Reflections

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Should trade unions take a position on conflicts?

For unions to ignore conflicts would be like them ignoring economic developments! And beside the moral question of desiring peace, wars pose a danger for transport workers in particular as their workplaces - roads, docks, canals, bridges, ships - can rapidly become "legitimate targets" for warring parties.

Nick Bramley, Port of Rhine Office, VHTL, Switzerland

Yes, they should. One of the best things in the labour movement used to be internationalism. We should all know about the problems of our colleagues in America, Africa or Asia. Sometimes information about those problems reminds me of the stories that I heard from my grandfather, a port worker in Hamburg. The differences between us are not so great and we can all learn from each other. What Maggie Thatcher did in the UK now arrives in Germany. There are so many examples....

Andrej Mischerikow, ver.di member, Germany

The unions should get involved in any conflict that affects their members. Why? Simply because, it is the moral and social obligation of an organization to support its members affected in any form of conflict, be it war, social unrest or whatever. Solidarity is the foundation of trade unionism, and as the saying goes, a pain in a finger affects the whole body.

Edgar P. Bilayon, BKM-PNR-ITF, Philippines

No, trade unions should not waste the money of dues-paying members to become involved in such matters. A trade union exists solely to service its members in union activities - such as negotiation of and compliance with workers' contracts.
Many members do not want their hard-earned money to be used to finance campaigns that they do not agree with, such as anti-American "peace" protests, promotion of homosexuality and abortion, and other loony-left agendas. Such activities are best left to other special interest groups.

Jim Christian, local 2182 CAW, Nova Scotia, Canada

International or regional conflicts, and disagreements over critical economic issues should be discouraged by all national trade unions. Though conflict abounds in the environment, the United Nations should put adequate machineries in place to avert it. Persistent conflicts may lead us to a third world war.

Celectine K.Ikpe, NMNOWTSSA, Nigeria

Informal workers: what is your view?

Informal workers are a growing category in many parts of the international transport industry. These are workers who may be self-employed, or might work for a vehicle owner or other small operative, but who fall outside the regulatory framework of the formal employment sector. In poorer countries informal work can provide desperately needed jobs and cheap forms of transport such as minibus and motorbike taxis, and rickshaws, but workers have little in the way of employment rights or protection. Some unions feel that self-employed and other "informal" workers should be kept well away from union structures. Others feel that organising them is vital to preserve union strength.

This month's question is: How do you feel your union should respond to informal workers, and why?

Please email your views, in a maximum of 50 words, to: parris_kay@itf.org.uk
Closing date is 30 July 2003. Comments may be edited.

الصفحة الرئيسية للأقسام:
Issue 12 July 2003

نسخة الرسومات الكاملة

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