaries, outlining the essence of the ideas which were advanced at the SIGTUR Congress. 

The power of ideas: Free market ideas dominate across every nation on the globe, claiming that free markets generate economic growth, which is the foundation of a sound society. Nations which fail to adopt these policies are doomed to poverty and marginalization.  Famously, Margaret Thatcher claimed, ‘There is no alternative'.

Workers' experiences of these policies contradict these ideological claims.  The task therefore is to approach market rule (privatization/work restructuring etc) in a new way by linking the changes to their social impacts and asserting an alternative to this free market model, one based on social regulation, which is deeply democratic and participatory.  In this the challenge is to organize a new kind of movement (a counter movement), which will, over time, evolve the power to challenge this narrow, profit driven corporate logic.

The critique of the free market model is essential to mobilizing resistance and building a movement.  The democratic unions in the global south could become central to such a project.  

Democratic movement & the power of the local : This movement building task demands a particular kind of movement, one that is deeply democratic.  The paper argues that a participatory internal democracy is an essential source of movement power, because it gives a voice to workers who, in their everyday lives, experience being treated as a thing, a commodity just like any other commodity.  Such treatment is personally disempowering as it leads to negative feelings of self worth.  In contrast, democratic movements transform this experience, empowering the individual and thereby empowering the movement at the local level.   

Networking global power:  This is the biggest challenge which the movement faces.  Global corporations now dominate everywhere at a time when most unions are still essential national in their organization and action.  This disjuncture means reflects a massive power imbalance, requiring the movement to search for a new mode of organizing.  The paper argues that networking global power is a model of re-empowerment.  A model is presented which is based on: cyberspace networking across the corporation; building research capacity and creating a global leadership structure (small World Company Council).

Logistical power:  The free market global economy has created a new source of power for the movement through the tightness of its integration and its compression of space and time.  That is to say corporations and nation states are trade and communications dependent.  Just in time production systems require that these systems function efficiently.  These arteries of the global economy are a source of real power for the movement, provided we organize and engage those sectors.

The New labor internationalism and the role of SIGTUR: Just as internal democracy is a critical source of power for nationally based unions so too must labor internationalism draw on this strength, creating a highly democratic, participatory and democratic labor internationalism.  This is what SIGTUR strives to achieve.

The Commissions

SIGTUR chooses to differ from those internationals characterized by endless speeches from the podium.  Thus from the first day of the meeting, we divided into six working groups (Commissions), in order to share experiences, reflect and analyze the key issues which now confront the working class of the global south.  Following careful reflection, the following Commissions were established:

• The growth in power of global corporations (TNCs);
• The restructuring of social security;
• The restructuring of work;
• Working women;
• Migrant workers;
• Building strong local unions and the new labor internationalism (NLI).

These Commissions met over four days and the conclusions drawn are reflected in the Commission reports.  Being able to bring together experienced democratic union leaders from movements in the global south was once again a privileged opportunity.  The sharing was deep, representing an insight into how the policies of neo-liberal globalization are being experienced in the global south.  The reports also indicated the strategies the leaders felt would be most effective in trying to assert a just, democratic alternative, where the needs of society are prioritized over the profit logic of the market.

This report merely tries to contextualize these discussions and highlights certain aspects only.  The full detail is contained in the attached documents. 

Commission One, Global Corporations:  Discussion in this Commission provided an exceptionally rich overview of the strategies of global corporations in the south and the human and social impacts of their policies.  The Commission essentially endorsed the key principles of the model of global unionism contained in the strategic position paper.  An important task that lies ahead is to begin the process of experimenting with this new model.

Commission Two: Social Security: This Commission reached a somewhat devastating conclusion: for all the claims that the architects of the market model make regarding trade led economic growth benefiting society, in the global south we witness a  ‘perpetuation of underdevelopment, homelessness, lack of medical care, lack of social security provisions, lack of education, denial of job security, refusal to effect land reform, and the privatization of basic utilities which leads to the continuation of poverty and destitution'.

The restructuring and undermining of social security in the global south is a window onto the essential nature of the market system.  Global corporations do generate phenomenal wealth, but this feeds hungry shareholders and in the name of individual freedom and efficiency, social security systems are viewed as anti-market, an antiquated structure in need of change so as to create an enterprising culture of private initiative.

And so whilst hungry shareholders are fed, the marginalized poor are stripped of any access to resources.  This is the context within which the Commission developed a comprehensive set of basic demands and a call to action. 

The Commission called for a system of universal social security, retirement benefits, an end to the privatization of essential services, universal health care, education for all, land reform, housing, food security, an end to discrimination against women and care for those with disabilities and for migrants and refugees.  This represents an ambitious and comprehensive list of social demands, which market ideologues ignore.  In articulating these demands, SIGTUR is asserting the needs of society.

The key component of the action plan is the development of  ‘a joint policy platform on social security and launch a co-ordinated global class struggle to pressurize and also to force governments to implement comprehensive social security benefits not only for workers but also for all citizens'.

Commission Three, The Restructuring of Work:  A principle feature of market rule by global corporations and the privatization of the public sector is work restructuring characterized by downsizing (Japanese style lean production), work intensification (longer hours/speed up in work processes), outsourcing, casualisation, and in many countries widespread unemployment and the expansion of the informal sector.  19^th Century styled homework (where global corporations contract mainly women to product product from their homes, creating sweatshop labor) is increasing massively in many countries.

All of these changes are claimed to create an efficient, competitive culture. Again what these changes really represent is increased shareholder value, whilst for society the restructuring creates a culture of profound insecurity and slave like work.

The Commission discussion centered on building strong local unions linked with other civil society actors to challenge this lean and mean model of work.  In the battle of ideas over how work should be organized, education and training is critical, and SIGTUR should play a role in facilitating this between all unions who participate.

The Commission called for global days of action to create a new social awareness highlighting the human and social cost of this model of work organization and pointing to an alternative model.

Commission Four, Working Women:  The shared experiences in this group highlighted the predicament of women in the global south.  They are at the forefront of the corporate agenda of super exploitation in the global south.  A mechanism in implementing the proposals of this Commission is the establishment of a women's network within SIGTUR.  Such a network will play an active role in realizing the goals set by this Commission to increase the awareness of how women are being exploited and the need for greater participation in SIGTUR itself.

Commission Five, Migrant Workers:  Free market globalization is accelerating labor migration. Whilst this movement of workers could have positive gains if it were socially regulated ensuring justice for migrants and security for local workers, the market model uses labor migration to increase the level of exploitation.  Such a deliberate strategy will create social havoc, as we have seen so tragically in South Africa.  Therefore the focus of this Commission was on how best to socially regulate migration so that the interests of workers and society are recognized.

The Commission recommended a number of policies and strategies to work towards achieving this end including strengthening international regulatory laws, union to union protocols and advancing local struggles to ensure that national states develop sound and progressive laws in this sphere.  Migrant workers should enjoy the same rights as local workers.

Commission Six, Strengthening local unionism and building a new labor internationalism: A major conclusion of this group was the need to build a strong education network within SIGTUR to facilitate the exchange of educational and training materials and experiences.  The Commission also called on SIGTUR to explore the possibility of establishing a global solidarity fund for the south.  There were a range of very significant proposals to further strengthen SIGTUR, which need to be reflected upon.

Future Action

As can be seen from the above summary and the attached documentation, the Kochi Congress established an ambitious agenda.  The Action Declaration creates a set of priorities, which need to be focused on.

1. Strengthening SIGTUR: Here the most immediate priorities are:

• Formally adopting the Action Declaration and Commission reports in each of the participating union federations and informing the SIGTUR Coordinators of this action not later than the 30^th September 2008

1.  
   • building new networks within SIGTUR - the women's network; the education network;the global unions network; and the public sector workers network.
   • Further developing the web site as a tool of struggle, through enabling participants in SIGTUR (for example, those in the same global corporation) to interact with each other to advance action.
   • Organize a global day of action on the issue of precarious employment

        Medium to longer term ongoing priorities and action

2. Global Corporations:  Over the next two year period, begin a process of experimentation with the proposed model of global unionism.  Possible stages in the process:

• In collaboration with the Coordinators and through them, the RCC, to select a limited number of corporations to begin the process of building a global union response to global corporate restructuring. 
• Consider how we can evolve a good research intelligence process on the selected corporations.
• Create a network within the corporation through selecting priority countries to launch the network
• Evolve campaign action within the global network within the corporation.
• Build strong civil society support for the campaign within the selected countries.
• Build strong support for the campaign within the SIGTUR network
• Explore logistical power.

3. Labor Migration: Priority is to select countries in terms of the major patterns of migration and establish union to union protocols.  We need to continue reflecting together on political action within each country to force governments to introduce a legal framework of social regulation based on justice for all.

4. Social Security: Carefully consider the steps to progress a world wide campaign challenging the market model which negates basic social security rights.

5. Working Women: Once the women's network is established adopt the priorities suggested.

To conclude, the remarkable, energizing Kochi Congress formulated a wide ranging and ambitious Action Declaration and Commission outcomes.  Strategically, this can be divided into the immediate goals (those initiatives which we can begin immediately) and the medium to longer term goals which will require imagination and commitment because they reflect an attempt to activate new organizational strategies, for example, building a global union response as well as political initiatives on labor migration and social security, which reflect our will to intervene in a long term political fight at a national level.  As we engage in these battles, perhaps SIGTUR could play a constructive role in communicating these southern actions through the web site and coordinating action on these issues where ever possible, striving to activate new pressure points.

Finally, as coordinators, we would again wish to thank the CITU leadership for organizing an outstanding Congress.  We would also like to thank the Commission leaders and delegates, for the extraordinary effort in the Commission. 

We all worked incredibly hard.  This is the spirit which will transform this dark age of market rule by corporations, which has created such a bleak future for working men and women, and indeed for the planet, as they plunder both society and nature.

Ours is a long journey and we know we will not rest until we achieve our goals.  Southern unions through determined long term resistance overthrew the apartheid regime, and defeated military regimes in Korea and Brazil. The Australian unions defeated the Howard government.

The power of movement and the spirit of solidarity will make all things possible.  Market rule will be defeated.  The spirit which will achieve this is captured in the determination of the three Burmese delegates who had to leave Burma illegally, escaping through the jungle, to participate.

Victor Arokia Dass

Rob Lambert

9^th June 2008.

[1] The countries who participated are: Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, Cyprus, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, Philippines, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, Vietnam, and East Timor.