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| Second from right: WFBW President Jacky Jackers at the congress of the Panafrican Federation of Wood and Building Workers in Lomé, Togo at the FOPADESC Centre of ODSTA, august 2003 |
About a year
after the WCL World Congress in Rumania more and more was heard about
a possible merger between WCL and ICFTU. It was hard to believe that
the ACV/CSC would agree with a merger because what would they win
with such a merger? In practice the WCL was more or less an extension
of the ACV/CSC which meant that the ACV/CSC could play a bigger role
on international level than what normally could be expected from a
strong confederation in such a small country as Belgium. Of course
the ICFTU could try to isolate the WCL on international level but on
long term this could damage the image of the ICFTU as an
international organization that respects democracy and pluralism.
Besides, what
was there to win for the ACV/CSC by becoming a member of a new big
international trade union organization? Now everybody still listened
to ACV/CSC as one of the most important organisations of the WCL.
What would remain of this ACV/CSC influence at international level if
it was only one of many voices. A voice lost between the powerful
German DGB, the Brittish TUC and above all the North American
AFL/CIO? Asking the question, is answering it.
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| Bert van der Spek, Secretary General and Jacky Jackers, President of the WFBW, talking to trade union leaders of a construction union in Indonesia. The union members were on strike because of a wage conflict. April 2004 |
The first
strong sign that a debate was going on within the ACV/CSC about a
merger of WCL with ICFTU was a letter from President Jacky Jackers of
the World Federation of Building and Woodworkers WFBW addressed to
ACV/CSC President Luc Cortebeeck of 25th october 2003:
“attitude
WFBW (including ACV Building and Industry) regarding the developments
between WCL / ICFTU and WFBW / IFBWW / EFBW.
1.With regard
to WCL and ICFTU:
– ACV-BI
stands for more cooperation. Even more, we must not wait longer but
instead take initiative.
– We
prefer a Federation. In such a system each organization will pay for
activities that have been agreed in advance. We are well aware that
the ICFTU would prefer to talk about a merger!
– Setting
up a new organization so WCL and ICFTU disappear, corresponds to a
merger where only changes the name. Pluralism is not structurally
guaranteed! We believe that the WCL must continue to exist on
confederal level. In Africa, Latin America and Asia, one is not ready
to process further steps.
2. With regard
to WFBW and WCL:
– Here
the central debate is about that the members of WFBW are actually
willing to pay their dues, but they question why the WFBW has to pay
the same amount of dues to the WCL?
– In
other words one says that the functioning of the WCL does not match
with the investment made, that is to say one chooses very clear for
more resources for trade union action.
3. With regard
to WFBW, IFBWW and EFBW:
– I
mention here also the European Federation because within the IFBWW
one believes that because of the past, the European Federation of
Building and Woodworkers is part of the IFBWW. About pluralism is not
spoken here!
– Some
remarks with regard to the EFBW:
1. Since 1989
ACV - BI is a member of the European Federation and has developed
well its place.
...
...
2. Since the
last general meeting of the EFBW, the WFBW is recognized. This means
that where you in the past had to be a member of the IFBWW before you
could become a member of the EFBW, now it is allowed to be only a
member of the WFBW.
3. The
Building & Wood trade union of the ACLVB (the liberal
Confederation) has asked for membership of the EFBW. We as ACV-BI
accept this, but the socialist trade union has inmediately asked the
trade union to become a member of the ...IFBWW! A good start!
 |
| Construction workers on strike in Indonesia, april 2004. |
4. With regard
to WFBW and IFBWW
– The
last years there have been several meetings about cooperation. Roel
de Vries, President of the IFBWW, has always insisted on a merger and
was surely not for pluralism.
– Tuesday
18/11/2003 there will be another meeting with the IFBWW. Our position
will be: active cooperation (ILO, European Works Councils, World
Works Councils) structured in a Federation to which dues are agreed.
This proposal is also supported by the Netherlands, France and
Suisse.”
According to
this letter the following commitments were proposed to the ACV/CSC
President with regard to the future relations with ICFTU and the
ICFTU oriented International Trade Union Federations:
– No
merger but the creation of federal structures with the aim to
cooperate as much as possible and to guarantee pluralism on all
levels: confederal level (WCL) as well as on the level of the
International Trade Union Federations.
– It is
expressed explicitly in the letter that the WCL must continue to
exist.
– The
continental organizations of Africa, Asia and Latin America are
considered to be not ready for a merger.
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