The Global Unions grappled with another set of impossible travel arrangements this January, as they joined what has become an annual scramble to be in two places at once.

The parallel gatherings of the World Economic Forum at Davos in Switzerland (a meeting of the political and corporate elite to discuss economic and social issues) and the World Social Forum at Porto Alegre in Brazil (a virtually unrestricted gathering of activists concerned with social justice) stand in stark contrast to one another.

The World Social Forum was set up as a deliberate counter-event to the WEF. Trade unions are among the few groups who participate in both events, although this year the newly elected President of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, or “Lula”, himself a lifelong union activist, made the same difficult journey. Does this represent a major confusion by trade unions about where they are supposed to be? Not at all.

The readiness of union leaders to sit napkin to napkin with corporate leaders is not in contradiction to their involvement at Porto Alegre.

Unions talk to corporate managers all the time. Theirs has often been the only voice putting forward public interest concerns against corporate lobbying power. Davos has been one of the most exclusive and influential gatherings, and unions regard having forced their voice into this forum as a positive gain for workers worldwide.

And the major presence of the Global Unions in Porto Alegre is equally significant. Unions have in the past often kept a distance from the non-governmental organisations which dominate such social movements. But the move for closer links now comes from both directions. The strong union engagement in Porto Alegre marks a major step forward in forging a stronger democratic movement for global social justice, as called for by last year’s ITF Congress.

But the Forum, which next year has decided to meet in India, also needs to build a bridge with the global power represented by Davos. To show this, Global Unions issued a common statement to both gatherings, stressing that:

“The illusion that an unregulated market economy will provide a better life for all has been challenged increasingly, and today stands discredited… Our responsibility is to combine protest against that which is unacceptable with engagement, dialogue and action to improve working conditions and living standards.”