Friday, October 28, 2011

THE LIMA DECLARATION / DECLARACION DE LIMA


 
During the Third Meeting of the Latin American Coordination of the World Organization of Workers CLAC-WOW (28 of September – 1 of October) in Lima, Peru the “Declaration of Lima” was approved (see: Latin American Trade Unionists meet inLima). 

Durante la Tercera Reunión de la Coordinadora Latinoamericana de la Organización Mundial de Trabajadores CLAC-WOW (28 de septiembre - 1 de octubre) en Lima, Perú se aprobo la "Declaración de Lima" (ver:Latin American Trade Unionists meet in Lima).


The future of Peru (photo 29/09/2011 before the Cathedral on the Plaza de Armas, Lima)

DECLARATION OF LIMA

The Trade Union Organizations gathered at the Third Meeting of the Latin American Coordination of the World Organization of Workers, held in Lima on 28, 29 and 30 September 2011 note the following:

1.    New technologies and globalization have generated relative economic growth in Latin America and the Caribbean, but rates of unemployment, underemployment, informal workers, lack of social protection and poverty have not changed significantly and may worsen in the context of the global economic crisis.
2.    In Latin America and the Caribbean, governments persist in establishing public policies regardless of the participation of trade unions, ignoring their role as social actors and protagonists of profound change, as evidenced by the history of organized labour.
3.    In this context, more than 50% of young Latin American and Caribbean workers, between 15 and 25 years of age, lack the opportunities for entering the labour-market, and those who enter a position, receive wages below the vital minimum and without any social security protection.
4.    In labour-relations in our region persists gender inequality as well as discrimination for reasons of ethnicity, social position, age, among others.
5.    The number of self-managed, autonomous male and female workers in Latin America and the Caribbean is growing, but they are in lack of a representative and effective organization to ensure their rights against economic aggression of large corporate structures and the inexistence of adequate social protection.



Given this situation we declare the following.

1.    As unions and social actors, we are active participants in the formulation of public policies based on social dialogue, which promote employment without discrimination whatsoever, the integral social development and the creation of decent jobs.
2.    We demand full compliance with international standards of protection of economic, social and cultural rights of male and female workers, as established by the rules of the International Labour Organization.
3.    We demand government implementation of legislative and economic politics for the improvement of working conditions for all workers, with special attention to those most disadvantaged: women, youth, indigenous peoples, self-employed and self-managed workers amongst others.

Lima, September 30, 2011

 The young ones of Lima, Peru. (photo 29/09/2011 before the Cathedral on the Plaza de Armas, Lima) 

DECLARACIÓN DE LIMA

Las Organizaciones Sindicales reunidas en el III Encuentro de la Coordinadora Latinoamericana de la Organización Mundial de Trabajadores, realizado en Lima los días 28, 29 y 30 de septiembre del 2011,  señalamos lo siguiente:

Las nuevas tecnologías y la apertura económica mundial han generado un relativo crecimiento económico en América Latina y el Caribe, sin embargo las tasas de desempleo, subempleo, informalidad, desprotección social y pobreza no han variado significativamente y pueden empeorar en el contexto de la crisis económica mundial.
En América Latina y el Caribe, los gobiernos persisten en establecer políticas públicas al margen de la participación de las organizaciones sindicales, desconociendo su rol de actores sociales y protagonistas de profundas transformaciones, tal como lo acredita la historia del movimiento sindical.
En este contexto, más del 50% de  jóvenes latinoamericanos y caribeños, entre 15 a 25 años de edad, carecen de oportunidades para acceder al mercado laboral,  y aquellos que acceden a un puesto de trabajo, perciben  remuneraciones inferiores al mínimo vital y sin ninguna protección de seguridad social.
En las relaciones laborales de nuestra región, siguen persistiendo las desigualdades de género, discriminación que también se manifiesta por razones de origen étnico, sector social, edad, entre otras.
 Las trabajadoras y los trabajadores autónomos y autogestionarios son colectivos en crecimiento en América  Latina y el Caribe, pero carentes de una organización representativa y eficaz que vele por sus derechos frente a la agresividad económica de las grandes estructuras empresariales y la inexistencia de una protección social adecuada.

Ante esta situación, manifestamos lo siguiente.

1.    Los sindicatos, en tanto actores sociales, somos sujetos activos para la formulación de políticas públicas sobre la base del diálogo social, en las que se promueva el empleo sin discriminación alguna, el desarrollo social integral y la creación de puestos de trabajo decentes.
2.    Exigimos el pleno cumplimiento de los estándares internacionales de protección de los derechos económicos, sociales y culturales de los trabajadores y trabajadoras, reconocidos en la normativa de la Organización Internacional del Trabajo. 
3.    Exigimos a los poderes públicos la puesta en práctica de medidas políticas, legislativas y económicas para la mejora de las condiciones laborales de todos los trabajadores, prestando especial atención a aquellos sectores más desfavorecidos: mujeres, jóvenes, pueblos originarios, trabajadores autónomos y autogestionarios, entre otros.


Lima, 30 de septiembre del 2011

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

THE HISTORY OF THE TRADE UNION NAPFE IN THE UNITED STATES

Paul Tennassee was invited by the World Organisation of Workers WOW to speak on the World Financial Crisis during a European seminar held in EU country Cyprus sponsored by EZA. You see Paul in the centre. On the left you see WOW President Roel Rotshuizen. Between Paul and Roel sits WOW Boardmember Piet Nelissen. WOW Executive Secretary Bjorn van Heusden sits on the right.


Trade Unionist and Academic Paul Tennassee was invited by President James M McGee of the National Alliance of Postal and Federal Employees NAPFE to write the history of his union. NAPFE has already a long history. It was founded in 1913. So in two years more it will celebrate its centennial. Paul hopes to present in August 2013 a book with the complete history of 100 years of NAPFE.

Recently Paul presented his book on the history of NAPFE from 1913 until 1945 during an interview on the TV station CaribNation. The interview with Paul can be seen and heard on YouTube. It takes you less than half an our to get to know better Paul and of course the history of NAPFE. It is a very interesting history because this trade union history is interwoven with that of the struggle against racism in the United States.

Monday, October 24, 2011

MALTA WORKER'S UNION CONGRESS

The outgoing board members are President Gaetano, Vice President Joseph S. Vella (right from Gaetano) and Secretary General Geatu Vella (centre). Left of Gaetu you see Jesmond Bonello, the new elected Persident, behind Gaetu Vella on the second row stands the new elected Secretary General Joseph Vella and also on the second row on the extreme left the newly elected Vice President Edwin Balzan. 

 There were three highlights on the 31 Congress of the Malta Workers’ Union UHM: the election of a new President, Secretary General and Vice President, the presentation of the report “People’s Social Vision for Malta” and a critical dialogue with the three main political leaders of Malta. 

Mara Erdelj with at her right Andrew who was so kind to translate everything said in Maltese into English.

Mara Erdelj from Serbia and member of the European Board of WOW represented the WOW on the Congress together with WOW World Board member Piet Nelissen. She thanked the UHM for its contribution “to WOW’s position in the ILO as well as in Europe the more so as UHM as a Maltese union is a bridge between Europe and countries of the Mediterranean.” She also said that UHM is giving an example of international solidarity with its proposal for “a project on training and education of leaders of democratic and independent unions in North African and other Mediterranean countries” that has been freed from dictators.” She wished that in the near future more Maltese women should be involved in trade union activities.

 On the left you see Joseph FX Zahra who elaborated "People's Social Vision for Malta". In the outgoning board Jesmond was Assistant Secretary General. He was elected on the Congress as the new President.

The second day of the Congress economist Joseph FX Zarah introduced the report “People’s Social Vision for Malta” starting with the observation that ‘The Economy is for man, not man for the economy.” The report covers six themes: education, health, the family, democratic institutions, electronic revolution and better quality for life. The report is guided by “the need to factor in the human and social dimension in the country’s strategy with clear objectives to be achieved during the coming decade, by highlighting a vision complacent to the thinking, attitude, behavior and action of the human person within the European 2020 strategy which is primarily hinged to economic objectives.” After extensive discussion the report was unanimously adopted by the Congress.

Outgoing Secretary General Gaetu congratulates Josef with his election as the new Secertary General.

In the afternoon the results of the election were presented to the Congress. Elected were Jesmond Bonello as President, Edwin Balzan as Vice President and Joseph Vella as Secretary General. 



After the farewell speeches, outgoing President Tanti, Vice President Vella and Secretary General Vella were rewarded by the conference participants with a sustained applause for their years of dedication to the union


During the extensive interview of Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, Opposition Leader of the Labor Party Joseph Muscat and Leader of the Party Alternativa Democratica Michael Briguglio and the debates with the Congress we understood WOW that UHM plays an important role in the national social dialogue on the economic and social future of Malta.




Of course elected Secretary General Joseph Vella had the honor to close the Congress.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

SOLIDARNOSC AND THE STRUGGLE FOR THE TRADE UNION MOVEMENT AFTER COMMUNISM


Writing on the death of former WCL secretary general Jan Kulakowski it came up to me to write this blog on the role Solidarnosc played in Central and Eastern European regarding trade union policy of the WCL and the ICFTU in the nineties of the last century until the merger of the WCL and the ICFTU in 2006.
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 In May 1992 a WCL mission visited Moscow, where it had a meeting with dissidents and intellectuals who under the name of CMOT had struggled for trade union freedom, for the first time. The conversation took place in an apartment of one of the members of CMOT. On the right-hand-side of the photo sits WCL Vice President Kristoff Dowgiallo.


Thanks to its Polish Belgian general secretary Jan Kulakowski, the World Confederation of Labour – WCL, developed excellent relations with the Polish trade union Solidarnosc and its famous president Lech Walesa. Because of these good relations it was believed that the WCL, as a social Christian oriented World Confederation, would have a future in Central and Eastern Europe, and therefore perhaps in all of Europe. Solidarnosc had, however, not only become an affiliate of the WCL, but also of the competing International Confederation of Free Trade Unions – ICFTU. Within the ICFTU, Solidarnosc had special relations with and support of the North American trade union federation AFL-CIO, which together with the US Government had supported it from the start of its rebellion against the Communist dictatorship

The highlight of this friendship between Solidarnosc and the WCL was the visit of Solidarnosc President Lech Walesa to the World Congress in Caracas, Venezuela in 1989. As to confirm the good relations Kristoff Dowgiallo of Solidarnosc was elected vice-president of the WCL. As vice-president he led several missions to Central and Eastern European countries as well as Russia. I was one of the delegates joining him on these missions. During these mission we met a lot of leaders of newly-established democratic and independent unions. The result was that after a while a number of unions in countries such as Lithuania, the Ukraine, Bulgaria, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia joined the WCL.

In September 1993 a delegation, led by WCL Secretary General Carlos Custer, visited Polish President Lech Walesa, former President of Solidarnosc. (At the head of the table President Lech Walesa. Beside him an official translator. At her left WCL Secretary General Carlos Custer. Next to him an interpreter of Solidarnosc and myself. On its back Kristoff Dowgiallo and to his left Teresa Szabza of Solidarnosc).

Despite these good relations slowly but surely tensions emerged on the WCL policy in Central and Eastern Europe. Those were caused by the fact that the WCL succeeded in affiliating some new democratic and independent unions which were courted also by the AFL-CIO. One example is the affiliation to the WCL of the Hungarian trade union confederation Munkastanascok. This union was highly sought after for by the AFL-CIO as I later learned from the leadership of Munkastanascok as well as from some AFL-CIO officials who told me this during a lunch in Washington. Another example was the affiliation to the WCL of the Ukrainian confederation VOST.

 In March 1993 the WCL organized a seminar in Budapest for some new democratic, independent unions in Central and Eastern Europe and Russia. (Second from left Bogdan Hossu, president of the Romanian trade union confederation Cartel Alfa. Next to him on the right Imre Palkovics, president of the Hungarian Trade Union Confederation Munkastanascok. Second next to him on the right Bob Fielding, North American and Polish from the AFL-CIO and working at the International Department of Solidarnosc).



Another example were the confrontations with regards to the Baltic States. The Scandinavian unions affiliated to the ICFTU, considered the WCL activities in the Baltic countries, where the WCL developed friendly relations with different new democratic and independent unions, as inappropriate. A high ranked official of the Swedish LO told me that the Baltic countries belong to the Scandinavian trade unions and not to the WCL. At the same time an AFL-CIO official regularly visited the Lithuanian trade unions.

The struggle for the international affiliation of Central and Eastern European trade unions, as well as Russian unions, became more severe and foul with the years. During a joint WCL/ICFTU mission to Belarus in order to support democratic independent unions in their struggle for trade union freedom and the right to strike against the authoritarian President Lukashenko, ICFTU delegates gave much more money than was agreed upon.

At the end of nineties, and more and more openly, Solidarnosc started to support the idea of a merger between the WCL en the ICFTU. During a WCL Confederal Board Meeting in Paraguay, Solidarnosc openly advocated a merger while many WCL unions were against this. It became also clear that the Belgian Christian Trade Union ACV supported the idea of a merger between the WCL and the ICFTU into a new international confederation. In 2006 (Vienna) the WCL as well as the ICFTU decided with vast majorities to disband themselves and to found the new international confederation ITUC.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

LATIN AMERICAN TRADE UNIONISTS MEET IN LIMA



Three WOW affiliated trade union federations in Latin America organized at the end of September ‘The Third Meeting of the Latin American and Caribbean Coordination of the World Organization of Workers’ (CLAC – WOW) in Lima, Peru on “ Trade Union Movement, Employment, Decent Work and Social Dialogue”. 

 The delegation of the Latin American Federation of Bank Employees (FELATRABS) in Lima

Traditionally the meeting started with separated board meetings of each of the participating Federations. In the afternoon the coordination meeting was opened with greetings of president Roberto Mejia of FELATRACS, also president of the National Association of Journalists of Peru (ANP) that hosted the meeting, president Maritza Chireno of FETRALCOS, Miguel Duche of FELATRABS and WOW president Roel Rotshuizen. 

 The majority of participants stayed in the building of the ANP, where they had breakfast together.

Participants came from all over Latin America like Argentine, Brazil, Venezuela, Peru, Chile, Uruguay, Panama, Mexico, Dominican Republic and Curacao.
In the afternoon all participants visited the University 'Jaime Bausate y Meza'. This university was founded by the ANP with the aim to offer a highly qualified training for journalists working in all kinds of social media and other media-related professions.  Recently the Peruvian Government has recognized the university officially as an academic institution.


The Symphony Orchestra of the National Police of Peru

At the end of the afternoon the Symphony Orchestra of the National Police of Peru gave a special concert for the participants of the meeting and the students of the university. 

 Popa Matamula, Tanzania.

After the concert an exposition of cartoons “ Freedom of Press in the World” at the University 'Jaime Bausate y Meza' was officially opened
On the left site Dr. Angel Garcia Peres from ISCOD-UGT-Area Andina. On the right Guillermo Derma of the ILO in Peru.

The next day in the morning some excellent speakers introduced the themes of the seminar. Dr. Angel Garcia Peris talked about "New times to come for the trade union movement", Guillermo Dermo about "Employment and decent work"  and Daniel Pujol Garcia, also from the ILO office in Peru, talked about "Social dialogue as the key to human development". 


The speeches were followed by lively debates

After these debates in the afternoon the participants approved a declaration on employment, decent work and social dialogue.

October 1, a special day for Peruvian journalists.

 WOW President Roel Rotshuizen visiting the radio studio of ANP in Lima

By Peruvian law the first of October has been declared as “the Day of the Journalist”.
The day started with a visit to the radio studio of ANP in Lima that covers all of Peru.

A wreath of flowers of the ANP is placed on the monument commemorating the martyrs of Uchurruccay.

Following was a commemoration of the 8 martyrs of Uchuraccay on the graveyard ‘El Angel’ in Lima. 

 De seminar participants waiting to start the commemoration at the graveyard 'El Angel" in Lima.

In 1983 seven journalists and their guide were murdered during their visit to the pueblo Uchuruccay in the Peruvian mountains were days before many innocent citizens were murdered. A special committee presided by the famous Peruvian novel writer Vargas Llosa did not succeed to clarify who murdered the journalists. 


Next to the commemoration a Holy Mass was celebrated in a church in the centre of Lima. The Holy Mass was dedicated to the two members of parliament and former journalists who took the initiative in 1951 to present a national law declaring the first of October as a special day dedicated to all Peruvian journalists. 
At a special meeting in the afternoon, police reporter Juan Marcos Martinez was honored by ANP President Roberto Mejia for his dedication to journalism.

 Police reporter Juan Marcos Martinez sitting at the left. ANP President Mejia standing in the middle.



Monday, October 10, 2011

THE NETHERLANDS: AGING OF LABOR MOVEMENT INCREASES



The aging of the labor movement is growing. During the past year, the number of union members of 65 years and older increased with 6.8 percent. The trade union movement is aging faster than the population, where the number of over-65s grew by 2.3 percent. Fourteen percent of union members has reached retirement age, notifies the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) today.

For the first time since 1993 grew the number of union members younger than 25 years. Currently, 74 000 young people are union members. That's three thousand more than last year but considerably less than twenty years ago. At that time ten percent of the young people were members of the trade union movement, today it is only four percent.

The number of union members between 45 and 65 years grows steadily since 2005. In proportion to the population, this group is overrepresented in the trade unions. Of all union members to 65 years nearly sixty percent is between 45 and 65 years, while compared to the working age population this group represents just over forty percent. On the other side, the proportion of trade union members between 25 and 45 years  has continuously shrunk to only 36 percent, while this group represents almost half of the working age population.

The number of female union members has increased since last year with twenty thousand members. The increasing participation of women in the labor market makes that the number of female union members is growing for twenty years, from 332,000 in 1991 to 647,000 in 2011. Women represent today one third of all trade union members. On the other side, the number of male union members fell last year by nearly 14,000. Their numbers declined last twenty years almost constantly.

The unions grew the last year with a total of five thousand members. In March this year the trade unions in the Netherlands have 1.9 million members.

Source:  Marije Willems, NRC Handelsblad 10 oktober 2011


Thursday, October 6, 2011

REMEMBER JAN JERZY KULAKOWSKI

Jan jerzy Kulakowski (1930 - 2011)
Recently I was informed by a former colleague of the World Confederation of Labour (WCL) that the former secretary general of the WCL, Jan Jerzy Kułakowski, had passed away in Warsaw, Poland on 25 June 2011 following a long illness. He was 81 years of age.


Jan Kułakowski had a remarkable career. And during his career he never forgot about his Polish background. How could he? In 1944, when he was fourteen years old, he took part in the uprising in Warsaw as a Liaison Officer of the BASZTA Regiment. After the war he fled to Belgium where he studied Law at the Catholic University of Leuven. After his Doctor degree he joined the Belgian Christian Trade Union ACV.

From 1976 to 1989 Jan Kułakowski worked as Secretary General of the Social Christian oriented WCL. Before that he had been the General Secretary of the European Organization of the World Confederation of Labour. This European Organisation was disbanded (1976) because the WCL member-unions became affiliated to the in 1973 founded European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC). Exactly 40 years after the WCL itself was disbanded itself. Together with the Socialist-oriented International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) they merged into the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) in Vienna, Austria (2006).

Personally, I have spoken only occasionally with Jan Kułakowski. In the mid-seventies I was approached by him to join the WCL. In the ensuing conversation I got to know him as an amiable and modest man. Shortly after, however, I got the opportunity to be appointed as an assistant in a project of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Costa Rican Institute for Land Reform in Costa Rica. Since I wanted to gain more international experience, I decided to accept this opportunity.

Our next conversation took place many years later (1995) during a reception at his home in Brussels. In the meantime he had become Ambassador of Poland to the EU, while I had become Confederal Secretary of the WCL. During the conversation we merely exchanged pleasantries on politics and the WCL. At the reception I also had a lengthy conversation with the British trade unionist John Monks, who later was elected as General Secretary of the ETUC (2003). My plea for international trade union pluralism fell in arid soil. As I expected he was more orientated towards class-struggle and therefore focused more on unity than on plurality.

In the eighties of the last century Jan Kułakowski was very involved with the struggle of the Polish trade union Solidarnosc against the Polish Communist dictatorship. As Secretary General of the WCL Kułakowski organized strong international support for Solidarnosc. Particularly in the period that it was banned from public life by the Polish Communist Government. At the end Solidarnosc succeeded to defeat the Communist Government through peaceful actions. After the fall of Communism in Central and Eastern Europe in 1989, he became the first Polish Ambassador to the EU. As such, he was closely involved in the negotiations on Poland's accession to the EU. Because of his involvement and commitment to solidarity, he was appointed as honorary member of Solidarnosc. Later he became an Member of the European Parliament for Poland (2004-2009).

As has been stated by President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, Jan Kułakowski was a great Pole, “who was also a distinguished and respected European diplomat, intellectual and humanist. His name is a symbol for Poland’s accession to the EU. Jan Kułakowski was also among his people’s first representatives in the European Parliament”.

Jan Kułakowski was a great European and International trade unionist who believed in international solidarity strongly supporting Solidarnosc when it was needed most. We should not forget him.

With thanks to reporting by: ACV, Euronews, European Commission, European Liberals and Democrats

(To be continued)