[2009-12-03] EI remains vigilant to keep education out of trade deals
Trade Ministers from around the world meeting in Geneva ended their discussions on 2 December by reaffirming their political commitment to concluding talks on a new global trade pact in 2010, even as deep differences remain.
In his report of the 7th Ministerial Conference, Chilean Ambassador and chair Andrés Velasco, said Ministers supported a quick end to the troubled Doha Round of trade talks and supported a stocktaking exercise to be held earlier in 2010 to examine ways to kick start the stalled negotiations.
Despite the ambition to seal the deal in 2010, however, most observers believe the differences between countries over agricultural subsidies and industrial tariffs remain far too wide to be bridged in the near future. During the past few days, the U.S. has come under increasing criticism from the European Union and the emerging economies for not being fully engaged in the talks.
While the WTO Secretariat has hailed the conference as a success, critics say trade ministers failed to recognize the link between trade, jobs and the global economic crisis.
“It is absolutely lacking credibility for Ministers speaking in Geneva to ignore the dramatic jobs impact that the crisis is having back home,” said ITUC General Secretary Guy Ryder. “This 7th WTO Ministerial Conference is a missed opportunity to tackle issues that are fundamental to the long-term future of the multilateral trading system.”
David Robinson, EI’s trade consultant, added that Ministers failed to learn from the lessons of the current economic crisis that there is a need for active government stimulus and expanded education and other public services to create decent jobs and promote a sustainable recovery.
“Governments have been able to moderate the impact of the crisis on jobs by re-regulating financial services, investing in public infrastructure and utilities, and boosting investments in public services, including quite centrally education and training,” he noted. “WTO Members should have used the conference to pause and to consider how commitments to trade liberalization, whether in financial services or education services or any other public service and utility, might in fact close off the policy space they need to respond to a crisis like the one we’re in now.”
The EI delegation to the conference held several meetings with senior trade officials to assess the state of GATS negotiations and to press for the exclusion of education from the agreement.
Ted Murphy, assistant general secretary with the National Tertiary Education Union in Australia explained that while the backroom discussions amongst ministers were focused mainly on agricultural and industrial tariff issues, EI affiliates need to be vigilante about the potential for the greater inclusion of education services in trade agreements.
“We have to continue to lobby our governments on education services and to monitor developments not only at the WTO, but in the regional and bilateral agreements as well,” he stated. “These agreements are likely to continue to proliferate given the continuing impasse in GATS talks, and it’s in these regional agreements that we are seeing and will likely see more significant commitment being made to open up the education sector with some serious consequences for staff, students and institutions.”
Friday, December 18, 2009
Global Green
[2009-12-16] Wanted: A global green New Deal
Without transformation of the global economic model, we will not be able to solve the world’s most urgent problems, including poverty and climate change, said Pavan Sukhdev, leader of the Green Economy research project within the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).
Sukhdev was speaking as part of a panel on “Economic recovery and green jobs: Win-win for development, climate and labour?” which was hosted by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) at the trade unions’ World of Work pavilion in Copenhagen.
Today’s economic model is fundamentally wrong because it rewards massive production and mindless consumption, not sustainable production and intelligent consumption, Sukhdev said. “We reward accumulation of vast private wealth and denigrate investment in public wealth.”
He labelled the prevailing economic model as “one-dimensional capitalism” because it only values physical capital, and called for “three-dimensional capitalism” that would value human and natural capital as well.
“What’s needed now is a global green New Deal,” he said, emphasizing that it’s not an either-or choice between greening the economy and employment. Rather, studies show that the opportunities for job creation are highest in renewables compared to the traditional oil and gas sector or the “spending spree” approach to fiscal stimulus.
Sachiko Yamamoto, ILO regional director or Asia Pacific, outlined the ILO’s Global Jobs Pact, which aims for an employment-centred recovery from the economic crisis. It promotes a shift to a low-carbon, environmentally-friendly economy through investment in employment-intensive sectors and green jobs. The Green Jobs Initiative brings together the ILO, UNEP, ITUC and the IOE (International Organisation of Employers) to work towards these shared goals.
Guy Ryder, General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), questioned why the world has not moved more swiftly towards these attractive win-win scenarios of green jobs. “Let’s not pretend this is easier than it is,” he warned. “It is possible to reconcile the climate challenge with decent jobs, but it’s not a convenient truth. There are extremely tough obstacles on the path.”
Ryder pointed to the need to control the unregulated pursuit of private profit to the detriment of the public good, the lack of a global consensus on a framework for just economic transition and the significant financial constraints as some key obstacles.
“Where is the financing going to come from? The coffers are empty. The bankers have emptied the public purse. A great deal has been spent on stimulus, and now we’re hearing talk of exit strategies. But how can we mobilise to achieve the transfer of resources to the developing world needed to deal with the historic debt?” he asked.
Ryder concluded by asserting that just transition to a green economy is not simply an intellectual exercise. It must offer concrete reasons for workers, especially those whose jobs are threatened, to get on board.
Without transformation of the global economic model, we will not be able to solve the world’s most urgent problems, including poverty and climate change, said Pavan Sukhdev, leader of the Green Economy research project within the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).
Sukhdev was speaking as part of a panel on “Economic recovery and green jobs: Win-win for development, climate and labour?” which was hosted by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) at the trade unions’ World of Work pavilion in Copenhagen.
Today’s economic model is fundamentally wrong because it rewards massive production and mindless consumption, not sustainable production and intelligent consumption, Sukhdev said. “We reward accumulation of vast private wealth and denigrate investment in public wealth.”
He labelled the prevailing economic model as “one-dimensional capitalism” because it only values physical capital, and called for “three-dimensional capitalism” that would value human and natural capital as well.
“What’s needed now is a global green New Deal,” he said, emphasizing that it’s not an either-or choice between greening the economy and employment. Rather, studies show that the opportunities for job creation are highest in renewables compared to the traditional oil and gas sector or the “spending spree” approach to fiscal stimulus.
Sachiko Yamamoto, ILO regional director or Asia Pacific, outlined the ILO’s Global Jobs Pact, which aims for an employment-centred recovery from the economic crisis. It promotes a shift to a low-carbon, environmentally-friendly economy through investment in employment-intensive sectors and green jobs. The Green Jobs Initiative brings together the ILO, UNEP, ITUC and the IOE (International Organisation of Employers) to work towards these shared goals.
Guy Ryder, General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), questioned why the world has not moved more swiftly towards these attractive win-win scenarios of green jobs. “Let’s not pretend this is easier than it is,” he warned. “It is possible to reconcile the climate challenge with decent jobs, but it’s not a convenient truth. There are extremely tough obstacles on the path.”
Ryder pointed to the need to control the unregulated pursuit of private profit to the detriment of the public good, the lack of a global consensus on a framework for just economic transition and the significant financial constraints as some key obstacles.
“Where is the financing going to come from? The coffers are empty. The bankers have emptied the public purse. A great deal has been spent on stimulus, and now we’re hearing talk of exit strategies. But how can we mobilise to achieve the transfer of resources to the developing world needed to deal with the historic debt?” he asked.
Ryder concluded by asserting that just transition to a green economy is not simply an intellectual exercise. It must offer concrete reasons for workers, especially those whose jobs are threatened, to get on board.
Special Program
[2009-12-18] New 6-month special programme for trade unionists at the Global Labour University now open for application
As a Global Union, EI is committed to support the Global Labour University. The Global Labour University is created by the Global Union Research Network (GURN), comprising the ILO's Bureau for Workers' Activities (ACTRAV), the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), the Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD (TUAC), the Global Union Federations (GUFs) and the ILO's International Institute for Labour Studies (IILS).
In co-operation with the Hans Boeckler Foundation, the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, and various trade union centres and universities, the Global Labour University was created to develop and deliver high-level qualification programmes to strengthen the intellectual and strategic capacity of trade unions and to establish much stronger working relationships between trade unions, the ILO and the research community.
The new 6-month Programme for Trade Unionists on Globalisation is starting in April 2010. It targets trade unionists that might not be able to leave their union for a full masters programme or who do not have the required formal qualifications. The programme comprises three-and-a-half month classes followed by a two-month internship.
The new 6-month programme for trade unionists, ENGAGE, is a short term Diploma Course on Labour Policies and Globalisation which will take place from 1 Apr-20 Sep 2010 in Germany. It is designed to help labour activists and trade unionists to acquire additional knowledge and tools that enable them to take an active part in public debate and the process of policy formulation and implementation.
The programme consists of a 3.5-month academic programme and a 2 month internship. It addresses the request of many trade unions to offer a short-term policy orientated academic programme for trade unionists. The course of study includes five modules focussing on Global Wage Policies, Global Finance, Global Trade, Development Economics, and Participation in Global Governance.
Scholarships are available for:
participants from Brazil, India, Southern Africa: 6 month including internship
for participants from OECD countries: 3.5 month (without internship)
Application deadline has been extended to 25 Jan 2010 and application via e-mail is possible.
As a Global Union, EI is committed to support the Global Labour University. The Global Labour University is created by the Global Union Research Network (GURN), comprising the ILO's Bureau for Workers' Activities (ACTRAV), the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), the Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD (TUAC), the Global Union Federations (GUFs) and the ILO's International Institute for Labour Studies (IILS).
In co-operation with the Hans Boeckler Foundation, the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, and various trade union centres and universities, the Global Labour University was created to develop and deliver high-level qualification programmes to strengthen the intellectual and strategic capacity of trade unions and to establish much stronger working relationships between trade unions, the ILO and the research community.
The new 6-month Programme for Trade Unionists on Globalisation is starting in April 2010. It targets trade unionists that might not be able to leave their union for a full masters programme or who do not have the required formal qualifications. The programme comprises three-and-a-half month classes followed by a two-month internship.
The new 6-month programme for trade unionists, ENGAGE, is a short term Diploma Course on Labour Policies and Globalisation which will take place from 1 Apr-20 Sep 2010 in Germany. It is designed to help labour activists and trade unionists to acquire additional knowledge and tools that enable them to take an active part in public debate and the process of policy formulation and implementation.
The programme consists of a 3.5-month academic programme and a 2 month internship. It addresses the request of many trade unions to offer a short-term policy orientated academic programme for trade unionists. The course of study includes five modules focussing on Global Wage Policies, Global Finance, Global Trade, Development Economics, and Participation in Global Governance.
Scholarships are available for:
participants from Brazil, India, Southern Africa: 6 month including internship
for participants from OECD countries: 3.5 month (without internship)
Application deadline has been extended to 25 Jan 2010 and application via e-mail is possible.
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