A Trade Union Digest of Organisations & Resources on International Development Issues

A Trade Union Digest of Organisations and Resources on

This is the first of an occasional Digest compiled as a reference point for trade unionists, and trade union tutors in particular, interested in promoting greater understanding of international development. It is provided as both a short cut and guide to information and resources. It contains brief reviews of some of the resources directly appropriate to trade unionists (i.e. designed for use with them), useful web sites and contact details of organisations involved in international development matters. The Digest, available in hard copy, or on-line will be regularly updated and added to.

Resources

ICFTU (Dec 2001) A Trade Union Guide to Globalisation. ICFTU

A handy book published together with the Global Union Federations (formerly ITSs), and intended for use in trade union education, and as a reference book for trade unionists in general.

Part I of the book - Globalisation and Solidarity - provides a level of analysis of globalisation that avoids over-simplification without being too complex. It also sets out the international framework for trade union action, and illustrates this with examples. Part II - The International Dimension of Trade Union Work - focuses more on the practical implications of meeting the challenges. This has lots of examples and case studies of the circumstances and way in which a range of international action can be initiated and sustained.

The appendices contain handy references to the ILO conventions and codes of conduct, together with some questions and answers on their value and use. A highly usable and valuable handbook for all trade unionists.

Available from ICFTU and online at www.icftu.org/pubs/globalisation

ICTU (2003) Global Solidarity. Campaigning for workers’ rights in the global economy.

This is a pack of good, short, and to the point materials that seeks to engage readers in using their position as trade unionists, consumers, pension holders, voters, in more effective action to protect workers’ rights worldwide. The pack presents 10 Information Sheets that work simply and logically through the trade union position on global solidarity - from Making Globalisation Work for People, through Union Rights to Making Companies Accountable. Each set of information provides ideas for action and further information details. For reps the pack provides a handy guide to the issues, and trade union education tutors could use these as a basis for further activities.

New publication due early 2003. Available from ICTU (see Organisations listed below).

ILO/NUT (2001) Work in the World. A guide to work issues across the planet. ILO.

A booklet/pack of information and activities, designed for use by teachers of students of age 14 plus. The first 3 sections (Work & Partnership, Global Work Issues, Organisational & Personal Work Issues) have been written as background information for teachers themselves. They provide non-complex explanations of key concepts and organisations in development/ international issues, illustrated by short case studies. The activities are less useful for trade union education tutors, though they may present ideas for drawing up activities at a pitch more suited to work with reps.

Available from www.ilo.org/london or ILO-London, Millbank Tower, 21-24 Millbank, London SW1P 4QP. Tel: 020 7828 6401

IUF (2002) Getting to Grips With the Global Food Trade. IUF.

This is an education manual designed for use with workers in the food, agriculture, hotel, restaurant, catering, tobacco and beverages sectors, whose unions are IUF affiliates (these can be checked on the IUF website). It is made up of activities and resources and tutor notes. A video, The Globalisation Tapes, can be used alongside the manual.

The purpose of the manual is to strengthen members’ capacity for organising and bargaining with employers. It sets out to do this by focusing on the role of transnational employers (TNCs) in world trade, and increasingly in setting the international and social agenda. While the manual is international in focus, it retains an organising approach to trade unionism that returns learners to their own situation, and to what they think and can do locally as well as nationally and internationally.

The manual is visually beautifully presented and the activities are varied - based on group discussion, quizzes, case studies, role plays and message-loaded games. These are supported by well-pitched resources that trade unionists will find accessible and thought provoking. It also has tutor notes that provide guidance on programming alternatives, timing, techniques and linkages.

Available for use by trade unions and other civil society organisations free of charge from IUF.

PSI (2000) We Can Do It! Putting Globalisation on the union agenda.

A 29 page booklet in comic format that engages readers with the experience of trade unionists in different countries, and their use of the internet to build solidarity. To cover globalisation and union solidarity in 29 pages of images and speech bubbles is ambitious, and there is a lot to grasp for the new-to-development-issues activist. The format is striking and does mean that it is easy to pick up, return to or browse through at any time. For trade union tutors, selected pages may provide a useful way of varying discussion materials for reps at different stages and levels.

Available from PSI(see web site listed below for details).

TUC, International Development Matters. TUC.

International Development Matters is a monthly newsletter for trade union members who want more information about development issues, and is distributed free by e-mail. It includes news about trade unions in developing countries, trade union visitors to the UK, trade and globalisation, funding opportunities for development projects, useful sources of information and events, and publications.

Available by sending e-mail titled International Development Matters and giving full name, postal address and union to: awestwood@tuc.org.uk

War on Want/ICTUR (2001) The Global Workplace. Challenging the race to the bottom. War on Want.

A 2-part pack designed for trade unionists, consisting of a loose-leaf training course together with a bound background information manual. There are 16 activities, ranging from Changes in the Economy, the impact on workers and trade unions, through to Codes of Conduct and campaigning. Most of the activities are supported by stimulus material in the form of quotes, and the quotes are pitched at 3 different levels of engagement - introductory, intermediate and advanced. Each activity is cross-referenced to further information in the bound manual.

There is much here to stimulate discussion and questioning of issues and concepts, and the suggested timing for activities (15/20 minutes) may need to be revised by tutors to do justice to the topics. The information in the bound manual provides good background reading for discussion, and tutors might consider carefully how this is to be used (some activities refer to 4 chapters for example), so that reps are not skimming over it too quickly in a drive to get group activities completed.

The pack presents a well-supported and stimulating course that will help individual reps to develop their perspectives and campaigning on global issues. This last includes writing letters of protest as well as making international trade union links. The importance of working with members at the level of the workplace, and of finding out about own union policies on international issues is underplayed within the activities, and tutors will need to consider how to ensure their proper treatment.

Available from War on Want for use with trade unionists free of charge (for contact details, see Organisations).

Women Working Worldwide World Trade is a Women’s Issue. Promoting the rights of women workers in a changing world economy. Women Working Worldwide.

A 22pp Briefing Paper aimed at those concerned about the effects of trade liberalisation on women as workers, and what workers themselves can do. It breaks down ‘the big picture’ of the regulatory framework of world trade and the specific ways in which it affects women as workers. It looks at social clauses and the possibilities for integrating labour standards in trade agreements, and a range of other strategies for promoting the rights of women workers. This is a useful briefing paper for trade unionists and trade union tutors who already have some knowledge of the terms and concepts used in this field - it opens out the key issues and has lots of suggestions for acting on them.

Available from Women Working Worldwide, from whom a list of other publications can also be obtained.

Web-sites

As with any other information source, the web sites listed here vary in terms of language, structure, usefulness for specific issues, and ease of access. They have been selected and reviewed with the key question in mind What might trade union members and educators interested in development issues find useful on this site?

The reviews below are not summaries of the sites - surfers will find far more on them than is commented upon below. The comments are provided as guidance to those trade unionists who want to find out more about international issues and to develop their activism in some way. There is a wealth of information available on international development, and much of it is produced or targeted for specific groups. The purpose of this listing is to help those using the internet to find answers to questions they have as trade unionists do so more quickly and effectively.

www.actionaid.org

Action Aid is a charity that works to overcome the poverty and injustice that causes it, key to which is its work with poor and marginalized groups to help them build their ability to defend their own interests. The Our Priorities link on the website lists education, emergencies, food rights, HIV/AIDS, international aid and peace-building. These priorities provide the sub-sections for other links, including worldwide activities, Take Action and Resources. Action Aid works with a range of community groups at home and overseas. The Take Action link lists local groups, for those wanting to get involved, and also lists local actions that are imaginative and targeted at a wide ranging level of engagement.

www.christian-aid.org

This is the site of a Christian charity that works with poor people in over 60 countries, regardless of religion or race, to improve lives and tackle the causes of poverty and injustice. Its campaigning is often direct and does not mince words - see the Home Page items. The site is easy to use - the Campaigns/Take Action and In-Depth link provide a wealth of information, and opportunities for individuals and groups (including trade unions) to engage.

Tutors may find the Trade Campaign Case Studies easy to use with reps, or the section that deals with how to get local resolutions on trade justice. There are useful sub-sections on how to get involved locally, hints for lobbying MPs, writing letters, and the facility to join an activists web group for exchange of information. More detailed reports, position papers and reports on trade, aid or debt can be accessed too through an In-depth link.

www.commonwealthtuc.org

Commonwealth TUC's functions have been taken over by the ICFTU at www.icftu.org

www.dea.org.uk

This site gives information on how the Development Education Association supports development education programmes in the UK. It has links that detail its approach to work with adults, including community education, higher education, schools and youth work. The site describes its approach to these aspects of its work and contact points for obtaining its twice yearly Global Learning Newsletter, as well as information on training courses for educators. There are no specific references to work with trade unions, but there is a list of Development Education Centres for those interested in joining a group in their local area.

www.dfid.gov.uk

The Dept for International Development (DfID) has a specific remit to promote development and reduce poverty (set out in the 2002 International Development Act). The web site provides news and updates on topical issues and projects, and a facility to subscribe to the free quarterly magazine Developments. There are useful links to Statistics on International Development (e.g. Debt Relief and Aid), and to New Publications (e.g. for strategy papers, consultation documents, briefing papers and more). For more specific information, the Search facility can be used e.g. inserting <trade unions> and selecting sort by date will provide a list of meetings, statements, policy approaches etc affecting trade unions, with most recent first.

www.ei-ie.org

The site of Education International - the Global Union Federation for the education sector. UK affiliates can be found through the About link, which also details structure, policy and partnership of EI. The site also has the latest international News on campaigns, events and topical issues, plus a section on Trade Union and Human Rights. Its quarterly journal Education International and other publications can be ordered online, and the Resources section provides resolutions, speeches and international campaign details that will be of value to UK activists.

www.ethicaltrade.org

This site will be of interest to both reps and trade union tutors. The Ethical Trading Initiative involves companies, NGOs and trade unions in working together to identify and promote ethical trading. It has examples of joint work in promoting and implementing Labour Codes of Practice, ethical sourcing and other initiatives. A list of existing members can be accessed, and there’s information on how new members can join.

www.gftu.org.uk

The General Federation of Trade Unions (GFTU) offers research and education services to its affiliates, the list of which can be checked on this site. It is a small site, but the Education link lists courses for its member ‘specialist’ unions and these include short courses on Child Labour and International Issues.

www.global-unions.org

The site lists the members of Global Unions and provides news on its campaigns. More detailed information for individual sectors can be found on member Global Union Federation sites, to which Global Unions provides links.

www.icem.org

The site of the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers’ Federation is clearly structured, with links that are not overwhelming in number, and contain what their title suggests. These cover ICEM Basics (good summary statement on what ICEM does), Action (for examples global agreements, sector/company networks and campaigns), Media (lists resources and publications), Links (some excellent links to affiliates, e.g. Ditsela in S. Africa), Resources (contains e.g. useable labour cartoons), plus ICEM Events and News. UK affiliates include AEEU, CATU, EMA, GMB, GPMU, MSF, TGWU, and USDAW.

www.icftu.org

The International Confederation of Trade Unions brings together the work of 221 National Trade Union Centres. As might be expected, its web site is packed full of useful information for trade unionists. Its home page is especially busy, and those unsure of which link to follow may be well advised to go to Site Map first as this lists the pages available.

Trade Union tutors will find the links to Multinational Enterprises, List of Framework Agreements and Trade and Labour Standards particularly useful in working with reps.

A Trade Union Guide to Globalisation can also be accessed/ordered on-line, as can articles from the ICFTU publication Trade Union World. Whether your interest is in Health and Safety, Equality, Organising or Basic Skills, there is lots here to warrant adding this to the list of Favourites for regular return visits.

www.ictur.labournet.org

The web site of the International Centre for Trade Union Rights is quite small. It has an About section and some of the latest News items from Labourstart. The Global Workplace (produced in conjunction with War on Want) can be ordered free here. Articles from its journal International Union Rights can also be accessed and subscribed to online.

www.ifbww.org

The site of the International Federation of Building and Wood Workers, whose UK affiliates include UCATT, TGWU and GMB-CFTA. This is a relatively small site, but there is information on IFBWW policies, activities, publications and affiliates. The links are easy to use e.g. the Policies link provides a strategic plan overview, with hyperlinks to actions taken on them. There is also a log-on facility for members.

www.ifj.org

The site of the International Federation of Journalists provides information on its history, IFJ Projects and Working Programmes around the world (these have information on the areas of Women’s Rights, Children’s Rights, Racism and the Media) and news items relevant to trade unionists in journalism. There is much here of specific interest to journalists interested in international activism, but little that specifically deals with issues of globalisation and development.

www.ilo.org

This is the site of the tripartite International Labour Organisation (ILO), at which the TUC represents the interests of British workers. Resources on development issues frequently quote the ILO labour standards, and these are listed on the site, together with a list of those countries that have ratified them.

The ILO magazine World of Work can be accessed online, and copies of its well-known journal International Labour Review can be ordered. There is also up to date information on World Summits, Assemblies and Conferences, as well as ILO Databases referring to labour statistics, occupational safety and more. This is a large, photo-rich site, and trade unionists are advised to keep clearly in mind what they want from the site, so as not to become overwhelmed by the volume of information on offer, and the time it may take to get it.

www.imfmetal.org

An easy to use web site for union affiliates in the steel, non-ferrous metals and ore mining, mechanical engineering, shipbuilding, automobile, aerospace, electrical and electronics industries. It is easy to use, has a good About section and Union Women link that provides updates and a useful Snapshots link to articles on the experiences of women trade unionists in different countries. The Publications link provides access to a range of materials - from Codes of Conduct agreed in specific MNCs to trade union responses to enterprise restructuring and reports on the international impact of proposed free trade areas.

www.itf.org.uk

The International Transport Federation (ITF) site is user friendly, with easy to identify links to news and information on its specialist sectors and sub-sections. There’s up to date news on the constituent sectors, resolutions and reports of its Congress, and information on campaigns. Publications (including videos) are listed clearly, and available on-line or to order, as is the quarterly magazine Transport International.

www.itglwf.org

The International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers’ Federation site is easy to use and has a wealth of information that both reps and Tutors will find useful. It has the usual About, News and Affiliates Only links, supplemented by topic specific links that have a common structure, enabling the user to access the related Federation Agenda for Action, publications, press release, news items and resources.

The links include MNCs, Free Trade Zones, Linking Trade and Worker Rights, Homeworking, Women’s Issues, Wages and Working Conditions, Eliminating Child Labour, Health & Safety, and Organising and Defending Workers’ Rights. This last then provides information on basic trade union rights, how to report a violation, the importance of organising and the Federation position statement. The Health & Safety section has the facility to order a video entitled The Thread of Life, and provides a good link to a web site of the same name, which promises to answer all health & safety questions from trade unionists in the sector.

www.iuf.org

The website of the global union federation for food, agriculture, hotel, restaurant, catering, tobacco and beverages sectors. The site lists its affiliates worldwide and is available in 6 different languages. There are links to regional offices, urgent actions, viewpoints and editorials on topical issues and a News and Information link relevant to general membership. For more specific news and items, a sector or company search can be selected. The number of items varies considerably between companies, but there is a facility for Members Only to log on, and for whom a larger selection of items is available. UK members (AMICUS, BFAWU, GMB, TGWU, USDAW) can apply to their national HQ, or national secretaries for IUF sectors, to obtain log-ins.

www.labourstart.org

This is an invaluable site for all trade unionists. It provides up-to-date information on the trade union movement around the world. It has a facility for single country searches, and links to online forums, campaigns, subscription to weekly mailings, plus guidance on how to set up and maintain a website. For trade union educators this is a rich source of items for background information and potential case studies, using current or archived articles.

www.lsi.org.uk

A small website that has not been updated for some time, and therefore doesn’t fully reflect the work that Labour and Society International does. The site does list its aims and principles, and gives some examples of work it has carried out with British and international trade union movements. Items posted on the Latest News and Publications list had not been updated for 6 months or a year. For more up-to-date information, a call or e-mail to their Bolton office (see details under Organisations) would tell you more about current work. Lsi also sponsors the very useful (and bang up-to-date) LabourStart website, listed separately.

www.newint.org

The co-operative that publishes the monthly magazine New Internationalist has a large website that includes on-line copies of the magazine, links to action groups created to work on the issues it publicises, and to its publications on world development. Information also extends to reviews of books, music and theatre that deal with developing world issues, as well as using calendars and cook books to spread information and generate interest.

The focus of the site is world development, and because this always involves what ordinary people can do to improve their lives, trade unions are a frequent theme of individual articles. Monthly issues such as Poverty, Aid and Activism, Transnationals, Bread and Roses. The trade union revival. can be viewed and subscribed to online.

It is worth taking time to follow through the links, or use the search facility for specific items. A valuable research site for both trade union educators and members.

www.oneworldaction.org

The homepage of this NGO opens with a few simple words that will find sympathy with trade unionists. The words Democracy, Justice, Human Rights and Gender Equity provide some of the simple, uncluttered links that make navigating this site a stress free exercise. One World Action partners include a range of workers’ groups and there’s information on development news and events for those wishing to find out more or get involved.

www.oxfam.org.uk

The web-site of the charity Oxfam offers everything from News, to Take Action and Shop. There is no specific link here to work with trade unions, but the site does offer information trade unionists may find useful. There is a link to the Make Trade Fair site, that is action focussed, but also has background papers, reports and the debates on trade. There’s a Get Involved link with activities to appeal to a range of levels of time/commitment, and a Publications section with books, journals and even reading for the kids.

www.tgwu.org.uk

The TGWU web site has a link (bottom right hand corner of the home page) Education in International Development, that (Nov 2002) is in the process of providing materials for educational use. These are provided with a view to raising awareness and understanding of the processes of international development and to ensuring that an international perspective is integrated into all TGWU educational programmes.

The activities, support materials and Tutor Notes are targeted at Food and Agriculture, Textiles and Garments, Oil and Chemicals, and the Transport sectors, but may be similarly adapted for use with other union groups. At Nov 2002 the Tutor Notes, and sector specific adaptation of some of the materials was still in progress.

www.tuc.org.uk

The Trades Union Congress (TUC) site has a broad range of information - specific links to International and Globalisation can be selected from the search drop-down menu on the Home Page. The International link provides recent news and statements, further links to TUC Aid, Human Rights work and information on MNCs. The Globalisation link has examples of trade union policy positions, priorities and actions, as well as resources, including access to a Power Point presentation on globalisation.

www.union-network.org

Union Network International was formed from a merger of FIET, MEI, IGF and CI. The web site is a difficult one to navigate and there did not seem to be a list of UK affiliates for the sectors covered (includes Casino, Commerce, Electrical, Finance, Graphical, Hair and Beauty, Postal, Tourism and others). There is a lot on this site, and lots of value to reps and tutors, including a specific health and safety section - if your technology can engage with the sensitive links.

www.waronwant.org

The website of War on Want which was founded by Victor Gollancz (who founded the Left Book Club in the 1930s) and Harold Wilson in 1951 to fight the war against poverty. It is an easy site to use - there are a small number of links, and these have drop down menus so that you can review what’s in them before making a connection. The Projects link is particularly useful for both Tutors and reps. It has a series of sub-sections e.g. Factories and Sweatshops, Gender Inequality, that provide an overview of the issue, with further links to specific Projects, e.g. union campaigns in defending workers’ rights. The Country Profiles link is well worth a visit - it gives the background political/social/economic sketch that is needed to better understand the context for specific campaigns and activities.

www.world-psi.org

The web site of Public Services International, whose affiliates include AMICUS-AEEU-MSF, AFDCS, FBU, GMB, PROSPECT, TGWU and UNISON. It has a clear list of easy to follow links. The Affiliates link offers not just a list, but the facility to connect to the web sites of public services unions in other countries. The Resources link is especially valuable for both reps and tutors, offering a wide range of policy papers and publications, most of which are available online. These range through a range of formats - from straightforward briefings on The roots of privatisation to the comic format dealing with globalisation We Can Do It! Putting Globalisation on the Union Agenda - reviewed above.

Organisations

Development Education Association (DEA) 29-31 Corsham St, London N1 6DR tel 020 7490 8108 e-mail dea@dea.org.uk web www.dea.org.uk

Commonwealth Trade Union Council (CTUC) Congress House, Great Russell St, London WC1B 3LS tel 020 7467 1301 e-mail director@commonwealthtuc.org web www.commonwealthtuc.org

Department for International Development (DfID) 1 Palace St, London SW1E 5HE tel 0845 300 4100 e-mail enquiry@dfid.gov.uk web www.dfid.gov.uk

Education International , International Trade Union House, Bd du Roi Albert II, 5 B-1210 Brussels, Belgium tel 00 322 224 0611 e-mail educint@ei-ie.org web www.ei-ie.org

European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), International Trade Union House, Bd du Roi Albert II, 5, B-1210 Brussels, Belgium tel 00 322 224 0411 e-mail etuc@etuc.org web www.etuc.org

International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), International Trade Union House, Bd du Roi Albert II, 5, B-1210 Brussels, Belgium tel 00 322 224 0211 e-mail internetpo@icftu.org web www.icftu.org

International Federation of Building and Woodworkers (IFBWW), 54 Route des Acacias, PO Box 1412, CH 1227 Carouge-Geneva, Switzerland tel 00 4122 8273777 e-mail info@ifbww@geo2.poptel.org.uk web www.ifbww.org

International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers’ Unions (ICEM), 109 avenue Emile de Béco , B-1050 Brussels, Belgium tel 00 322 626 2020 e-mail icem@geo2.poptel.org.uk web www.icem.org

International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), Rue Royale 266, B-1210 Brussels, Belgium tel 00 322 223 2265 e-mail ifj@pophost.eunet.be web www.ifj.org

International Labour Organisation (ILO), ILO London Office, Millbank Towers, 21-24 Millbank, London SW1P 4QP tel 020 7828 6401 e-mail london@ilo-london.org.uk web www.ilo.org

International Metalworkers’ Federation (IMF), Route des Acacias 54 bis, Case Postale 1516, CH-1227 Carouge-Geneva, Switzerland tel 00 4122 308 5050 e-mail info@imfmetal.org web www.imfmetal.org

International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers’ Federation ((ITGLWF), 8 Rue Joseph Stevens, (Bte 4), B-1000 Brussels, Belgium tel 00 322 512 2606/ 512 2833 e-mail itglwf@compuserve.com web www.itglwf.org

International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), 49-60 Borough Rd, London SE1 1DS tel 020 7403 2733 e-mail info@itf.org.uk web www.itf.org.uk

International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations (IUF), Rampe du Pont Rouge, 8, CH1213 Petit Lancy, Switzerland tel 00 4122 7932233/37 e-mail iuf@iuf.org web www.iuf.org.uk

Irish Congress of Trade Unions , 32 Parnell Sq, Dublin 1 tel +353(01) 889 7746 e-mail david.joyce@ictu.ie web www.ictu.ie

Labour and Society International , Projects Office, Commerce House, Bridgeman Place, Bolton BL2 1DW e-mail info@lsi.org.uk web www.lsi.org.uk

Public Services International (PSI), Centre d’Aumard, 45 avenue Voltaire, F01211 Ferney-Voltaire, France tel 00 33450 406464 e-mail psi@world-psi.org web www.world-psi.org

UNI (Union Network International), Avenue Reverdi, 8-10, CH-1260 Nyon, Switzerland tel 00 4122 365 2162 e-mail contact@union-network.org web www.union-network.org

Universal Alliance of Diamond Workers (UADW), Langekievitstraat, 57 - Bus 1, B-2018 Antwerp, Belgium tel 00 323 232 4860

War on Want , 37-39 Great Guildford St, London SE1 0ES tel 020 7620 1111 e-mail mailroom@waronwant.org web www.waronwant.org

Women Working Worldwide , Rm 412 MMU Manton Building,Rosamund St West, Manchester M15 6LL tel 0161 247 1760 e-mail women-ww@mcr1.poptel.org.uk

For further information or comments on this Digest please contact Liz Rees, TUC National Education & Training Officer tel 020 7467 1240 email lrees@tuc.org.uk or Jackie Williams, TUC Education & Training Officer tel 020 7467 1253 email jwilliams@tuc.org.uk