A New International Union Body to Tackle Corporate Greed & Unfair Globalization

ACTU President Sharan Burrow has been elected to head a new global trade union body as its first president.

Ms Burrow is currently in Vienna attending the Founding Congress of the new international trade union body: Unions International - the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).

Unions International is comprised of the merger of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) and the World Confederation of Labour (WCL) with eight new organisations and more to come - taking the total membership to 309 organisations in more than 156 countries.

Ms Burrow said this is an important day for the international union and labour movement. "This new unifying body will represent and give a voice to 166 million workers throughout 156 countries and territories across the globe."

"The ITUC is committed to a new internationalism as unions unite to tackle corporate greed and unfair globalisation. Defending human and labour rights, achieving stronger social protections and the right to decent work for all people are the key goals of Unions International, the ITUC.

"With few exceptions governments around world have moved to the right and are dominated by the demands of business. Union solidarity and the political power of ordinary citizens can and will continue to help restore this imbalance.

"We welcome the growth in the global economy, but we cannot leave behind the more than two billion people living on less that US$2 a day, the 187 million unemployed people with 80 million of them young people, and the around 2.2 million people dying at or from work every year. The corporate world is not contributing enough to the growth that we care about - decent work everywhere," said Ms Burrow.

The President of the Austrian Federation and the Director General of the ILO addressed the union congress, both calling for urgent attention to protect human and trade union rights and a critical commitment to eliminate the negative aspects of the social dimensions of globalisation.

More than 1,800 union delegates at the Vienna Congress ushered in the birth of this new international body and endorsed a new program for action that includes:

* Changing globalisation to promote growth with equitable distribution through decent work for all.

* Universal respect for labour rights and sustainable economic, social and environmental development.

* International regulation of multi-national business.

* Defending and promoting trade union rights.

* Fighting discrimination to achieve equality.

* Ending child enforced labour.

* Organising across borders, including in the informal economy.

The Unions International (ITUC) Congress also endorsed a commitment to mobilise workers everywhere in defence of labour rights and fair globalisation beginning with a global day of action.

"Decent work sits at the core of the labour movement. Employment without exploitation is the only sustainable solution to poverty. We have a responsibility for workers and the lives of their families everywhere.

"Our struggle is a common one - jobs, labour standards and development in the developing world and the protection and advancing of achievements in developed nations, said Ms Burrow.

MORE INFORMATION: ICFTU.ORG

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