Interview: the global challenge for unions

Abstract

Interview:the global challenge for unions Interview: IUR's Daniel Blackburn spoke with Kemal Özkan, Assistant General Secretary of Industriall Global Union. At the Fifth Congress of the ITUC in November this year current General Secretary Sharan Burrow will be stepping down. Kemal Özkan is out on the campaign trail as a candidate at that election and took some moments to speak with IUR Hello Kemal, how are you? Welcome to IUR journal, where this time we are talking about union renewal, new forms of work and organising, and changing labour law. I wanted to ask you a few questions about the international trade union movement, particularly about ideas of change and modernisation: about what needs to change for the future if unions are going to remain effective, relevant and important in the coming years. ■ Thank you very much Daniel for the opportunity to discuss our ideas and programme for strengthening the international trade union movement that we all believe in. ICTUR is a high-quality union publication. The magazine is in pride of place in our Industriall Global Union office, and ICTUR has supported countless campaigns and actions around the world. Congratulations to you and the ICTUR team. There are so many changes and challenges in the world today, I wonder if we need to re-assess what are the goals, demands and objectives of trade unions, internationally? Have we been setting the agenda or following it? Have we been focusing on the right things? ■ All working people must have the right to a good wage, stable employment, to be healthy and safe at work, and to a union. These rights are hard-won and must be constantly defended. The vast majority of the world's workers live in countries where unions are either not permitted, or barely tolerated. The priorities of workers, or rank and file union members, must always be the focus of the union movement. We must grow our strength, in the Global South and Global North. Legislation is moving in response to public demand for due diligence for multinational companies and their supply chains. We must take this opportunity to put unions at the centre of a new system of global industrial relations and cross-border social dialogue that responds to the concept of 'human rights due diligence' throughout companies' own operations and supply chains. Bad employers and governments seek to set the agenda and so do we. We have the numbers; we have the power. It is up to us to use it. We are in the run-up to the Fifth Congress of the ITUC, when current General Secretary Sharan Burrow will be stepping down, and I understand that you are now out on the campaign trail as a candidate for that election. If you are the next ITUC General Secretary, where will the focus of international trade union work lie? Going forward, what are the major concerns and issues as you see them? ■ Workers and their families are now bearing the brunt of war, pandemic, climate crisis, over-mighty capital, and an ineffective or compromised political class. Workers everywhere are facing increasingly emboldened anti-democratic forces. The ITUC is their vehicle for change, ensuring that workers' priorities are central to the political debate responding to these crises. We will battle for the right to strike, for regulation on global supply chains and platform work, will promote industrial policy and just transition, struggle against any form of precarious work, particularly formalisation of the informal economy and push policies against inequality at the ILO. You know, Daniel, an enormous part of ITUC's power comes from the inspirational women leaders throughout the movement. ITUC will increase its focus and energy in the global march for women's empowerment. Our youth are motivated to take up the flag of struggle. ITUC will strengthen its work with developing and enabling young union leaders. They are the promise of the future of our movement. I think I first met you when our organisation was working on the height of the crisis of anti-union violence in Colombia, in the 2000s, so I know that you have long been concerned by these kind of really serious situations of...