Organizing in the Era of Organizing in the Era of GlobalizationGlobalization

Issues and StrategiesIssues and Strategies

Arun Kumar, Actrav-ILO-TurinArun Kumar, Actrav-ILO-Turin

Changing World of WorkChanging World of Work Globalization, Economic Liberalisation, Globalization, Economic Liberalisation,

Privatisation & ‘withdrawal of State’ is Privatisation & ‘withdrawal of State’ is changing the world of workchanging the world of work

More competition = more pressure on More competition = more pressure on industries to reduce costs – industries to reduce costs – leading to: leading to: Downsizing, increasing workload, insecurity of Downsizing, increasing workload, insecurity of employment, preference for casual-contract employment, preference for casual-contract labour, Outsourcing labour, Outsourcing

Shift from Manufacturing to Services – from Shift from Manufacturing to Services – from blue collar to white to ‘no collar’ workers – blue collar to white to ‘no collar’ workers – nature of employment from ‘appointment’ to nature of employment from ‘appointment’ to ‘assignment’‘assignment’

Changing World of WorkChanging World of Work

Labour law reforms (employment Labour law reforms (employment flexibility)flexibility)

‘‘Unorganizing’ the Organised & growing Unorganizing’ the Organised & growing informal economyinformal economy

Weakening of TUs thru new Human Weakening of TUs thru new Human Resource (HR) policiesResource (HR) policies

Union Densities (Trends)Union Densities (Trends)

USUS JapanJapan EUEU

19701970 23.523.5 35.135.1 32.032.0

19801980 19.519.5 31.131.1 34.934.9

19901990 15.515.5 25.425.4 31.231.2

19951995 14.314.3 24.024.0 30.430.4

20002000 12.812.8 21.521.5 27.327.3

20032003 12.412.4 19.719.7 26.326.3

Source: Jelle Visser, “Union Membership Statistics in 24 Countries”, Monthly Labour Review, January 2006.

State of Unionization State of Unionization Union memberships are down,Union memberships are down,

memberships range from 3% - 19%; memberships range from 3% - 19%;

Unionisation lowest in agriculture & informal Unionisation lowest in agriculture & informal economy dominated countries & declining in economy dominated countries & declining in most countries; most countries;

Except – Sweden (81%), Finland (76%), Except – Sweden (81%), Finland (76%), Denmark (74%)Denmark (74%)

Labour laws not favourable for Labour laws not favourable for organizing organizing

So, How do trade unions Organize?So, How do trade unions Organize?

No ready made solutions, no single model;No ready made solutions, no single model; Strategies will depend on –Strategies will depend on – Country legal framework (what rights exist?)Country legal framework (what rights exist?) Type of industry and state of the industryType of industry and state of the industry Nature of employment, types of workers (self Nature of employment, types of workers (self

employed/wage employed/home based/ employed/wage employed/home based/ contract/etccontract/etc

Union resources (financial, material & people)Union resources (financial, material & people) Image and status of the TUsImage and status of the TUs What else ?What else ?

Facing the Organizing ChallengeFacing the Organizing Challenge

Broadly Speaking, TU Actions need to Broadly Speaking, TU Actions need to be taken at two levels - be taken at two levels -

Macro policy level – to create enabling Macro policy level – to create enabling environment for organizingenvironment for organizing

In the field, at workplace – to promote In the field, at workplace – to promote

organizing organizing

Macro level ActionsMacro level Actions

TU movement needs campaigns at national TU movement needs campaigns at national level on issues such as –level on issues such as –

Labour law reforms to ensure the Right to Labour law reforms to ensure the Right to Organise, to Union Recognition, for Collective Organise, to Union Recognition, for Collective Bargaining Rights (ILO Conventions 87 & 98)Bargaining Rights (ILO Conventions 87 & 98)

Tripartism–Right to be represented in the Tripartism–Right to be represented in the decision making bodies at Govt leveldecision making bodies at Govt level

Macro level ActionsMacro level Actions

Campaign for domestic ‘social clause’ Campaign for domestic ‘social clause’ (Companies using public funds/ (Companies using public funds/ subsidies/national resources to respect subsidies/national resources to respect workers rights) workers rights)

Partnerships with other social organizations/ Partnerships with other social organizations/ linking workers movement with otherslinking workers movement with others

What else does Unions need to do?What else does Unions need to do?

Organizing Actions at WorkplaceOrganizing Actions at Workplace

Questions to be consideredQuestions to be considered Why should a worker join the union? What can Why should a worker join the union? What can

union give them in this age of flexible union give them in this age of flexible employment?employment?

Where is our power in a market economy? – in Where is our power in a market economy? – in numbers or ?numbers or ?

How have we been organizing so far?How have we been organizing so far? What new strategies can we develop for What new strategies can we develop for

organizing and strengthening TUs?organizing and strengthening TUs?

Organizing ModelsOrganizing ModelsServicing ModelServicing Model

Union/union officials provide collective & individual Union/union officials provide collective & individual services to members;services to members;

Members dependent on the Union & its Office Members dependent on the Union & its Office bearers to provide what they require. bearers to provide what they require.

Unions’ officials control union resources, strategies, Unions’ officials control union resources, strategies, interests & develop union tactics interests & develop union tactics

NOT MUCH INVOLVEMENT OF MEMBERSHIP IN TU NOT MUCH INVOLVEMENT OF MEMBERSHIP IN TU ACTIVITIES ACTIVITIES

Organizing ModelsOrganizing Models

Organizing ModelOrganizing Model Implies not just an approach to organizing but also Implies not just an approach to organizing but also

a vision of union purpose & form. a vision of union purpose & form.

Workers active participants rather than passive Workers active participants rather than passive consumers, consumers,

Instead of just solving problems, union fosters Instead of just solving problems, union fosters activism, leadership & organization amongst activism, leadership & organization amongst workers – seeks to empower workers to solve their workers – seeks to empower workers to solve their problems thru union problems thru union

Organizing ModelsOrganizing Models

Organizing Model Requires - Organizing Model Requires -

Organizing activities, led by lead organizers Organizing activities, led by lead organizers who motivate activism & self-help among who motivate activism & self-help among workers;workers;

Education, research or communication Education, research or communication activities;activities;

Develop campaigns, alliances & use Develop campaigns, alliances & use members to support external organizingmembers to support external organizing

Organizing Workers in Organizing Workers in the Economythe Economy

Some ideasSome ideas

Organizing StrategiesOrganizing Strategies1.1. TUTU resources limited - We cannot go out & resources limited - We cannot go out &

organize each & every worker. organize each & every worker. SO, can we SO, can we then think of a way to make workers then think of a way to make workers come to us?come to us?

2.2. NNeed to go beyond collective bargaining – eed to go beyond collective bargaining – into social welfare services – into social welfare services – llinking with inking with govt programmes for providing access to govt programmes for providing access to workers for social welfare programmesworkers for social welfare programmes

Organizing StrategiesOrganizing Strategies

3.3. UUsing group insurance schemes to provide sing group insurance schemes to provide social protection - health care, life insurance social protection - health care, life insurance

4.4. OOrganizing thru thrift, credit and social rganizing thru thrift, credit and social welfare services (SEWA)welfare services (SEWA)

5.5. OOrganizing not at workplace but at workers rganizing not at workplace but at workers living areasliving areas

6.6. What new services can TUs provide?What new services can TUs provide?

Organizing StrategiesOrganizing Strategies7.7. LLeveraging power of the ‘organised’- Eg. everaging power of the ‘organised’- Eg.

Railway unions extending their reach to Railway unions extending their reach to hawkers, coolies, contractors workers, etchawkers, coolies, contractors workers, etc

8.8. MMulti-union organizing – number of unions ulti-union organizing – number of unions coordinating efforts to target a large coordinating efforts to target a large establishment or number of small employers establishment or number of small employers in the same industryin the same industry

9.9. UUse of IT to target workers in Call centres, se of IT to target workers in Call centres, home workers, tele-workers, etchome workers, tele-workers, etc

10.10. UUse of company financial information – for se of company financial information – for organizingorganizing

11.11. SStock ownership as a tool to assert workers tock ownership as a tool to assert workers rightsrights

Organizing StrategiesOrganizing Strategies

For MNCs and those companies with For MNCs and those companies with Export interests in OECD countries – Export interests in OECD countries – companies that are susceptible to companies that are susceptible to consumer power – build links with consumer power – build links with international TUs (GUFs), NGOs and international TUs (GUFs), NGOs and consumer movement.consumer movement.

Role of international labour solidarity Role of international labour solidarity and IFAsand IFAs

Organizing Migrant WorkersOrganizing Migrant WorkersSuggested StrategiesSuggested Strategies

Advocate for universal labour rights – abolish Advocate for universal labour rights – abolish distinctions for temporary workers (delinking distinctions for temporary workers (delinking workers rights from nationality/citizenship)workers rights from nationality/citizenship)

Working at community level, Self-help groups Working at community level, Self-help groups – building leadership among migrants– building leadership among migrants

Needs of Migrant workers? Set up Welfare & Needs of Migrant workers? Set up Welfare & Service centres– health care & workers rights Service centres– health care & workers rights services – help linesservices – help lines

TU Education and Rights Awareness ActivitiesTU Education and Rights Awareness Activities

Organizing thru SHGs & CooperativesOrganizing thru SHGs & Cooperatives

relevant for informal economy workers, self relevant for informal economy workers, self employed and home based workers.employed and home based workers.

builds workers own leadership and self builds workers own leadership and self reliance; brings in new activists into the labour reliance; brings in new activists into the labour movement, movement,

successfully used by the NGOs but not trade successfully used by the NGOs but not trade unions.unions.

Organizing StrategiesOrganizing Strategies

UUsing Workers Capital to promote Union sing Workers Capital to promote Union Rights and other labour standardsRights and other labour standards

– – Labour Social Clause in the Investment Labour Social Clause in the Investment PatternPattern

- Need to think beyond Rate of Interest.- Need to think beyond Rate of Interest.

Organizing StrategiesOrganizing Strategies

Adopt & advocate policies Adopt & advocate policies that will that will apply to all workersapply to all workers and prevent further and prevent further divisions of the workers in the labour divisions of the workers in the labour market – that is, put all workers in one market – that is, put all workers in one boat. boat.

And – what else can TUs do ???And – what else can TUs do ???