Report calls for Union Voice In Global Economy

MEDIA RELEASE
25 February 2004

Report calls for Union Voice In Global Economy

A major report is calling for a trade union voice to be heard at international institutions which influence the global economy and affect the lives of millions of workers, Council of Trade Unions president Ross Wilson said today.

The report of the ILO World Commission on the Social Dimensions of Globalisation was released in London today. It was prepared over two years by a World Commission co-chaired by the Presidents of Finland and Tanzania.

The report, which trade unions around the world say is a major breakthrough, calls for economic organisations to work together on the social impact of globalisation and ensure that decent labour standards are not undermined.

“At a national level the report underlines the essential role of collective bargaining in promoting productivity, ensuring equality and giving workers a voice at the workplace,” Ross Wilson said. “The role of trade unions is key to collective bargaining, and the report requires international organisations to support these objectives.

"At an international level the report calls for formal structures with the international labour movement and the business community to be established in institutions such as the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF),” he said.

“A main aim of the international trade union movement is ensuring that decent pay and working conditions are not undermined in the drive for a global economy,” Ross Wilson said. “The report sets out the structures to help make this happen.”

ENDS

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