Together We Are Stronger

TogeTher we are sTronger A method mAnuAl About trAde union-politicAl cooperAtion auThor mats erikson graphic design lena Öierstedt projecT managemenT laila naraghi and Keth thapper prinTed by modintryckoffset, Stockholm 2011 phoTo mats Wingborg: cover olof palme international center: page 7, 11, 16, 17, 18, 19, 22, 29, 31, 43 Social democratic party: page 8 (Mikael Bogsjö), 21, 36, 45 lo Sweden: page 8 (Eva Olovsson), 13 (Ann Van Laer) european parliament: page 13 (Giampiero Alhadeff), 25 SAmAK: page 23 ituc: page 27 iF metall: page 34 hrF: page 35 håkan löndahl/lo-tco Secretariat of international trade union development cooperation: page 37 isbn-number 978-91-86317-06-5 Parts of this material were produced with support from Sida, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency. Sida did not participate in its production and the publisher is responsible for the contents. TogeTher we are sTronger A method mAnuAl About trAde union-politicAl cooperAtion Table of conTenTs parT 1 internAtionAl trAde union-politicAl cooperAtion 6 1.1 trade union-political cooperation in Sweden 7 1.2 trade union-political cooperation in other countries 11 1.3 trade union-political cooperation in international development cooperation 19 1.4 Wider arenas 22 1.5 possible questions for global trade union-political cooperation 29 del 2 methodS For internAtionAl trAde union-politicAl cooperAtion 33 2.1 how do we move on from here? 34 2.2 Starting and implementing an international project 37 2.3 rights in focus 43 links 46 recommended reading 47 4 | TogeTher we are sTronger Respect, trust and common values. This is the premise for our trade union- political cooperation in Sweden. Through trade union-political cooperation trade unions influence policy and issues affecting the everyday lives of their members. The party gets support at workplaces, which strengthens its ability to pursue a sound policy and gain the confidence of workers. In Sweden the trade unions were involved in the establishment of the Social Democratic Party, and trade union cooperation with this party is a natural part of the labour movement. It is one of the foundations of the structure of democracy and welfare in our country. When we meet activists and organisations from other countries we are often asked about Swedish trade union-political cooperation. How does it work? What do you do? Do you have any tips? There is great curiosity about the method and the results it has achieved. Many people are inspired by the power that cooperation gives and see the potential for trade union-political cooperation in their own societies. We also see this potential – partly for trade union-political cooperation in other countries, partly for cross-border trade union-political cooperation at regional and global level. Consequently, the Swedish Trade Union Confederation and the Olof Palme Wanja lundby-Wedin International Center have prepared this method manual in support of in- creased international trade union-political cooperation. The method manual describes trade union-political cooperation in Sweden and other countries, and it provides examples of the forms international trade union-political cooperation may take. What can parties and trade union organisations in other countries learn from us? And what can we learn from them? It also gives support to those of you who want to carry out trade union-political work in international development projects. We hope that this method manual will contribute to developing trade union- Jens orback political cooperation the world over. In that way we can strengthen the work for democracy and human rights, both at work and in society as a whole. Wanja Lundby-Wedin Jens Orback President Secretary General The Swedish Trade Union Confederation Olof Palme International Center | 5 part 1 inTernaTional Trade union- poliTical cooperaTion 6 | 1.1 Trade union-poliTical cooperaTion in sweden ” Social democracy and the trade unions are working class in the industrial society of the 19th just two sides of the same large underclass century. They were about reasonable remune- movement”. ration for the work performed and the right to Hjalmar Branting, chairman of the Swedish bargain for it. It was about working hours that Social Democratic Party on the formation of the left some hours over for a life of one’s own, about Swedish Trade Union Confederation (LO) in 1898. financial protection in the event of illness or unemployment and pension when you no longer had the strength to work. Demands that today The first trade union demands in Sweden, as in may seem obvious in Sweden, but at that time other countries, grew from the conditions of the were more or less revolutionary, and still are | 7 in many countries. The first trade unions were on personal commitment, personal activity and based on a vow, a vow that even today constitutes personal membership. However, when collec- the foundation of all trade union work throug- tive affiliation ceased, trade unions were able to hout the world: affiliate themselves with the Social Democratic ”We solemnly vow never to sell our labour at Party locally, without the individual trade union a lower price or under worse conditions than members becoming party members. we have promised each other. We promise each other this in the deepest realisation that if we all keep this promise the employer must pay.” cooperation today In Sweden too, workers’ demands for humane ”Both branches of the labour movement working conditions and the right to organise are inseparable. But they are not identical. were met with violence and repression, both They have different tasks and may from the employers and the government. Trade therefore arrive at different opinions on union activists lost their jobs, were blacklisted, current issues. We have clear separate assaulted and imprisoned. As recently as in 1931, identities”. five strikers were shot dead by the military at a Olof Palme, then Prime Minister and demonstration in Ådalen, Ångermanland. Chairman of the Social Democratic Party, However, the trade union movement grew in at the Swedish Building Workers’ Union strength and spread slowly but surely throug- congress in 1984. hout the country. It soon became clear that the struggle at workplaces was not sufficient to change society. The working class also needed a Today trade union-political cooperation between political voice, a voice that could challenge those LO and the Social Democratic Party is established in power where decisions were made – in parlia- and well-organised. Social Democratic policy and ment. So the trade unions joined together and ideology are part of LO and its affiliates’ trade formed the Swedish Social Democratic Party in union education programmes. Organisationally 1889. Less than a decade later, in 1898, a country- cooperation means that trade unions and the wide organisation for Sweden’s trade unions was party participate in canvassing and other activiti- established, the Swedish Trade Union Confedera- es. The party also receives financial support from tion, LO. LO and its affiliates. LO’s first constitution stipulated that the trade By getting more trade union members active unions affiliated to LO were obliged to join the in the party’s work the LO affiliates try to ensure Social Democratic Party, which two years later that opinions and demands arising at workplaces was changed to an exhortation to join. At the 1909 Congress ”collective affiliation” was intro- eva olovsson mikael bogsjö duced. This made it possible for trade unions to collectively affiliate themselves and thus their members to the party, but with the possibility for individual members to opt out of membership of the party. In 1987 the Social Democratic Party Congress decided to discontinue collective affiliation and replace it with the individual membership that applies today. According to the decision, trade union-political cooperation must be based 8 | pass into the political debate and the decision- LO agrees with the party on all current political making process. An increasingly common way issues. Opinions about the means that should be of organising trade union members politically is used to reach the goals may differ. The organisa- also to establish special Social Democratic work- tions also have separate roles. LO and its affiliates place associations. must represent their members’ interests. The Eva Olovsson, trade union official for LO in Social Democratic Party must represent more central Norrland, relates that trade union-poli- groups than LO members, while at the same time tical cooperation with the Social Democrats is dealing with situations that may arise in different important for the LO District: parliamentary assemblies. ”Cooperation is well-established both regio- LO may carry on a dialogue on various issues nally and locally in our municipalities. We often with others apart from the Social Democrats. attend each other’s courses and we have regular When the Social Democrats are not in Govern- meetings when we discuss current trade union ment it is important, for example, to be able and political issues. At the same time we try to to carry on talks with representatives of other get our members to be more active in politics parties as well to try and influence political by getting more people to join the party and by decisions. However, there is a crucial difference forming trade union Social Democratic associa- between such temporary cooperation on various tions,” says Eva Olovsson. issues and the close ideological and long-term Mikael Bogsjö, Social Democratic Party official cooperation LO has with the Social Democrats. in Södra Älvsborg, in the west of Sweden, has LO-Sweden and the Swedish Social Democrats similar experiences from the point of view of the also have a long history of trade union-political party: cooperation on international issues. Important ”Most of our collaboration is in the municipa- areas for cooperation have, for example, been lities, between our local branches of the Social the struggle against nuclear weapons and for Democratic Party and the trade union branches disarmament, support for the anti colonial mo- of the LO affiliates.

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