REPORT O ITUCWORLDCONGRESS From the crisis to global justice Second ITUC WorldCongress opens in Vancouver, Canada ITUC PRESS DEPARTMENT The in 1400 June second delegates in ITUC Vancouver, from World around Canada. Congress theworld took More place gaththan inJunein Vancouver, Canada. Morethan 1400delegates from aroundtheworldgatheredtodebatethefuture ofthetrade unionmovementunderthethemeNowthePeople , fromthe crisis toglobaljustice.Witha totalof311 affiliated organisations, representing a total membership of175million workers from 155countries andterritories , theITUCis,after four yearsofexistence, incontestably theglobalvoice of labourin this periodofeconomicandfinancial crisis. The ITUC Congress focuseditsdebateon differentthemes ,such as the global financial and economiccrisis, and considered resolutions on peace, youth, humanand tradeunionrights and equality.Delegatesat Congressdealtwith issuesrelated to labour'sdemandsforrestructuringand reform of theglobaleconomywithan emphasison themessuch as workers'rights, migrant workers, climate changeand HIV-AIDS. The CanadianLabourCongress(CLC), which represents 3.2 million members, hostedtheITUC Congress.CLCPresident KenGeorgetti reminded delegatesof the provinceof British Columbia's "proud andmilitant history oftrade unionism". He proposedthat thosetraditions oflaboursolidarity shouldserveto stoptheCEOs and bankswho "putgreedbeforeneed" and caused theglobal recession, and who are now pressuring governmentsto undertake "mindless deficit reduction" instead ofprotecting jobsandpublicservices. In a live broadcast address from New York, George Papandreou,PrimeMinister of Greece,spokeofhiscountry's current economic problems and pointedoutthatGreecedoes not havea lavishwelfare system, as someconservativecommentators haveclaimed, butthat thecrisis originatedin economic mismanagement. "During thecurrent crisis, tradeunionsareneeded morethaneverto fight forworkers' rights, sustainable development anda justworldorder", said Papandreou.He also endorsedthecreation of a financial transaction tax (FTT) to provide neededrevenue for job creation, thegreeneconomy and development assistance,and to help "control destructive speculation". ITUCPresident Sharan Burrow notedthat trade unionshad warnedglobal decisions-makers of thedangers ofglobalimbalances and thelackof regulation to reinincorporate greedwellbefore theglobalfinancial system cameto thebrink of collapsein 2008.Political leadersinitially recognisedtheneed to rebalancetheglobaleconomy and put employment at the heartof economic recovery, but in the past two months,"one European government afteranotheris being forcedinto a premature and suicidalrushto implement austerity measuresto pacify reckless financial markets. Thepossibility ofa double-dip recession has nowbecomea probability". "Nobody arguesthatfiscalconsolidation is not important overtime," said Burrow, "butitis the timing thatis critical and it requiresa growth strategy thatcan soak up debt,without further attacks on thelivelihoods andliving standards of working people, and thethreat of further economic turmoil". She rejectedthe approachof those who would return to the failed "Washington Consensus"policies of the 1980s and 1990s and insteadadvocatedthe alternate policyoptionsputforward by theglobaltrade union movement, consisting of income-driven growth, improved social protection, greenjobs, investment in educationand research, and protection ofworkers' rights. ILO Director General JuanSomavia,in a message delivered in hisabsence,statedthat"trade unionsarean indispensable partoftheeconomy and democracy" and that"theworldneeds the strong unionsthatyou are buildingmorethan ever", sincetheyremind decision-makers of"the need to focuson thesocial deficit" rather than solelyon fiscal deficits. On thefifth and finaldayofitssecondWorld Congress inVancouver (Canada) SharanBurrow was elected to succeed Guy Ryder, the first General Secretary of the ITUC, the world's largestinternational trade union organisation, foundedinViennain 2006. SharanBurrow will leave her post of President of the Australian Councilof TradeUnions(ACTU),thatshe has heldsince2000,tobecomethefirst womanatthe helmoftheITUC. "It'sa very proudmoment for me,butI hopeit will be also a veryproud momentforevery womanaroundtheglobe,"commented Burrow after herelection. "TheITUCis still facing many challenges inthe wake oftheglobalfinancial crisis.Although we have seen some exceptionalresults in a small number ofcountries including Brazil, Argentina, ChinaandAustralia, therecovery injobshasnot been universal. Global unemployment and underemployment continued to risethroughout 2009andduring thefirst half ofthis year" Burrow added. The election of the firstfemale General Secretary oftheITUCishistorically significant for theglobaltradeunionmovement andoccursata timeofhighparticipation for womenattheITUC Congresswith 50 percentof delegate'sseats beingheldbywomen. INTERNATIONAL union fights Page 20Volume 17Issue 22010 ...