People's Democracy

Developing Countries To Strengthen

Struggle Against Globalisation

M K Pandhe

THE meeting of the regional co-ordination committee of the Southern Initiative on Globalisation and Trade Union Rights (SIGTUR) held in Perth, Australia on July 3-5, 2007 decided to strengthen the worldwide struggle against the offensive of globalisation. The meeting was attended by representatives of ACTU (Australia), KCTU (South Korea), CITU (India), KMU (Philippines), COSATU (South Africa), CUT (Brazil) and Thailand.

On behalf of CITU, Chittabrata Majumdar was a member of the committee. Due to his passing away, the CITU asked me to attend the meeting.

The meeting was held in beautiful surroundings of Penguin Island. The seashore provided a suitable backdrop for the meeting.

All members participating in the meeting paid glowing tributes to the memory of Chittabrata Majumdar who played a significant role in strengthening the SIGTUR activities all over the world.

The meeting reviewed the growing attacks on the working class all over the world due to the policies pursued by various state governments in support of globalisation.

ALL ROUND ATTACKS

In Philippines as a result of the reactionary policy pursued by the Aroyo government, unemployment has increased substantially. 11.6 million workers are unemployed according to official estimates, which works out to be 4.1 per cent of the workforce. Due to absence of avenues of jobs in the country a million workers have migrated to other countries in search of jobs. The prominent KMU leader Crispin Beltran is in prison for carrying normal trade union activities.

The government has passed Human Security Act, which is being used against trade union activists. It empowers police to arrest a person without a charge or a warrant. It further provides that a call for a nationwide strike can be considered as a terrorist act. A complaint has been filed with the ILO but the Philippine government is not allowing even the ILO fact-finding mission to visit the country.

In Brazil, the victory of Lula government has helped in the struggle against globalisation. The major trade union in Brazil, CUT with 7 million membership had supported Lula government in elections. The government created 4 million jobs. $7 billion of investment had been made in rural sector which has improved the conditions of the peasantry. Minimum wage of the workers had been raised to $150 per month while the social security scheme is under discussion.

However, the trade unions are fighting against high inflation in the economy. They are also opposing the delay in implementation of the land reforms by the government. The drive towards privatisation is also strongly opposed by the trade unions. Brazil will be hosting the World Social Forum in 2009 to oppose the World Bank dictated policies of globalisation.

In South Korea, the KCTU is fighting for industry level national settlement by the trade unions. As a result of globalisation policies a large section of non-regular workers has been created in the country and the trade unions are engaged in a bitter struggle against outsourcing and demanding regularisation of these workers.

Trade Unions in South Korea have opposed the WTO policies which hit the interest of common people. They are demanding annual revision of wages through collective agreements. The South Korean government has deprived public sector workers from right to strike and the trade union movement is fighting to restore the right to strike for them.

Attacks on the workers in small scale and medium industry have increased in the recent past and the trade unions are being formed to resist these attacks. The KCTU is playing a leading role in this struggle.

I gave the report on the situation in India and anti-working class policies of the UPA government and explained the situation created due to non-implementation of labour laws in SEZs and the proposal to allow FDI in retail trade. The deteriorating working and living conditions of the unorganised and the agricultural workers were also noted. The drive towards privatisation and disinvestments of public sector undertakings, unrestricted entry of foreign capital in telecom and financial sectors, rising prices of essential commodities were also pointed out.

How the sponsoring committee of trade unions is organising united movements of the working class including strike actions was also explained. The role of the Left parties in pressuring the UPA government to adopt pro-people measures since the government itself was dependent on the support of the Left parties was noted. The significance of Left Front governments in West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura was also stated. There was general appreciation of the CITU’s position in the Indian trade union movement.

COSATU FIGHTS FOR DECENT JOBS

In South Africa, though COSATU is part of the ANC alliance, it believes in socialism and is striving to popularise the Socialist ideology among the working class. 40 per cent of the workforce in South Africa is organised in COSATU.

The government of South Africa is managing relations with businessmen. COSATU is fighting for making them in favour of the poor people. This assumes greater importance since workers share in GDP has declined in the recent past. The COSATU is fighting for more job creation in the country while it noted that new jobs created should not be of low quality. It is the observation of COSATU that many new jobs created in South Africa are low paid jobs. The representative of COSATU pointed out that IMF and the World Bank are trying to influence labour market in South Africa which is being opposed firmly by COSATU. He noted that hire and fire policy is being adopted in South Africa while COSATU opposed it.

The workers in South Africa have been successful in obtaining right to strike but the unemployment situation is getting serious and COSATU is campaigning for the right of the unemployed people.

COSATU representative pointed out the climatic changes taking place in the world are adversely affecting the interest of the working class and the people and trade unions in South Africa are campaigning for implementing Kyoto Declaration by all the countries.

The Australian Council of Trade Unions is currently engaged in fighting anti-working class labour-law known as Australian workplace Agreements (AWAs) which provides for individual agreement with a worker for five years by imposing humiliating working conditions on him which includes lower wages and service conditions provided in the awards. It gives right to employers to refuse bargain collectively with the unions. The unions are being deprived of any right to fight unfair dismissal, casualisation of jobs or use of contractors. It imposes penalty on workers and unions for legitimate trade union activities and drastically restricts union rights at the workplace. For example a worker can be fined upto $6,000 for participating in a strike which the government considers as “illegal”. While unions can be fined $33,000 by the government simply asking an employer to include protection for workers against unfair dismissal.

Huge demonstrations were organised all over Australia against the draconian labour laws passed by Howard government. A big campaign is initiated by the trade unions to defeat Howard government in the forthcoming elections.

STRENGTHENING SOLIDARITY ACTIONS

The SIGTUR meeting stressed the need for strengthening solidarity action all over the world so that attempts to suppress trade union. rights are properly resisted more effectively. The meeting noted that International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) did not condemn the suppression of trade union rights in Philippines due to opposition of local affiliate. The meeting decided to request ITUC to condemn the repression in Philippines and demand a fact-finding mission to find the situation in the country.

The meeting decided to strengthen the union education programmes so that the rank and file workers are taught to play an important role in the struggle against globalisation. International experience of educating the workers should be properly monitored so that trade unions can benefit from the experience of other countries and improve the quality of education.

The regional co-ordination committee decided to hold the next SIGTUR conference in India in the last week of April 2008. The CITU will involve participation of regional trade unions in Asia while COSATU will bring together unions from Africa and CUT will make attempts to bring trade unions from Latin America.

The CITU proposed that initiative should be taken for a dialogue between trade unions of the developing countries so that a powerful struggle at a global level can be initiated. Other unions participating in the SIGTUR meeting welcomed the proposal.

On July 5, a meeting was held at Freemantle in the office of the Maritime Union of Australia wherein the foreign delegates spoke about the international struggle against globalisation. The speakers from local unions explained the growing attacks on trade union rights in Australia. Western Australian Council is led by the Leftist leaders who want further intensification of the struggle. A spokesman of the local Communist Party also spoke on the occasion.

On July 7, 2007 the SIGTUR representatives demonstrated before the consulate of Philippines and condemned the brutal representation on the trade union movement. They demanded that the Philippine government should allow fact finding mission of the ILO to study the situation in the country. A memorandum was submitted to the consulate. The concerned officer was rude towards the delegates from Philippines. Trade unions protested against his behaviour. The SIGTUR decided to campaign all over the world in support of the workers in Philippines.

DISCUSSION WITH AUSTRALIAN UNIONS

On July 8, I was interviewed on Freemantle Radio and asked about the present situation in India and on the need for an international solidarity action of the working class.

I went to Melbourne on July 9 and met Shran Burrow the president of ACTU. Alison Tate International officer of ACTU was also present. During the course of discussion it was agreed to strengthen the ties of friendship between the two organisations. I also explained the present situation in India and how the trade union movement is unitedly resisting the attacks on the living standards of the working class. Incidentally Sharan Burrow is also the president of the ITUC.

I then visited the office of Australian manufacturing workers union and had a detailed discussion with Julius Roe, president and Doug Cameron, national secretary of the union. They took great interest in knowing Indian situation and agreed to develop ties of friendship with CITU unions. Later on, I visited Toyota factory whose workers were on Dharna in protest against victimisation of their leaders. I extended support to their struggle on behalf of CITU.

On July 11, I went to Sydney and met the leadership of construction, forestry, mining and energy unions. I addressed one meeting of trade union activists of the union on the trade union struggles in India. I had a detailed discussion with Tony Maher, national secretary of the union and there was agreement to strengthen the co-operation between CITU and CFMEU. I had a separate talk with Mines leaders and considered the preparation for international coal miner’s conference to be held in India in December next.

On the whole the visit to Australia was extremely useful to strengthen mutual co-operation in the common struggle of the working class.