INTERNATIONAL CONFEDERATION OF FREE TRADE UNIONS
ICFTU OnLine...
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Brussels, 25th May 2004 (ICFTU Online): "The World Trade Organisation
(WTO) cannot afford to miss this opportunity to address the social
deficit that globalisation has opened up. Confidence in a fair
globalisation is waning. By reforming itself in line with the
recommendations of the World Commission report on the Social Dimension
of Globalisation, the WTO could help set a new course for a
globalisation which enfranchises the many rather than the few" said Guy
Ryder, General Secretary of the International Confederation of Free
Trade Unions.
A fairer globalisation is the theme of the Global Unions (1) panel
discussion at the WTO's Public Symposium which opened today (25th May)
in Geneva, running until 27th May. The symposium takes place against
the backdrop of poverty increasing over the last 20 years in sub-Saharan
Africa, Europe, Central Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.
The international trade union movement is calling on the WTO to
implement key recommendations from the World Commission's report on the
Social Dimension of Globalisation. Two years in the making, the report
proposes a Globalisation Policy Forum to bring about better cohesion
between the international institutions on social issues. In reality,
this would mean better synergy between the policies of the WTO, the
International Monetary Fund and the World Bank with that of agencies
including the United Nations Development Programme, the International
Labour Organisation, the United Nations Conference on Trade and
Development, the World Health Organisation, United Nations Environment
Programme, and other UN agencies closely linked to the international
trading system, but which have so far been given no role in the WTO.
"This is the best way for social and labour issues to be dealt with in a
more consistent manner," said Ryder.
Speaking alongside representatives from Mauritius and other developing
country missions to the WTO, from the European Commission, Global
Unions, Oxfam, and Solidar, Ryder raised the point that "increasingly,
trade is resulting in governments reducing workers' rights to make their
labour cheaper and more attractive rather than providing resources for
improving living and working conditions of their citizens. One just has
to look at countries such as Malaysia, Mexico, Turkey and Kenya for
examples of this".
The General Secretary of the world's largest trade union organisation
used the example of export processing zones, where 50 million people,
mostly women, work under punishing work schedules, are frequently denied
their fundamental trade union rights, barely paid a living wage and
exposed to discrimination and sexual harassment. "If governments are
failing to ensure that the rights of their workers are properly
respected, then it is up to international bodies to do so," he
continued.
The European Union's proposals to eliminate agricultural export
subsidies were welcomed by the international trade union movement.
Equally, dropping the Singapore issues (2) from its negotiating
proposals for the Doha round has received trade union support.
However, Ryder warned that the lack of commitment to special and
differential treatment for developing countries could steer negotiations
off course, adding, "The textiles sector is a perfect example of why the
trading system is in need of urgent reform. Millions of jobs in the
textile sector are expected to be lost in Asia, Central America and the
Caribbean, when the textiles quota system stops at the end of 2004. 1
million jobs stand to be lost in Bangladesh alone". The governments of
twelve developing countries (3) have now formed a pressure group to call
for a multi-year extension to the textiles quota system. The fact that
they are aware, belatedly, that they cannot survive without the quota
system shows the failure of globalisation to bring benefits to all
people. This makes a compelling case for the WTO to assume the
responsibility of redressing the inequities that the current
international trade system creates. The international trade union
movement supports the significant strengthening of WTO provisions on
Special and Differential treatment, echoing the recommendations of the
World Commission.
As well as the proposals for a Globalisation Policy Forum, greater
coherence in international organisations' policies and better conditions
for workers in export processing zones, the international trade union
movement reaffirmed its commitment to other recommendations of the World
Commission. These include the setting up of formal consultative
structures to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank and
the WTO to ensure that the voice of trade union s and others in civil
society is heard properly. To make the recommendations a reality, trade
union organisations across the world are calling for the implementation
of the measures needed to ensure that core labour standards are
respected worldwide.
1. Global Unions is made up of the ICFTU, the ten Global Union
Federations (GUFs), the international representatives of unions
organising in specific industry sectors or occupational groups and the
Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD.
2. The Singapore Issues, also called the new issues, were
introduced into the WTO agenda during the Ministerial conference in
Singapore in 1996. They are part of the Doha (the current negotiation
round) work programme and consist of four issues: trade facilitation,
transparency in government procurement, competition and investment.
3. The twelve countries are Bangladesh, Vietnam, Turkey, Tunisia,
Indonesia, Morocco, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Jordan, Malaysia, Mauritius
and Laos.
The ICFTU represents over 151 million workers in 233 affiliated
organisations in 152 countries and territories. ICFTU is also a member
of Global Unions: http://www.global-unions.org