the rise and fall of labour

The Fall & Rise of Labour?Current state of the world’s trade union movement from the Europe perspective

International Summer School 2015 – Northern College/UK, 6-10/7/2015

Vasco Pedrina, GLI Geneva, Unia/USS Switzerland

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Die Gewerkschaft / Le syndicat

Most important message

Make use of the economic and social development of the “emerging countries” (BRICS) to boost the presently low world unionization’s rate of 7%

Essential for our survival/future development because in Europe, whose unions have traditionally represented the largest battalions of the labour movement, there has been a big decline in member numbers and union strength.


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Factors of trade union strength - I

1) Member numbers – Union density

2) Capacity of mobilizing and of striking in the

branches

3) Capacity to develop political campaigns and to

mark political presence in the society


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Factors of trade union strength - II

4) Degree of coverage with collective agreements

(CAs)

5) System of workers’ representation in the

companies (Workers Councils)

6) Human and financial resources of the trade

unions


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Map of the “state of unions” in Europe - I

Northern Europe: Unions have been losing positions, but they continue to be

relative strong. Open for cooperation projects in other continents, but not for

a policy of solidarity en Europe (against Euro-Bonds or “Transfer-Union”)

Middle and Eastern Europe: Unions have been losing dramatically members . In a lot of

countries they are no more a social counter-force/power


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Map of the “state of unions” in Europe - II

Southern Europe: Unions have been suffering very much under the pressure of

EU-austerity policy Big mobilizations/strikes in the 2-3 years after the crisis 2008.

But attacks against workers’ and unions have stopped this dynamic

Central Europe (Germany, Switzerland, Austria): Unions have been developing a process of stabilization

(membership, social power) in the last years thanks to offensive organizing, rank & file participation, mobilizations by renewal of CAs and political campaigns (e.g. for a legal minimum wage)


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Where are we now?

The inequality of these situations/developments and the trend everywhere toward national isolationism among trade unions since the crisis 2008 make it very difficult to develop an European and international union dynamic of solidarity!

For instance, our attempts to develop such a dynamic with ETUC weren’t successful in the last 8 years (no one European campaign! The last successful one was against the Bolkestein-Directive for services liberalization 2005!)


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What can combative and international oriented unionists do?

Promote internationalist spirit and practices by

• Cross-border actions (multinationals, industries, across industries

• Cooperation projects and international solidarity campaigns

Orient global unions’ resources toward an exchange

of best practices and initiatives for campaigns and mobilizations


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Best practice 1: Union campaign after the “Rana Plaza” tragedy in Bangladesh (Accord on Fire and Buliding Safety + Compensation Fund)


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Best practice 2: Sport-campaigns of BWI and ITUC (World Cup in South Africa 2010, in Brasil 2014, in Qatar 2022,…)


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Best practice 3: Joint campaigns against TTIP, TTP and TISA - I(Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, TransPacific Trade, TISA-Agreement)


Aims: Stop social and environmental dumping. –

Harmonizing social and environmental standards to a higher level

Stop privatizations Stop ISDS (Investor-to-State Dispute Settlement

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Best practice 3: Joint campaigns against TTIP, TTP and TISA - II(Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, TransPacific Trade, TISA-Agreement)


Protest of musicians against TTIP in Berlin (Mai 2015)

the rise and fall of labour

Documents

northern europe

northern collegeuk

die gewerkschaft

state of unions

eastern europe

southern europe

syndicat map

worlds trade union movement