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Introducing IndustriAll Global Union 2
Building Unity and Power 115 countries 355 unions 20 million workers 100 countries 200 unions 25 million workers 110 countries 217 unions 10 million workers 140 countries 50 million workers 3
List of IndustriAll Sectors Industrial Sectors (15) Aerospace Base metals Energy Glass, Ceramic, Cement and Associated Industries Mechanical engineering Pulp and Paper Automotive Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Bio-science Industrial and Environment Services ICT, Electrical and Electronics Mining and DGOJP Rubber Shipbuilding and Shipbreaking Service and Miscellaneous Industries Textile, Leather, Garment Shoes & Textile Services (Health, Safety, and Sustainable Development) Cross Sectoral Groups (2) Women Non-Manual Workers 4 4
Representing Workers in the Complete Life Cycle of a Product Brian Kohler IndustriALL Global Union 5
Example Manufacturing Wages (2009-2010, in US dollar/month) Source: JETRO 6
Health and Safety - IndustriAll Plan Safe and health working conditions for all - call on ILO to increase implementation of ILO Conventions and improve national legislation Negotiate JHSCs to ensure workers' health and safety rights Health and safety provisions in GFAs Continue existing global health and safety campaigns: asbestos, denim sandblasting, HIV/AIDS, ILO Convention 176 7
Sustainability - IndustriAll Plan Promote strong industrial policies recognizing manufacturing for growth and decent work Support skill/tech transfer to developing nations; encourage R&D, life-long learning Promote sustainable and secure energy policies as foundations of global industrial production Support a global, fair, ambitious, binding treaty on GHGs 8
Sustainability - a labour view 9
Sustainability and IndustriAll IndustriAll represents industrial workers, many in industrial sectors that the public identifies as environmentally problematic Includes energy sector workers We absolutely must have something intelligent to say on these matters. Crucial decisions are being made - we must either accept whatever we are given, or engage 10
Sustainable Development Meeting our needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. How do we understand sustainable development? What is meant by needs? Must protect the environment. Must avoid economic and social catastrophe. Balancing, integrating these dimensions = sustainability The social dimension provides labour its greatest credibility 11
Sustainability - sectoral issues 12
General Context Global environment being degraded; disastrous consequences... Trade union occupational health activists were the first environmentalists Developing world should not repeat the mistakes of the developed world 13
Energy and Sustainability Essential human need Prerequisite to economic & social development Foundation of industrial growth Major contributor to environmental problems Generator of enormous wealth Source of inequalities Motivation for conflicts 14
Energy and Sustainability Capacity limitations exist for different forms of energy - planning required All energy use has an environmental impact which can be measured and minimized Creates wealth, but also contributes to inequality especially in developing world But... some best examples of union-employer cooperation & Global Framework Agreements 15
Sources of Energy Fossil fuels remain "king"; CCS only a hope Some undeveloped hydro capacity remains Biofuels so far a disaster, but maybe... Solar energy making gains, cost coming down Nuclear power could play a major role Wind generation now 100 GW and growing Methane hydrates - unknown consequences 16
Energy Some Challenges Oil and gas share a bad reputation with mining particularly in developing countries Deregulation and privatization have been used to weaken labour rights, erode working conditions, and break unions Circumstances in different parts of the world can be quite different But several good Global Framework Agreements within this sector 17
Specific Energy Opportunities: Standards for upstream oil industry that make companies accountable Adopt best environmental practices Adopt best labour/human rights practices Eschew corruption, violence, other social ills Long term site stewardship and care Fair distribution of wealth Build communities for the long term 18
Energy Opportunities (cont.) Hire and advance women, indigenous, minority and equity-seeking workers Improve, and include worker collaboration in relevant voluntary agreements such as CAER and STEP 19
We Urge Governments to: View energy as more than just another commodity; but a human need, human right Support truly sustainable sources of energy Fossil-fuel generation will continue for decades so adopt best technologies (e.g. CCS) Examine nuclear energy as a low-emitting energy source, but industry must answer serious questions and win public support before expansion considered 20
Carbon Lock-in The choices we make in the energy sector will define whether we are on our way to sustainability, or not. Despite lots of rhetoric, there is no sign that we are on our way to a world of sustainable energy 21
Gender and Rights Opportunities Sustainability cannot be achieved while ignoring human rights, peace, and social justice IndustriAll will continue to engage human rights and equity issues through relevant voluntary agreements, including but not limited to the Global Compact IndustriAll will speak out when these principles are being violated 22
Sustainability - OH&S 23
General Context Globally, 2.3 million workers die as a result of their work every year, according to the ILO. IndustriAll considers this number, shocking as it is, to be underestimated by at least a factor of ten. Many millions more are injured or made ill due to occupational disease. 24
What are the hazards? Occupational accidents (diced, sliced, crushed, burned) Cancer (chemicals, radiation) Respiratory diseases (fibres e.g. asbestos, dusts e.g. silica and coal, corrosive chemicals, sensitizers, allergens) Circulatory diseases (chemicals, stress, shiftwork) Skin diseases (corrosive chemicals, sensitizers/allergens, sunlight) Diseases of internal organs/systems such as liver, kidneys, nervous system, digestive system, blood-forming (chemicals) Musculo-skeletal disorders (e.g. back problems, occupational overuse syndrome - tendons, joints) Chronic fatigue (shiftwork, excessive hours of work) Physical/psychological threats (bullying, violence, racism, sexism) Infectious diseases Noise and vibration Heat and/or ventilation problems 25
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Underestimates These statistics, shocking as they are, are gross underestimates: Record only nationally accepted statistics, usually from workers' compensation Occupational diseases under-diagnosed Widespread suppression of accident reporting, sometimes outright concealment 27
Basic Problems Problems differ in the developed, and the developing worlds: Developing world: it is still largely a problem of basic work conditions Developed world: more complex. A big problem is the acceptance of safety systems and internal responsibility. Confrontational systems prevail that encourage schemes to suppress accident reporting 28
Sustainability - Summary 29
South-South Actions Bringing occupational health and safety into Global Framework Agreements Ongoing campaign for the ratification of ILO Convention 176 A long-standing project on HIV/AIDS Engagement with other international organizations, and assistance to affiliates on the complete range of occupational health and safety issues. 30
"Greener" Jobs? We cannot simply sit back and expect greener, sustainable job creation and transformation to just happen Unions do not want to be the last defenders of the indefensible; neither do we want a nice funeral for present industries We want a Just Transition - that benefits present and future industrial workers and does not simply ask us to bear the costs 31
Values: We have a responsibility to ourselves, our families, our communities - we must speak for today's workers - and future workers Sustainable development is the goal; Just Transition is the path. Sound industrial policy must be based on sustainability, to preserve existing jobs and create new jobs that provide decent work in a greener economy There are no jobs on a dead planet. 32
Conclusion a Sustainable Future Emphasis on social dimension, but sustainability is integrative, holistic Fundamentally a question of public dialogue Who benefits/pays to protect the environment? An issue on which we can engage employers and governments in talks that would not take otherwise take place - on many levels Role in CSR... verification 33
Conclusion (cont.) Every industrial sector / region is different Seek consensus and balance Environment and economy have powerful advocates. Social sustainability has labour Global Framework Agreements Great need for positively-directed research Carbon capture and storage or sequestration "Intellectual property" re-examine 34
Conclusion (cont.) "Just Transition" - necessary pre-requisite for further discussions. Without it, even sustainable or "Greener jobs" (which refers to both product and process) will let us down As important stakeholders, we stand ready to assist in the debate on how to build a sustainable future 35
SSTC & Unions - Overview 36
Traditional Aid Model Donor (rich) country sends money and expertise to Global South. Equipment and supplies sourced in North. Capacity (knowledge, institutions, structures) retained by the donor country. Net flow of aid is much less than it seems - sometimes the flow can even be negative! Criticized as patronizing, neo-colonial. 37
South-South Cooperation (SSC) Mutual capacity building, sharing knowledge and resources between developing countries Non-interference: developing partners treated as equals, respect for independence, sovereignty, cultural identity, local content Political, environmental, economic, social, cultural, or technical; between governments, organizations, and individuals. Bilateral, regional, sub-regional or inter-regional 38
Triangular Cooperation (TC) TC involves two or more developing countries in collaboration with e.g. a developed country government or NGO, contributing to the exchange of knowledge and resources. Developed country assists in capacity building in a developing country, and also helps construct systems whereby that becomes a nucleus for further capacity building in another developing country. 39
South-South: It's What We Do Trade unions have been involved in southsouth and triangular cooperation for a very long time It could be argued that this is the very essence of international trade unionism: helping trade unions in all countries to develop their capacity to win decent working conditions everywhere, and promote workers rights and interests 40
SSTC Issues Related: greener jobs, sustainable energy, economic crisis, human rights, education, training, skills development, social dialogue, decent work, Global Jobs Pact, OHS, HIV-AIDS Solidarity is the key to SSC - Maria Angélica Ducci, Executive Director, Office of the ILO DG Danger South's frustration with global capital will boil over already happening? Environmental Justice and Just Transition 41
SSTC & Unions - Goals 42
Priorities Anything that aids organizing Services that build affiliates' capacities in areas such as leadership and train-the-trainer Education Campaigns Human rights and workers' rights Sustainability 43
What We Want: In the Global South, in particular, in the energy, mining, and manufacturing sectors, decent, safe and sustainable jobs 44
Millennium Development Goals MDG: 8 development goals adopted in 2000 on eradicating extreme poverty, education, equality, child and maternal health, disease, sustainability, and development. Do MDGs strengthen developing countries bargaining power? Is SSC a substitute for, or complementary to, the traditional North-South aid model? 45
SSTC & Unions - Challenges 46
The World We Inhabit Collapsing capitalism in a globalized economy Deregulation, privatization, tech change, contracting out create ever more precarious work Militarization, permanent war and human rights violations Environmental catastrophe and resource depletion loom 47
Green Jobs "Green jobs" about both product and process Not just renewable energy or recycling jobs: any job aiding progress toward sustainability Existing jobs will evolve towards green jobs Green jobs will involve workers using existing skills, in support of production that is more environmentally friendly and sustainable Many of these jobs have high jobs to investment ratio 48
Green Jobs (cont.) Deregulated "free" market created an environmental crisis, and has not even been particularly good at creating jobs Increasing rich-poor disparity Need an industrial strategy Economic crisis was a (missed?) opportunity to re-visit underlying social contracts: to plan a green industrial strategy to create large numbers of high-quality unionized jobs 49
Just Transition Just Transition is the essential prerequisite of environmental change and the only way to prevent unnecessary conflict - and perhaps violent conflict - in society as that change takes place Cost is not an issue - existing taxes, Tobin Tax, military spending, "conjured money"... 50
SSTC & Unions - Opportunities 51
Areas for South-South Cooperation Energy Climate change mitigation and adaptation Water Agriculture, forestry, tourism - land use Biodiversity Technology transfer Sustainability 52
South-South Role for Trade Unions Shaping industrial strategies; implementing industrial strategies; assessing skills needs to determine what education and training may be required, addressing skill shortages by designing and delivering training and education; legitimizing change and encouraging the take up of training and education, and demanding a Just Transition. 53
How we can do it: Global Framework Agreements (GFAs) Global corporate networks Regional corporate networks Regional union networks 54
SSTC & Unions - Examples 55
Examples: Triangular cooperation (e.g. North unions supporting Southern-led initiatives) Other projects and activities from IndustriALL Promotion of the decent work agenda 56
Examples: Union capacity building: an example was the establishment of a cooperative network between COSATU (South Africa); CUT (Brazil) and KCTU (Korea) Triangular cooperation (e.g. North unions supporting Southern-led initiatives) Other projects and activities from IndustriALL Promotion of the decent work agenda 57
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Triangular and S-S Cooperation One example of many: Idea for the seminar came from African trade unions themselves Uranium mining and radiation safety Build local expertise then let workers train workers, not leave them dependent on external experts 59
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SSTC & Unions - Indicators 61
UN Declaration of Human Rights What is both necessary, and sufficient, to define a socially sustainable society? A starting point: UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights; with supporting declarations, treaties, resolutions etc. that the UN has produced in support of it Covers a wide range of rights; well-written, frequently referenced (also some criticisms) Full text available on-line 62
ILO Core Labour Standards Freedom of association 1. Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize Convention, 1948 (No. 87) 2. Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98) The abolition of forced labour 3. Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29) 4. Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957 (No. 105) Equality 5. Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111) 6. Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100) The elimination of child labour 7. Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138) 8. Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182) 63
Concluding Comments 64
A Radical Idea Sustainability is a radical concept: meeting the needs of today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs The environment, the economy, and society must be considered as an integrated whole, not "three pillars" This implies the need for an intelligent industrial policy 65
Triple Crisis The environment is in crisis; e.g. climate talks are in failure mode The economy is in crisis; governments have forgotten that real wealth must be created somewhere. Too many politicians are either wilfully ignorant, or corrupt, or both. Society is in crisis because we - and especially our children - are being asked to pay for incompetence and greed of others 66
The Developing World s Imperative COPs: sufficient and timely action will not be forthcoming from developed countries Common but differentiated responsibility traded for empty Climate Fund (but when it has funds, it will subsidize private companies!) Countries of the global south must build capacity to act on their own 67
Conclusion Corporations represent the financial side of industry. Trade unions represent the human side. With a unique perspective and unique capacities, it is crucial that programmes to green existing jobs, transform industry and create new, greener jobs be designed and implemented with the full participation of trade unions. 68
A New World IndustriAll's mission is to usher in a new global economic and social model that puts people first, based on democracy and social justice. We have thus far failed to convince the public that we have a credible model to offer as an alternative to the casino capitalist model Sustainability - correctly defined could perhaps be that model? South-South? 69
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Thank you! Brian Kohler Director Health, Safety and Sustainability 71