ITF Summer School 2005 took place in our Swedish affiliate SEKO’s (Facket För Service Och Kommunikation) conference centre in Lastberget in Sweden from 5 - 9 September. The theme of this year’s Summer School was: “Neo-liberal Policies and Trade Union Solidarity.” 32 trade unionists from different parts of the world, took part in this annual event.

Wide-ranging discussions covered different aspects of neo-liberal policies and  transport restructuring. Participants gave their ideas on strengthening union strategies and international solidarity through strategic campaigning as well as building local capacity for international solidarity and campaigning.

The Summer School was hugely successful and provided a unique opportunity for the ITF affiliated unions from different countries and industries to exchange views on a wide range of topics such as: globalisation of production, its ideology, the rise of the logistics and inter-modal transport, the World Bank’s role in promoting transport restructuring and how transport unions can effectively intervene the Bank's project cycle, relations between the trade unions and anti-globalisation movements, developing a strategic approach to campaigning on political and industrial issues and HIV/AIDS and transport workers.

Many participants felt their expectations were met, from learning how to organise an effective campaign to understanding global trends in transport. Here are couple of quotes, which define the participants experience.

“Summer school is a conclave where different people can exchange information and come up with new ideas.” P. K. Raman, Transport and Dock Workers' Union, India

“Summer school has equipped us with the tools to fight, we are in a fighting mood and are ready to face any challenge” Samuel Aham Ubani, Maritime Workers' Union of Nigeria

“In recent years many transport unions faced the negative results of privatisation, deregulation, liberalisation and restructuring. The ITF Summer Schools, established after the 1998 Congress in Delhi as a part of the Mobilising Solidarity programme, play an important role in strengthening the international perspective of transport union leaders and activists,” commented ITF Education Officer, Alana Dave.