The activities against precarious work of FES in the global south. Franziska Wehinger, FES Berlin

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1 The activities against precarious work of FES in the global south Franziska Wehinger, FES Berlin Alumni Workshop of GLU - Manila

2 FES Activities in the Global South 1. Global Trade Union Project 1. Global 2. Regional (f.i. Project Core Labour Standards plus) 3. National 2. Example from the Philippines Alumni Workshop of GLU - Manila

3 The Global Trade Union Project 1. Global Level Central Planning of activities in Berlin headed by the international TU coordinator (currently Mirko Herberg) Activities are decentralized, they are run in all world regions The annual budget amounted to 1,5 to 2,5 million Euros a year financing projects New: Attempts to link trade union projects with projects on gender-equality and green projects Alumni Workshop of GLU - Manila

4 Major partners The main partners of the FES Global TU Project include: ITUC as the international TU centre The Global Union Federations as international sector unions The Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD (TUAC) The Global Labour University (GLU) Bureau for Workers Activities (ACTRAV) at the ILO in Geneva + International Training Centre (ITC) in Turin Alumni Workshop of GLU - Manila

5 Global Labour University (GLU) Participating universities Management University of Campinas, Brasil Universität Kassel, Germany Tata Institute of Social Sciences, India Steering Committee with ILO, universities, national TU centers, GUFs and FES New Delhi Jawaharlal Nehru University, India University of the Witwatersrand, Südafrika PennState University, USA FES is part of the steering committee and involved in a number of activities, publications and the selection of students for master programmes. Every year FES provides 5 scholarships to students, the FES offices are involved in the selection (see flyer) Alumni Workshop of GLU - Manila

6 International Trade Union Confederation/ITUC Foundation Size HQ General Secretary/ President Rep. in MENA 2006 (historically: ICFTU 1949, WCL 1920) 176 Million workers in 162 countries with 328 national affiliates Brussels B Sharon Burrow (Ge. Sec.) João Felicio (President) Arab Trade Union Confederation (ATUC), Amman Reg. Secretary: Mustapha Tlili Project examples: Climate Justice Labour 20 Count us in Organising young workers German affiliate: DGB Alumni Workshop of GLU - Manila

7 Labour 20 Meeting in Peking Alumni Workshop of GLU - Manila

8 Precarious Work Alumni Workshop of GLU - Manila

9 Regional Level Supra-national trade union activities in Africa, Asia, Latin- America, Central and Estern Europe, South-East Europe Partners are national umbrella organisations, regional structures of the International Trade Union Confederation and the global trade union confederations Study on Precarious Work by Melisa Serrano, Alumni Workshop of GLU - Manila

10 Regional Project in Asia: Core Labour Standards Plus (CLSplus) Question: Can the present scheme of core labour standards be enriched with elements like living wages, triangular collective bargaining, hours of work, safety standards rights of migrant workers as nonnegotiable elements in global supply chains on the basis of trade agreements? Alumni Workshop of GLU - Manila

11 CLSplus: Basic observations In the last 20 years, working conditions and workers rights in Global Value Chains (GVC) in the supplying countries have seen a continous race to the bottom fuelled by the challenge of competitiveness, lack of governance, lack of trade union representation and the changing international trade regimes. (Mark Anner, Price Paid per Square Meter (real USD) versus Workers Rights in Top 20 Apparel Exporters to the United States ) Alumni Workshop of GLU - Manila

12 CLSplus: Basic observations Nor labour clauses in trade agreements (Christoph Scherrer), neither voluntary initiatives have changed this trend. Even the implementation of the 1998 Fundamental Declaration is no guarantee for the improvement of labour standards if there is a lack of government enforcement and trade union representation. But: there seems to be a window of opportunity to revive the old idea of binding social clauses in international trade regimes (TPP, GSP Plus, EBA, EU FTAs) and national initiatives (ACCORD). Alumni Workshop of GLU - Manila

13 CLS plus: Country Studies/ Shadow Reports 1. Country study on Linkages of trade and labour standards in key industries active in global supply chains in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Myanmar, Pakistan and Vietnam. 2. These country studies will serve as the template for the preparation of shadow reports on linking existing preferential trade schemes to CLS Plus in global supply chains 3. Draft finished by November 2016, external review, presentation presented in an internal regional workshop in March Alumni Workshop of GLU - Manila

14 National Level Strengthening the local labour movement Local / national trade union activities through approximately 100 FES country offices Strengthen workers rights and support the participation of workers in politics Partners are national trade union confederations, sector organisations and individual trade unions Ideally with representative, democratic, independent, competent and effective trade unions Shaping Politics and Policy the support of social dialogue, campaigns, network building, fora to develop common political positions Support of trade union reforms for more internal democracy, e.g. to encrease participation and representation of women and youth Alumni Workshop of GLU - Manila

15 Activities on the ground: Example of the Philippine Office Partner: SENTRO - Labour (Socialist) Center: like confederation for both public and private trade union federations Political advocacy for labour issues Aligned to social democratic parties Topics Security of tenure: anti-contractualisation Energy Security and Labour Labour migration: Center for Migrant Advocacy (CMA) for agencies supporting Filipino migrants abroad (Care-Industry) Research F.i. cooperation with SOLAIR: Studies on the Informal sector Alumni Workshop of GLU - Manila

16 Instruments: Workshops on political agenda Dialogues with policy-makers and allies Coordinating local union leaders with the GUFs Training of young unions leaders Para-legal skills for better negotiation skills in collective bargaining Trainers provided by trainers Alumni Workshop of GLU - Manila