Up to the end of 1999, the GLI continued to function with a single (unpaid) full-time employee (the GLI Chair). As of January 2000, a voluntary worker has joined the secretariat on a part-time basis (two days per week). She is Swiss, a member of the Public Workers’ Union (SSP\/VPOD) and of the Geneva SP and an experienced clerical worker.<\/p>\n
The present report covers the period from April 1, 1999 to March 31, 2000. In the period under review, the defining event was the collapse, in early December, of the WTO “millenium round” talks in Seattle. The Seattle demonstrations were an impressive manifestation of the depth, variety and potential strength of popular resistance to corporate domination at a global level. They were also an illustration of the power of the strategy of alliances which has been advocated by the GLI since its inception.<\/p>\n
In the last year, GLI work has focused on two issues. The first was an exploration of the potential of cooperation between trade unions and public interest NGOs, precisely in view of coalition building. The second was the organization of informal sector workers in trade unions, which also involves cooperation with NGOs in a difficult and complex environment. Today, the informal sector covers a majority of the global working class and on its organization depends the future of the labour movement. That these should have become the priority issues for the GLI at this time is not accidental but the reflection of the GLI’s close connection to present social issues and of its ability to develop strategies to advance the labour agenda.<\/p>\n
Meetings and Publications<\/strong> In 1999: In 2000: In addition to these meetings, the GLI Chair participated in the following meetings in other capacities:<\/p>\n In his capacity of president of the International Federation of Workers’ Education Associations:<\/p>\n In 1999: In 2000: In his capacity of Board member of the Institut Universitaire d’Etudes du D\u00e9veloppement (IUED): Publications in the period under review, in addition to those mentioned above, also include:<\/p>\n “Trade unions and NGOs in social development – a necessary partnership” (commissioned by UNRISD, issued as a GLI publication, later to be published by UNRISD together with other contributions as a preparation for the Geneva 2000 Social Summit). Consultancies, Networks<\/strong> Projects Completed in 1999<\/strong> In 1999, the British Transport and General Workers’ Union started a membership education project for international trade union activity, in cooperation with the IFWEA and several ITSs (see supplement to 1998 activities report). The GLI Chair participated in the preparation of the program and in its first stage (Globalisation and International Development in Food and Agriculture).<\/p>\n Ongoing Projects<\/strong> Labour History Website.<\/em> The labour history website is currently under construction (by Gavin MacFadyen, London). A section on the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) is nearly completed, and a section on Japan has been started. It will initially contain the full text of Sen Katayama’s “Labour Movement in Japan” (originally published by Charles H. Kerr, Chicago, 1918). We hope to put it on the web this year<\/p>\n International Solidarity Action.<\/em> It will be recalled (see 1998 report) that this project is a survey of the obstacles (legal and contractual) to the exercise of the right to strike on international solidarity issues in a representative number of countries world-wide. The survey will also describe what actions are being taken by unions to overcome existing legal obstacles and what kind of solidarity actions are being taken as an exercise of existing rights or in spite of an absence of rights. The project is being conducted by Paul Germanotta with the support of the ILO. An application has been made to extend the program to the end of this year. Reports on the following countries have been completed so far: Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Ireland, Italy, Israel, Japan, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden and Uruguay. Reports on Denmark, Germany, Spain, the UK and the US are partially completed.<\/p>\n
\nIn the period under review, the GLI Chair participated in the meetings listed below.<\/p>\n
\n(1) April 15-16: Conf\u00e9rence du Comit\u00e9 de Liaison des ONG de d\u00e9veloppement aupr\u00e8s de l’Union Europ\u00e9enne: “L’\u00e9volution du r\u00f4le des ONG dans le d\u00e9veloppement”, Bruxelles, (Speech: Trade Union and NGO Relations – unpublished)
\n(2) April 26-28: Centre Catholique International de Gen\u00e8ve, S\u00e9minaire: “Les impacts de la mondialisation sur les emplois, les revenus et les pauvret\u00e9s”, Gen\u00e8ve, (Intervention: Le syndicalisme dans la mondialisation – unpublished)
\n(3) June 8: GLI Board Meeting, Geneva
\n(4) September 1-3: Transport & General Workers’ Union (T&GWU), Seminar: Globalisation and Development, Eastbourne
\n(5) September 22: Comit\u00e9 d’Information sur les Questions Sociales en Chine, (constitutive meeting), Bruxelles
\n(6) October 4: IUF\/ILO: Seminar on International Trade Union Policy, Turin (Speech on International Trade Unionism and Globalization, unpublished)
\n(7) October 8: Oeuvre Suisse d’Entraide Ouvri\u00e8re: Conf\u00e9rence “La solidarit\u00e9 internationale dans une perspective politique et syndicale”, Geneva (Speech to the theme, unpublished).
\n(8) October 18-22: International Symposium on Trade Unions and the Informal Sector, ILO, Geneva (Position paper for WIEGO: Notes on Trade Unions and the Informal Sector (GLI publication)).
\n(9) November 12: Syndicat interprofessionnel des Travailleurs (SIT)\/Espace Femmes International (EFI)\/SOLIFONDS: Meeting with Maria Rhie Chol Soon, Advisor, Korean Women’s Trade Union, Geneva.
\n(10) November 29 – December 3: T&GWU: Shop Stewards’ Training Course: Globalisation and International Development in Food and Agriculture, Eastbourne (Introduction to a discussion on international trade union action, unpublished)
\n(11) December 3-5: Finnish NGDO-EU Liaison Committee and Service Centre for Development Cooperation, Citizen’s Agenda 2000 Forum, Tampere (Speech: Labour Rights in the Trade Policy of the EU (GLI publication)).
\n(12) December 8-9: ILO\/WIEGO Seminar on Social Problems for Women in the Informal Economy, ILO, Geneva
\n(13) December 14-17: ICFTU\/Georgian Trade Union Amalgamation: Preparatory Seminar to Social Dimensions Conference, Tbilisi (Speech on International Trade Unionism, unpublished)<\/p>\n
\n(14) January 28-29: SGB\/SABZ\/SOLIFONDS: Seminar: “Gewerkschaftliche Strategien zu WTO und Entwicklung”, Z\u00fcrich (Speech, unpublished)
\n(15) March 10-11: Diskussions-Retraite (chaired by Vasco Pedrina, Paul Rechsteiner), Rotschuo
\n(16) March 13: IRENE\/Comisi\u00f3 Obrera Nacional de Catalunya: Seminario: La Solidaridad Internacional y la Globalizaci\u00f3n _ \u00bfCual es el Papel del Sindicato?, Barcelona (Speech to the theme, unpublished)
\n(17) March 31: United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD), Geneva 2000 Seminar: “The Role of Civil Society in Policy Formulation and Service Provision”, New York (Speech: Organized labor and social development<\/em>)<\/p>\n
\n(18) May 3-4: Euro-Japan Institute for Law and Business, Conference: Multinational Enterprises and the Social Challenges of the XXIst Century, Leuven.
\n(19) May 14-16: Workers’ Education Association (England and Scotland), Annual Conference, Portsmouth (Address, published in WEA Sunday Reporter (conference journal)
\n(20) June 17-19: IFWEA Executive Committee, Euro-WEA Annual General Meeting, ABF Conference “Ordet Fritt”, Lule\u00e5
\n(21) July 23-25: Association Club Mohamed Ali de la Culture Ouvri\u00e8re (ACMACO), 6\u00e8me Universit\u00e9 d’\u00e9t\u00e9: “Emploi et Droits Sociaux dans la Zone Euro-M\u00e9diterran\u00e9enne”, Gammarth (Speech on Unions and the Informal Sector, unpublished)
\n(22) September 24: Euro-WEA Executive Committee, Bruxelles
\n(23) October 25-27: Primero Encuentro Regional para Am\u00e9rica Latina de FIAET: “Educaci\u00f3n de los trabajadores y derechos laborales fundamentales en un contexto de globalizaci\u00f3n”, Lima (Speech on the international labour movement and globalization, unpublished)<\/p>\n
\n(24) January 15-19: IFWEA Executive Committee and IFWEA International Study Circles Evaluation, Manchester
\n(25) February 1-2: IMF\/IFWEA Meeting on Magna Action Project, IMF, Geneva
\n(26) February 25-26: Euro-WEA Executive Committee, Vienna<\/p>\n
\nBoard meetings: April 28 and July 7 in 1999, March 29, 2000 (in Geneva).
\nIn his capacity of Board member of the Coll\u00e8ge du Travail, Geneva:
\nBoard meetings April 23, November 26, 1999 (in Geneva).<\/p>\n
\nR\u00e9inventer la politique du mouvement syndical<\/em> was published by ATTAC together with other contributions in a volume entitled: “Contre la dictature des march\u00e9s” (Paris, 1999)
\nDie Rolle der Politik in der Globalisierung<\/em> was published by the \u00d6GB in an anthology entitled: “Alternativen zum Neoliberalismus” (Vienna, 1999)
\nEU enlargement in the context of globalization: problems of political society<\/em> was published by the \u00d6sterreichische Forschungsstiftung f\u00fcr Entwicklungshilfe on behalf of the Austrian Platform of Development NGOs in the EU in an anthology entitled: “The Enlargement of the EU and the Role of the NGDOs”, (Vienna, 1999).
\nAn article on the GLI appeared in Le Nouvel Observateur<\/em> (Paris), Nr. 1834 (December 30, 1999 – January 5, 2000).<\/p>\n
\nIn the period under review, the GLI Chair advised the following organizations:
\nFederation HORIA, Romania (organizational matters)
\nBuilding and Industrial Union (GBI\/SIB), Switzerland (international activities)
\nThe GLI Chair participated in the constitution of ACTARES, a Swiss association of shareholders for a sustainable economy (an outgrowth of CANES, the Nestl\u00e9 shareholders’ association). He continues on the editorial board of Antipode<\/em>, a “radical journal of geography” (UK\/US).<\/p>\n
\nTrade Unions and NGOs. The GLI Chair participated in the drafting of a survey and position paper on the cooperation between trade unions (nationally and internationally) with NGOs, commissioned by the Social Development Division of the UK Department for International Development through the Euro-WEA. This work subsequently formed the basis for a further study on the same subject commissioned by UNRISD (see above). Cooperation with UNRISD continues.<\/p>\n
\nGLI Website:<\/em> http:\/\/www.global-labour.org<\/a> Mary Sayer in Manchester has been working on it on a volunteer basis. It will initially contain sections in English, French, German, Spanish and Scandinavian languages, with basic information about the GLI (mission statement, Board and Advisory Board members, annual reports), GLI publications in their original language, links to other international labour websites, reference to resources and the full text of Edo Fimmen’s “Labour’s Alternative” (typed by a volunteer worker) with an introduction by the GLI Chair. The full text of Julius Braunthal’s “The Tragedy of European Labour”, also typed by a volunteer worker, will be made available later in the year after editing.<\/p>\n