Promoting Solidarity and Rights of Workers Globally through International Trade Unions
Joining trade unions and engaging in international work is crucial for promoting solidarity, protecting workers' rights globally, and challenging exploitation by multinational companies. UNISON's National LGBT+ Committee is actively involved in international work, aiming to advocate for LGBT+ workers' rights and advance the international agenda within the union. Globalization has led to increased responsibility to protest against injustices and uphold universal freedoms. Collaboration among unions and global organizing are essential in tackling issues faced by workers internationally.
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LGBT+ International Work UNISON national LGBT+ committee explores internationality, solidarity and the rights of workers globally.
Why trade unions should be involved in international issues? Solidarity - joining together with others who share a common interest - is the very basis of trade unionism, and it shouldn't stop at national borders. Britain's economy and political system are interdependent with Europe and the rest of the world. It is vital, therefore, that UNISON works with sibling trade unions in other countries and through key international organisations to promote and protect its members' interests and concerns Ordinary workers and trade unionists in the UK cannot stand by while colleagues around the world face death and lifelong injury from multinationals who care nothing for the cheap labour they exploit. They cannot stand by while ordinary trade unionists around the world face intimidation, imprisonment or assassination.
UNISON NATIONAL LGBT+ COMMITTEE INTERNATIONAL WORK National LGBT+ committee has an extensive programme of international work, pre-dating the formation of UNISON This sits within UNISON s international work, with annual reports to the NEC International committee The purpose is to feed LGBT+ workers rights into UNISON s international work and to promote UNISON s international agenda amongst LGBT+ members The committee has an international sub-committee of six members All members of the national committee are encouraged to get involved in international work
Global Organising Where globalization means, as it so often does, that the rich and powerful now have new means to further enrich and empower themselves at the cost of the poorer and weaker, we have a responsibility to protest in the name of universal freedom. Nelson Mandela
Solidarity Union strength comes from collective strength; workers acting together, unions acting together Our response to the practices of these companies is often weak and fragmented.
Global Unions and International Confederations Historically unions have come together in federations at national and international level reflecting their politics or sectorial interest. The result is an alphabet soup of sometimes collaborating and sometimes competing confederations and so called global unions, including: International Union of Food Workers (IUF) UNI Global (UNI) Public Services International (PSI) Building and wood workers International (BWI) Education International (EI) IndustriALL International Confederation of Trade Unions (ITUC) International Transport Federation (ITF)
Work with the alphabet soup UNISON was one of the first unions in the world to address LGBT+ workers rights and is widely acknowledged as the trail blazer UNISON has put LGBT+ equality on the agenda for the various global bodies to which we affiliate We wrote PSI and EI s first joint guidance on lesbian and gay rights for them in 1999 and rewrote it for them as an LGBT guide in 2007 We have been a member of the various emanations PSI/EI LGBT+ steering groups and attended each of their previous global meetings, which have taken place approximately four yearly since 2004 We have also worked closely with ETUC, bringing together ETUC and ILGA-Europe for a very fruitful working relationship UNISON has also raised LGBT+ rights within EPSU, the ILO and ILGA World.
UNISON and ILGA World UNISON has been affiliated to ILGA World for more than 25 years UNISON has had almost continual representation on ILGA-Europe s Board Largely because of UNISON s active membership, ILGA World has a good track record of working with trade unions/union bodies In line with policy agreed at national delegate conference, regional LGBT+ groups are encouraged to affiliate to ILGA World alongside the national affiliation. There is a protocol signed by the UNISON Head of International for managing UNISON s participation in ILGA World and IlGA Europe, our region. UNISON nationally has sent a delegation of two members, accompanied by an officer, to each annual ILGA-Europe conference and to the world conferences which happen less frequently.
ILGA Europe ILGA-Europe has around 600 member organisations in 54 European and Central Asian countries These include national and local organisations, as well as trades union-based groups, political party based groups, women's groups, etc. Many of ILGA-Europe's member organisations combine advocacy training, lobbying, human rights campaigning with the provision to their community of support services such as telephone help lines, HIV information and advice and counselling.
The Aim of ILGA Europe Adopt an EU Roadmap on LGBTI equality Equip the EU with a comprehensive action plan to champion equality and to ensure it uses its full powers in an effective and coherent way, as it does to combat other forms of discrimination Enforce human rights within the EU Ensure the adoption of an internal human rights strategy and the creation of a watchdog mechanism to enable the EU to respond to human rights violations within its own borders and to hold Member States accountable to their human rights commitments Complete the EU anti-discrimination law Actively work towards the adoption of a comprehensive anti discrimination legislation and the effective implementation of existing standards, including through continued EU financial programs to enable effective action to make equality a reality in the EU
And Combat homophobic and transphobic violence Actively work towards the extension of EU legislation to combat all forms of bias- motivated violence and to mobilise all EU agencies to protect victims of violence and to train law-enforcement professionals Promote an inclusive definition of family in EU policies Ensure that EU legislation and policies are inclusive of LGBTI families within the scope of EU competences (such as freedom of movement and mutual recognition) and to promote respect and recognition of the rights of LGBTI families Take a lead in protecting trans rights Be a leader in calling for an end to requirements to legal gender recognition for trans people that clearly violate human rights, and to actively support the EU in continuing to lead on the depathologisation of trans identities
Theres more Take action against school bullying Mobilise EU institutions and Member States to effectively address school bullying, including homophobic and transphobic bullying, through existing EU policies and programs Tackle discrimination and inequalities in health Mobilise EU institutions and Member States to effectively address barriers to the effective enjoyment of the right to health for LGBTI people through existing EU policies and programs Ensure effective protection for LGBTI asylum-seekers Ensure that Member States correctly and fairly examine LGBTI people s asylum claims and to support EU agencies and national authorities in fully implementing EU asylum legislation
And finally to: Make the EU the world champion of equality for LGBTI people Ensure that the human rights of LGBTI people outside of the EU remain a key priority in the EU s external policy, including in its enlargement and neighbourhood policies, in its positions at international organisations, and within its programmatic support to human rights defenders.
Did You Know? UNISON LGBT+ members worked with Labour behind the Label to create a model LGBT+ Pride Ethical Procurement Policy? You can read it here: https://www.unison.org.uk/content/uploads/2020/11/26209-1.pdf LGBT+ members have worked tirelessly campaigning on Justice for Palestine The international work of the National LGBT+ Committee is closely aligned with the work of the NEC s International agenda.
Discussion points: How can we form relationships and better coordinate our organising with other trade unions , labour movements and NGO s around the world? How can we organise better to deal with the challenge of multinational companies? How should be see our organising work within an international context?
