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A Trade Union Guide to Globalisation

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A Trade Union Guide to Globalisation Globalisation UK/144 22/03/02 10:37 Page 1 INTERNATIONAL CONFEDERATION OF FREE TRADE UNIONS (ICFTU) DECEMBER 2001 A TRADE UNION GUIDE TO GLOBALISATION International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) 5, Bd. Albert II B - 1210 Brussels Belgium Tel. (32 2) 224.02.11 Telefax (32 2) 201.58.15 E-mail [email protected] Globalisation UK/144 22/03/02 10:37 Page 2 CONTENTS FOREWORD . 6 INTRODUCTION . 8 PART I GLOBALISATION AND SOLIDARITY 1. THE MEANING OF GLOBALISATION . 9 The components of globalisation . 10 • Foreign Direct Investment . 10 • Financial markets . 11 Box: The Global Economic and Financial Crisis . 12 • Deregulation and liberalisation . 12 Box: Social Europe . 13 • Globalisation and the Public Sector . 14 Box: Trade and Investment Agreements and the Public Sector . 15 • Technology . 16 The meaning of globalisation for workers . 17 This guide is also available on 2. THE INTERNATIONAL TRADE UNION STRUCTURE . 19 the ICFTU web-site. Over one hundred years of international trade unionism . 19 Box: The ITF and How it Started . 19 International trade union organisations . 20 This is the address: • Organisations for national centres . 20 Box: Trade Union Relations - National and International . 22 http://www.icftu.org/pubs/globalisation • Organisations for national trade unions . 22 Box: Which is my ITS? . 23 3. SECURING RIGHTS AND SETTING STANDARDS . 24 The universality and indivisibility of trade union rights . 24 Box: ILO Conventions No. 87 and 98 . 24 The term 'International Trade Secretariats' International Labour standards and the ILO . 25 Box: The Principles of the Declaration of Philadelphia . 25 (ITSs), which is used throughout this guide, has • A tripartite organisation . 26 always been a difficult term to understand. Box: ACTRAV . 27 At their General Conference in Prague (January 4. AN INTERNATIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE. 29 2002), a few days before this brochure was Box: The ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work . 29 International financial institutions . 29 printed, the ITS have decided to call themselves Box: The IFBWW Campaign for the Incorporation of Workers’ Rights 'global union federations'. in World Bank Procurement Documents . 30 Workers’ rights in trade and investment agreements . 31 It was, however, too late to change the term ITS Box: WTO Debacle could mark beginning of Globalisation with a Human Face . 32 to 'global union federation' throughout the Box: The General System of Preferences . 33 The national response . 34 text. 5. MULTINATIONAL ENTERPRISES. 35 Box: Multinationals, some Facts and Figures . 35 3 Globalisation UK/144 22/03/02 10:37 Page 4 CONTENTS MNE’s and trade unions . 35 Box: The ICEM and cybercampaings . 70 CONTENTS MNE’s and governments . 36 • Organising campaigns . 71 Box: PSI and water . 37 Box: ITGLWF, Organising EPZ’s in the Dominican Republic . 72 International instruments and codes of conduct . 37 • General campaigns . 73 Box: The revised OECD Guidelines for multinational enterprises . 38 Box: The International Trade Union Campaign Against Child Labour . 73 Box: Global Compact . 39 When to campaign . 75 International industrial relations . 40 How to campaign . 76 • Company councils . 40 Box: UNI Multinational Union Alliances . 41 Box: European Works Councils . 42 APPENDICES • Framework agreements . 43 1. THE INTERNATIONAL TRADE SECRETARIATS Box: The Danone - IUF Agreement . 44 (PRACTICAL INFORMATION). 81 2. OTHER INTERNATIONAL TRADE UNION ORGANISATIONS (PRACTICAL INFORMATION). 99 PART II 3. THE ILO DECLARATION ON FUNDAMENTAL THE INTERNATIONAL DIMENSION PRINCIPLES AND RIGHTS AT WORK AND THE FUNDAMENTAL OF TRADE UNION WORK ILO CONVENTIONS . 102 6. SOLIDARITY, NOT CHARITY. 45 4. AN INTRODUCTION TO THE ILO TRIPARTITE DECLARATION OF Recognising the international dimension . 45 PRINCIPLES CONCERNING MULTINATIONAL ENTERPRISES AND SOCIAL POLICY AND AN INTRODUCTION TO THE OECD GUIDELINES FOR Box: Is there an International Connection? . 45 MULTINATIONAL ENTERPRISES. 127 The first step is to join . 47 Box: MUA Dispute Summary - ITF Campaign against Union Busting 5. THE ICFTU/ITS BASIC CODE OF LABOUR PRACTICE . 129 in the Australian Port Industrie . ..
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