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| Emilio Gabaglio, as one of the architects of the ITUC because of his role as a mediator between WCL and the ICFTU and promotor of unity, was one of the very important speakers at the ITUC founding congress in Vienna 2006. |
Because of the
lack of coordination between the WCL Secretariat and the
International Trade Federations, 4 of them ( WFCW, INFEDOP, FIOST and
IFTC) decided to write “an open letter”(July 2005)
(also in Germen, Dutch, Spanish and French) to the WCL, as to put
pressure on the Secretariat, to negotiate with more conviction and
firmness about the position of the ITF's. They prepared also a
“Declaration of WCL Trade Action”
(also in 5 languages) to be presented during the WCL Congress in
November 2005 in Belgium.
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| President Fritz Neugebauer (Austria) signed on behalf of INFEDOP/EUROFEDOP both the letter and the resolution. INFEDOP./EUROFEDOP is one of the two former WCL International Trade Federations that dit not merge with the ICFTU oriented International Trade Secretariat PSI. |
“Millions of workers will get homeless at trade union level
The two large
world trade unions (World Confederation of Labour and International
Confederation of Free Trade Unions) have been discussing for months
the creation of a new World Organisation. Their intention is inspired
by the fact that, in a world that is globalising more and more,
workers need a world organisation that can act as a counterforce and
can aim for the realisation of a world society in which there is more
justice and more solidarity. In this way, the WCL and ICFTU also want
to improve the representativeness of the trade union movement
worldwide by organising a maximum number of trade union members
worldwide.
Until
recently, all organisations affiliated to the WCL started from the
conviction that trade union pluralism, effectively realised through
the operation of at least two world organisations, was the best
guarantee to achieve this objective. It was only at the Confederal
Board in Casablanca in October 2004 that it was decided to start
discussions with the ICFTU, and this on the basis of a number of
conditions that had to ensure that the historic values of the WCL
would be preserved, respect would be shown for the WCL and its
affiliated members and the principle of pluralism would be
effectively subscribed to on the ground.
In this
context, the confederal board adhered jointly and unanimously to two
conditions that were of particular importance for the WCL’s Trade
Action : “A dynamic and structural anchored cooperation has to be
established between trade action and inter-trade action. A
coordination of trade action beside the inter-trade organisation is
considered counterproductive.”
This condition
was decided by the Confederal Board, because it was the explicit wish
of the latter that an operational link would be maintained between
the trade union leadership and the action in the sectors and
companies, because a world organisation without members who would be
able to strengthen the proposed objectives with their support on the
ground, misses the capacity to react quickly and effectively, which
is the essence of the trade union movement.
According to
the reports that have been meanwhile submitted on the course of the
negotiations, no progress whatsoever has been made in this respect.
The idea of a
“GUFs Council” is also considered insufficient in this respect,
the more so because internal documents have shown that the ICFTU and
WCL would have agreed that for each sectoral working field only one
professional organisation would be active, and that would be an
organisation of the ICFTU family.
“All WCL and
ICFTU members have the right to become member of the new
organisation.”
This condition
was drawn up as a safety net for national and trade organisations
that, because of national and professional characteristics, would
fall between two chairs.
Apparently,
the negotiators reached an agreement about the national
organisations, but, as regards the trade organisations, they opted
for “one sector one union”, the classical ICFTU option.
You understand
that, in this context, the signing organisations (FOUR international
organisations out of the eight that are full members of the WCL)
cannot agree with this state of affairs.
Millions of
workers affiliated to the WCL risk to become thus left without trade
union home in the world. The signing organisations have consequently
decided to do their utmost to support the attitude they will adopt in
this respect. It should be clear that this will show in the first
place through their voting attitude at the WCL Congress, where they
will demand that all conditions decided by the confederal board in
Casablanca should be fulfilled.
Moreover, they
are considering the possibility of taking necessary action in the
margin of the WCL Congress, with a view to informing public opinion
of the consequences unification will have for the representativeness
of trade unionism at world level. It should be clear that, if the
essential conditions for the trade action are not fulfilled, the
organisations will no longer consider themselves bound by the other
points submitted.
In the
meantime, the signing organisations are working at the development of
alternatives to continue their involvement in the interests of their
members with firm determination, especially if no further progress is
made in the negotiations.”
Signed by
Michel Bovy, President FIOST (Transport), Roel Rotshuizen WFCW
(Employees), Dirk Uyttenhove IFTC (Textile) and Fritz Neugebauer
INFEDOP (public services employees).
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| At the WCL dissolution congress in Vienna 2006, President Roel Rotshuizen rejected the merger between WCL and ICFTU on behalf of the former World federation of Clerical Workers. The WFCW decided to continue as an independent International Trade Union Federation with the new name World Organization of Workers WOW. |
The following
Resolution for Orientation, with insertion of the position of the
WCL’s Trade Action, was approved by the WCL Congress, with 169
votes in favour, 18 against and 10 abstentions. Herewith the road is
open to the creation of a new world confederation.
The
International Trade Federations of WCL respect the decision of the
Confederal Board of Casablanca, take note of the present state of
affairs in the negotiations between WCL and ICFTU and observe the
following:
- The
structures of WCL and ICFTU differ with regard to the position of
Trade Action.
- The draft
Constitution of the new world organisation confirms the importance of
the greatest possible degree of cohesion and effectiveness within the
international trade union movement and the fact that this has
resulted in the intention to establish a structural partnership with
the international industry federations, the forms and operating
methods of which shall be determined in agreement with them.
The
International Trade Federations of WCL welcome the fact that the
importance of the greatest possible degree of cohesion between the
inter-trade and the trade level of trade union functioning is
confirmed and wish to be closely involved in the further concretion
of this cohesion, both at the world and at the regional level. All the
International Trade Federations of WCL state their will to consult
with the Global Union Federations on forms of cooperation.
The
International Trade Federations of WCL note that in the meantime
consultations between them and the Global Union Federations have
started in a large number of sectors.
These
consultations are taking place on the basis of the autonomous powers
of the organisations involved, just like also decisions on
cooperation, in whatever form, shall be made on the basis of
autonomy.
For the
International Trade Federations of WCL it is an established fact that
consultations between them and the Global Union Federations shall be
based on mutual respect for the organisations involved and for their
affiliates.
We note that
in the meantime Global Union Federations and the International Trade
Federations of WCL from a number of sectors have concluded agreements
that will or can lead to a unification of global as well as of
regional structures.
In other
sectors, however, it must be pointed out that there is an
insufficient basis for constructive consultations and that the
structural difficulties or the conditional ties beyond the
possibilities of the organisations and, very often, a lack of respect
for the International Trade Federations of WCL concerned, and their
affiliates impedes further overtures.
This can
result in serious obstacles to the effective realisation of the
intended structural partnership between the inter-trade and the trade
level of the world trade union movement.
WCL can and
will indeed not accept that parts of WCL are excluded as a
consequence of changing structures.
So, a
transitional period, and appropriate transitional measures, will be
necessary to give the International Trade Federations of WCL and the
Global Union Federations from all the sectors in which this is not or
insufficiently the case the opportunity to proceed, with due respect
for each other’s structure and members, to constructive
consultations on forms of cooperation of their choice, taking into
account the global process.
The
International Trade Federations of WCL state their will to have these
consultations and call on the Global Union Federations to give
content to this, jointly with them.
The WCTA calls
unanimously upon the Global Unions Federations to deepen the
initiated dialogue with the respective International Trade
Federations and to start a constructive dialogue with the
organisations that are not yet committed and to promote this dialogue
on the basis of respect of the organisations, their history, their
principles and values, their criteria for political action. The joint
International Trade Federations of WCL will periodically evaluate the
progress and report on it to the Confederal Board.
The Congress
is invited to endorse the above-mention position.
The resolution
was signed by Timothée Boko, FEMTAA (Food & Agriculture), Fritz
Neugebauer, INFEDOP (Public Services Employees), Dirk Uyttenhove,
IFTC (Textile & Clothing), Roel Rotshuizen, WFCW (Employees),
Claudio Corries, WCT (Teachers), Michel Bovy, FIOST (Transport),
Stefaan Vanthourenhout, FMTCM (Building & Wood), Bart Bruggeman,
WFIW (Industrial Workers), Carlos Gaitán, Acción Profesional CLAT
(Latin America), Ernesto Verceles,Acción Profesional BATU (Asia),
Chrysanthe Koffi Zounnadjala, Acción Profesional ODSTA (Africa),
Kalina Grzelak, Women
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