xi
sigtur congress
buenos aires, argentina
2018 april 3rd to 5th
The opening
session of the Congress was held on 3rd April 2018 at 3 PM. Leaders of the delegations of each country
made a brief address in opening session. On behalf of India, Com. Pradip Biswas
addressed. The delegate session of the Congress commenced on 4th April at 10
AM. In the begining, “country reports”
were presented by the laders of each delegation. Com: Pradip Biswas, leader of Indian
delegation presented the country report of India. In the brief report about Indian situation,
the slow down of the economy, unemployment, job loss, decline in real income,
price rise of essential commodities, agricultural crisis, widening disparity
between rich and poor, privatiation of public sector undertakings and
Government departments, Labour reforms, attack on social security, large scale
outsourcing and contractorisation etc. are explained. The united resistance of
the Trade Union movement against the neo-liberal policies including seventeen
All India Strikes, the three days maha dharna with the participation of lakhs
of workers which stormed the capital city, New Delhi, country-wide struggle of
the farmers with special mention of Mumbai March was also reported.
After the
presentation of country reports, a presentation on global campaign on
Asbestoes-free world was made by the Australian delegation with power-point
presentation explaining the ill-effects of Asbestoes and demanding complete ban
on use of Asbestoes in all countries. A
resolution was also adopted in the Congress extending the full support of the
SIGTUR for the campaign against asbestoes and for an Asbestoes free world.
In the
afternoon session, the CTA - Autonomous and the representative of Labour
Ministry of Argentina, made a presentation on the subject - “G-20 in Argentina:
Perspective and Challenges. The agenda
of the Argentina Presidency and the Labour 20 role”. The paper presented in the session on this
topic stated as follows:
“One decade
after the last big crisis of contemporary capitalism, it seems the leadership
of the G-20 in the international system could barely guarantee a relative
stabilisation of the financial system, but could not achieve substantial
changes in order to improve workers lives.
We now-a-days assist to a context of wealth concentration and growing
inequality even in the advanced economies.
G20 proposals in favour of “Structural reforms” actually mean a direct
attack to worker’s rights, disintegration of collective negotiation, increase
in working hours-labour flexibility and hostility towards Trade Unions.
G-20 is both a
challenge and an opportunity: trade
unions have the chance for presenting their agenda and promote global policies
with real effectiveness for workers welfare.
We also must select the best strategies to work together in this context
of technological change and social relations transformation. The G-20 events in Buenos Aires constitute a
historical opportunity to think on new alternatives against Neo-liberalism that
goes on concentrating wealth and marginalizing the people”.
The SIGTUR
Congress also adopted a resolution to organise massive rally of workers at Buenos
Aires during the G-20 sumit protesting against the neo-liberal policies.
The concluding
session of the 2nd day was presentation of the futures Commission booklet
“Challenging Corporate Capital: Creating an Alternative to
Neo-liberalism”. The Futures Commission
report was based on the key issues identified by the 2013 SIGTUR
Conference. The contents of the booklet
included Alternative to neo-liberalism, Labour and Tax justice. From free trade to fair trade,
Democracy-driven public sector transformation, Alternative Conceptions for a
“just transition” from fossile fuel capitalism and movement of the
dispossessed. The presentation of the
Future’s Commission booklet was made by Robert O’Brien of Canada.
The third day
of the Congress mainly devoted to panel presentation and discussions. Three countries were included in each panel
and one to chair the session. The first
panel presentation was on the subject - “Reduction of working hour without
income or rights reduction”. The need
for reorganisation of Trade Unions according to global value chains and the
role of the SIGTUR was also discussed. On behalf of Indian delegation Com:
Sreekanth Misra participated in the discussion.
The second
panel discussion was on the subject - “Universal Basic Income”. On behalf of Indian delegation Com.M.Krishnan
presented the view points for discussion.
In the discussion introduction of maximum income and ideas to tackle
inequality was also focussed.
The third
panel discussion was on the subject - “The impact of 4th Industrial revolution
and the role of labour plays in it”. The
panel discusion was chaired by Com: Pradip Biswas, leader of Indian delegation.
The final
session included building a plan of action for the next years based on a
resolution called SIGTUR XIth Congress resolution and also discussion about
implementation/plan of action based on XI Congress resolutions. The following resolutions are adopted in the
Congress.
1. Common resolution
covering all the main issues discussed in the Congress and Programme of action
for the future.
2. Resolution demanding
immediate release of Com. Lula, Ex-President of Brazil from jail and allowing
him all democratic rights as none of the charges against him are proved.
3. Resolution demanding
immediate release of Korean Trade Union leaders who are imprisoned for
participation in Trade Union activities.
4. Resolution condemning
the fascist, undemocratic Government of Phillipines and demanding restoration
of peoples democratic rights.
5. Resolution on campaign
for Universal ban on Asbestoes.
In the paper
circulated by the organisors of the Congress the main theme of the XI SIGTUR
Congress is summarised as follows:
“Since the
beginning of discussions, the ILO agenda on the future of work has been
dominated by the northern, industrialised countries, in conjunction with
increasing participation from employers group.
There are two main scenarios being debated in this context: a threat to
job creation due to advance of technology; and an increase in labour
flexibility due to changes in the organisational work.
For our
perspective, coordination like SIGTUR should be able to intervene on this
debate and take a stance, from the south, regarding the future of work we
want. This stance should include radical
proposals that strengthen labour and trade union rights, and that place decent
work at the centre of the debate.
For the
upcoming XI Congress, the broad framework for discussion will be based on the
idea of “Another work is possible”. This
title intends to centre debates not on whether there will be work available in
the future, but rather to put forward the kind of society we want to live and
where work will be placed in that society”.
A photo
session was arranged and all the delegates participated in the photo session
with the play-card written “Free Lula”.
The XI SIGTUR
Congress was a serious business and the topics it discussed are of universal
importance. Intellectual and educative
debate took place on each subject affecting the working class. The host organisation, CTA - Autonomous made
excellent arrangements for the accommodation, food, transportation and
conference halls, cultural programme etc.
No doubt the XI SIGTUR Congress will be a milestone in the struggle of
the working class against the neo-liberal globalisastion policies and also for
the protection of trade union rights.
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