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Trade Unions As Actors of Development Education and Awareness Raising for Global Solidarity © TUDCN 2016 8

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Trade Unions As Actors of Development Education and Awareness Raising for Global Solidarity © TUDCN 2016 8 The involvement of trade unions in development cooperation has been going on for many decades and is now recog- nised and increasingly known, but it is only recently that trade unions have been acknowledged as actors in develop- Trade unions as actors of development education ment in their own right. A less known façade of trade union work is that of Development Education and Awareness Raising (DEAR). and awareness raising for global solidarity Workers’ education has been at the core of trade union efforts since their creation, and awareness raising has always been one of the key actions of trade unions in the form of organising, campaigning, etc. DEAR interventions have therefore been going on for many decades within trade unions, in the context of international solidarity actions with colonised peoples, against dictatorships and against apartheid, among others. This work has been evolving towards more elaborate forms of DEAR actions and programmes that show a great expertise on the part of trade unions on the subject. Trade unions understand DEAR to be a form of engagement with citizens and workers in order to educate and raise awareness of the realities in partner countries, and to put forward common responses to common problems, through increased international solidarity. Trade Union Development Cooperation Network c/o International Trade Union Confederation Boulevard du Roi Albert II, 5, Bte 1, 1210 Brussels, Belgium [email protected] - www.ituc-csi.org/development-cooperation Twitter: @TUDCN_RSCD - Facebook: /TUDCN.RSCD This document has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. The contents of this document are the sole responsibility of the ITUC and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union. CONTENTS Foreword 3 The Trade Union Development Cooperation Network (TUDCN) 4 Representativeness and outreach of trade unions in DEAR 5 Decent work at the core of trade union DEAR work 6 The role of trade unions in DEAR with respect to Agenda 2030 7 AREAS OF DEAR ACTION FOR TRADE UNIONS 8 1. Decent Work and the Decent Work Agenda 8 2. Global value chains 10 3. Climate justice 12 4. Migration and development 13 5. Global solidarity and awareness 14 6. Modern slavery and forced labour 16 7. Outreach tools to the broader labour movement 18 Trade unions as actors of development education and awareness raising for global solidarity © TUDCN 2016 8. Development education at school 22 Written and edited by Diego López González and Joan Lanfranco, TUDCN-ITUC TUDCN members involved in DEAR activities 26 Proofreading: Michael Balfe, ITUC Design: MURIEL sprl 2 FOREWORD Workers’ education has been at the core of trade union efforts since their creation, and awareness raising has always been one of the key actions of trade unions in the form of organising, campaigning, etc. DEAR interventions have therefore been going on for many decades within trade unions, in the context of international solidarity actions ranging from advocating labour rights across the world to uniting workers, but also promoting public mobilisation on political causes, such as dictatorships and the South African apartheid, among others. This work has been evolving towards more elaborate forms of DEAR actions and programmes showing deep commitment from trade unions in the subject. Trade unions understand DEAR to be a form of engagement to increase Trade unions understand DEAR to be a form of engagement to increase in- international solidarity ternational solidarity. Unions educate and raise awareness vis-à-vis citizens and workers on the realities in developing countries to put forward common responses to common problems. This leaflet puts forward the role and added value that trade unions have in DEAR as well as the different areas of expertise, showcasing specific examples for each area. Paola Simonetti Coordinator, TUDCN 3 THE TRADE UNION Unions and workers’ organisations, as mem- The Trade Union Development Cooperation DEVELOPMENT bership-based organisations that cut across Network (TUDCN) is an initiative of the Inter- COOPERatION gender, ethnic, and religious lines, help coun- national Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), NETWORK (TUDCN) ter economic and social exclusion and fiscal bringing together affiliated trade union -or injustice by providing a vehicle for vulner- ganisations, solidarity support organisations, able workers, including women, informal, mi- regional ITUC organisations, the Global Union >> Trade unions are among the strong- grant, and domestic workers, to advocate on Federations (GUFs), the European Trade Union est actors in development cooperation to their own behalf. Confederation (ETUC) and the Trade Union help bring the world’s people out of pov- Advisory Committee to the OECD (TUAC). erty, to end inequality, and to foment, Workers’ organisations proactively build build, and sustain democracy. Through unity and common cause among workers TUDCN’s objective is to bring the trade un- negotiation and bargaining on issues in- as they negotiate agreements that ion perspective to the international devel- cluding health and safety regulations, social address the diverse needs of opment policy debates and improve protection, wages, protection against dis- the workforce that makes the coordination and effectiveness crimination, unions directly fight inequali- up their membership. of trade union development co- ties helping redistribution. Through social dia- operation activities. TUDCN gives an added logue, trade unions value to DEAR, bringing help in fostering together trade unions Global networks, such as the socio-economic de- from the Global North TUDCN, which coordinate and velopment, as well and Global South manage synergies in advocacy as, democratic own- and mutual learning, have a spe- ership and participa- cial added value in DEAR work, es- tion. Further, as an organ- pecially as they involve actors from the ised part of civil society that Global North and from the Global South for enables workers to collectively participate peer exchanges and common actions. in public governance, unions help open space for other civil society organisations to To know more about TUDCN, visit operate and thrive. www.ituc-csi.org/development-cooperation 4 REPRESENtatIVENESS Trade unions are representative organi- ment in global solidarity AND OutREacH sations and put forward DEAR issues at among workers from the Trade unions are OF TRADE UNIONS the workplace. This gives trade unions a EU and from partner involved in international IN DEAR unique role. Given the presence of unions countries contributes solidarity among at the workplace, they can carry out a very to developing a com- workers worldwide unique role in awareness raising. On the one mon sense of global and promote global >> Trade unions are membership-based hand the everyday link with workers gives responsibility for de- responsibility for organisations that can reach out them a specific role that cannot be rep- velopment and to pro- development to millions of affiliated work- licated by other organisations. On moting the integration of ing people. The European Trade unions are the other hand, their participa- global perspectives. This is put Trade Union Confederation representative tion in workers’ councils and forward in their interlocution role in interna- (ETUC) in Europe has 88 af- organisations and put dialogue structures at the tional fora where they advocate for the rights filiated national organisa- forward DEAR issues at workplace create an environ- of workers and for a just and sustainable world. tions in 37 countries. The the workplace ment in which they can bring International Trade Union development-related issues to These international fora include amongst others: The Confederation (ITUC) has the forefront. This type of public is United Nations, the Organisation for Economic Coopera- 328 affiliated national organisa- one which is not usually targeted by oth- tion and Development, the European Union, the G20, tions in 162 countries worldwide and er civil society organisations and is therefore the World Trade Organisation, the World Bank, the In- a total membership of 176 million workers. usually not directly acquainted with ternational Monetary Fund, etc. This makes trade unions one of the largest development work. and most representative of civil society or- Their diversity in size, influence, ganisations. As such they can reach millions Trade unions are in- Trade unions are experience and relations (with of affiliates in Europe and worldwide through volved in internation- membership-based governments and other stake- internal communication channels. al solidarity among organisations that holders) from country to coun- workers worldwide can reach out to millions try make the DEAR approach The strong outreach of trade unions is not and promote global of affiliated to peer learning especially only due to their membership, but also to responsibility for de- working people significant for the trade union the very nature of trade union work. velopment. Their involve- movement. 5 DECENT WORK at International Framework Agreements are THE CORE OF TRADE formal agreements between multinational UNION DEAR WORK enterprises and international trade union or- ganisations. They are negotiated agreements and their content can vary around regulating >> Decent work is one of the key global labour relations. They involve the issues at the core of trade union DEAR recognition by a company work. The decent work agenda is composed of an international
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