Open
World Conference of Workers
In Defense of Trade Union Independence & Democratic Rights
Origins and Objectives of the Berlin Conference
At
its first meeting on September 22, 2000, the OWC Continuations Committee was
informed of an appeal issued by trade union leaders and activists from 33
countries, who had met in Geneva in June 2000 at the initiative of the
International Liaison Committee for a Workers' International (ILC) at the
Seventh Session of the Trade Union Conference to Defend the ILO Conventions.
Their appeal called for convening an international conference against
deregulation.
The Appeal issued by the trade union gathering in Geneva stated in part:
"Throughout the world, workers and youth are facing policies of
deregulation which threaten in every area the collective rights and guarantees
won by the workers and their organizations during decades of struggle.
Throughout the world, workers and youth are facing policies aimed at replacing
collective rights with individual 'rights'. ...
" [C]ollective rights are currently being threatened at the national level,
resulting in the repeal of the labor codes, collective-bargaining agreements and
statutes which guarantee the collective rights of the working class in each
country. National master agreements are being replaced with workplace
agreements, and collective conventions are being replaced with 'individual
conventions'. ...
"The working class was constituted historically as an organized class
through the building of workers' institutions -- workers' organizations,
collective-bargaining agreements, statutes, social protection systems, etc. --
which unite each worker into a whole, forming a class welded together by its
collective rights and guarantees. As soon as the individualization of rights
begins to replace collective rights, the destruction of those same rights is put
on the agenda. ...
"This is why we -- the undersigned, workers and activists from all
backgrounds coming from countries around the world -- hereby assert: It is
impossible for workers' organizations to accept such a threat to our collective
rights. Nor we can we allow so-called 'roundtable' social dialogues’ and
'consultations'’ to take place, for their only goal is to co-opt workers'
organizations into the very process of dismantling our collective rights.
"We cannot allow this to take place for it would mean that labor
organizations would be direct participants in the dismantling of the collective
legal framework of the working class, and in this sense would be helping to
undermine their own existence. ...
"There is therefore an urgent need to organize the struggle against
deregulation and in defense of labor rights for all on an international scale.
...
"In continuity with the Open World Workers Conference in Defense of Trade
Union Independence and Democratic rights, held in San Francisco in February
2000, we propose to organize an International Conference Against Deregulation
and in Defense of Labor Rights. ..."
The OWC Continuations Committee meeting of September 22, 2000, asserted that the
objectives of such a conference were in full continuity with the decisions taken
at the OWC in February 2000. It concurred that there was an urgent need to
launch a genuine international campaign against deregulation/privatization and
for the defense of the rights and gains of workers worldwide.
December 10, 2000, Organizing Meeting
On December 10, 2000, a meeting of the OWC Continuations Committee held in
Washington, D.C., read and discussed an Appeal issued by German trade unionists
at the conclusion of their meetings in late November. That Appeal called on
working people the world over to participate in an International Conference
Against Deregulation and For Labor Rights For All, to be held in Berlin,
Germany, on February 22-24, 2002.
The OWC Continuations Committee, having heard the report and reviewed the Appeal
of the German trade unionists, agreed to sponsor this international conference
and to constitute a joint Berlin Conference Organizing Committee together with
the German signatories of the Appeal. The December 10th meeting, moreover,
called on working people in the United States and throughout the world to build
this international conference actively through a broad outreach campaign aimed
at ensuring the presence in Berlin of large and representative delegations of
trade unionists and activists from all continents.
May 10, 2001, Organizing Meeting
To carry out this mandate and to promote the building of the conference on
all continents, a joint meeting of the OWC Continuations Committee and
representatives of the German Preparatory Committee of the Berlin Conference was
held in San Francisco on May 10, 2001. [A full two-part report from this meeting
is available upon request.]
At this meeting it was also decided to convene an International Women's
Conference For the Reconquest of ILO Convention 103 and For the Defense of the
Rights of Working Women on February 21, 2002, on the eve of the International
Conference Against Deregulation. [The appeal for this conference is also
available upon request.]
The report from the May 10, 2001, joint meeting concluded with the following
words:
"All the reports that were submitted to the May 10th joint meeting of the
OWC Continuations Committee and the Germany Preparatory Committee demonstrate
that in the current international situation -- which continues to be extremely
difficult for working people -- points of support can be found everywhere to
organize the fightback on a national and international level against the
policies of deregulation/privatization, which threaten with destruction not only
the rights of the workers and their conditions of existence, but also the
independence of their organizations and democracy itself.
"The information we received about the Convention of the ORIT, in this
sense, has an international dimension. The problems posed to workers in the
Western Hemisphere in relation to the FTAA are the same problems, under
different forms, posed to European workers in relation to the European Union.
This is true for all continents and all countries.
"We, gathered at the May 10th meeting, believe that more than ever it is
necessary to ensure the success of the Berlin Conference Against Deregulation
and For Labor Rights For All. A successful Berlin Conference will be a boost to
all workers and activists worldwide who have taken up the fight against the
brutal onslaught of Global Capitalism. It will strengthen their resolve and at
the same time provide the organizational means to deepen the fightback.
"We call upon workers in every country to designate their representatives
to the Berlin Conference as soon as possible and to raise the money that will be
needed to ensure the success of this ambitious undertaking."
November 12, 2002, Organizing Meeting
The last and final joint meeting of the OWC Continuations Committee and the
German Preparatory Committee took place in Berlin, Germany, on November 12,
2001.
In attendance at this meeting, on behalf of the Continuations Committee of the
OWC, were Nancy Wohlforth, Executive Board member of the San Francisco Labor
Council, AFL-CIO; Alan Benjamin, Secretary of the Continuations Committee and
co-coordinator of the OWC; and Daniel Gluckstein, who in addition to being a
member of the OWC Continuations Committee also participated on behalf of the
International Liaison Committee for a Workers' International (ILC), of which he
is the Coordinator. Also present were numerous representatives of the Berlin
Preparatory Committee.
The report from November 12 meeting states, in part:
"The [November 12] meeting took stock of the fact that on every continent,
the tragedy of September 11th is being used by the multinationals and the
governments and financial institutions in their service to increase their
assault upon the economic, political, social and democratic rights of all
working people -- and particularly against the trade union movements as such.
"It was noted, for example, that in the United States unemployment has
increased dramatically, with more than 600,000 new unemployed workers since
September 11th. These attacks hit women particularly hard. ...
"Sister Wohlforth proposed that during the Berlin Conference a commission
be constituted specifically to take up the issues of the deregulation of the
healthcare and social security systems. Reports coming from countries with the
most diverse economic and social conditions underline the fact that the attacks
upon the healthcare systems endanger the most elementary care of ill people, as
can be seen for example in France with the suppression of medical gynaecology.
"Alan Benjamin reported on the three continental conferences held in Mexico
City and Brazil and attended by leaders of the CUT and the AFL-CIO, among
others. The creation of a free trade zone of the entire Western Hemisphere, the
FTAA (or Free Trade Area of the Americas) was discussed thoroughly at these
conferences, as were the actions and initiatives needed to resist and defeat the
creation of the FTAA. In Mexico, the struggle against the privatization of
electricity and other forms of public power fostered by the government was
placed at the center of the discussion. ...
"Brother Gluckstein presented a report on the National Conference held in
France in preparation of the International Conference Against Deregulation, in
which 39 delegates were elected. He also reported on the 23 public rallies held
across France in early November aimed at building awareness of, and support for,
the Berlin Conference.
"Brother Gluckstein also reported on the invitation addressed by the Bureau
of the South Korean KCTU trade union federation to representatives of the
International Preparatory Committee to travel to South Korea. Also mentioned was
an invitation to the Conference organizers from Beijing and registrations from
China to the conference. ....
"Brother Klaus Schüller, secretary of the DGB and president of the Workers
Commission (AfA) of the SPD in the land of Thuringia, reported on the European
railroad workers' meeting against privatization in St. Petersburg on November
3-4, 2001. Railroad workers from Russia, France, Britain and Germany
participated. There were messages of solidarity from Pakistan, Ukraine, South
Korea and Brazil. An International Committee Against the Privatization of
railroads and for their Renationalization was formed.
"In this vein, the November 12 meeting discussed whether it is necessary
today, in light of all the reports received from actions around the world, to
advance the demand that the public enterprises and services that have been
privatized should be renationalized. Serious attention was devoted to this
matter. ...
"Brother Gluckstein reported that many proposals have been received
regarding the commissions (or workshops) and debates to be included in the
conference program.
"The meeting participants decided to communicate by letter to all those
preparing the Berlin Conference the central items and the following proposed
commissions (or workshops), so that they could discuss these proposals and bring
forward their own ideas and suggestions regarding the conference agenda.
"Some of the initial proposals include the following:
"- following up on the conference of railworkers against privatization in
St. Petersburg, there should be a commission on railroad privatization,
including also other forms of urban transportation.
"- flowing from the campaign for the municipalization of power supply and
utilities in San Francisco and the struggle for the renationalization of energy
in France, Mexico, and Brazil, a commission will be proposed on these questions.
"- under the direction of Nancy Wohlforth, a commission will be proposed on
the issues regarding the healthcare and social security systems. Many delegates
acting in this sector will attend the Conference, so the commission can assume
also the defence of the ILO conventions regarding the systems of social
security.
"- taking advantage of the initiative of the Education International, in
which an appeal has been distributed, signed by 12 countries, to prepare the IC
against Deregulation, a commission will tackle these questions regarding
education.
"- another commission could tackle the questions of union democracy and
trade union independence.
"- another commission could work on the issue of the "free trade"
zones -- particularly the FTAA and the European Union (which is being expanded
to Eastern Europe).
"- yet another commission could work on the issue of immigrant
workers."
These were just some proposals outlined by the participants in the November 12
meeting. Without a doubt the list will grow as the conference date approaches
and new proposals are made. If you are interested in participating in this
conference, and have proposals for workshops, please contact the OWC
Continuations Committee at <ilcinfo@earthlink.net> or at (415) 626-1175.