ISC Development Project CARIBEAN REGIONAL SEMINAR Report from Barbados Barbados Workers' Union College 22 - 25 November 1999
Agenda
	Day 1
	Day 2
	Day 3
	Day 4
Day 1
Opening and Welcome
Input Address: Globalisation and the Trade Union Movement Robert Morris (BWU)
The Impact of Globalisation on the Region
	Worksheet 1
	Plenary Report Back
Day 2
Day 3
Identifying Regional Issues
	Worksheet 2
	Plenary Report Back
Adoption of a  Work Plan for the Region
	Exchange of Staff / Attachments
	Exchange of Information
	Sharing Resources
	Setting up a Regional International Study Circle
Day 4
Comments on the Draft ISC Handbook
Evaluation and Closure
Participants
Key Note Address
Robert (Bob) Morris: Globalisation and the Trade Union Movement

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Agenda

Day 1

09.00 - 09.15	Welcome		Ulric Sealy (BWU)
09.15 - 09.30	The ISC Development Project		Leonard Gentle (WEA/IFWEA)
09.30 - 11.00	Introduction to Participating Organisations
11.15 - 12.30	Globalisation and the Trade Union Movement		Robert Morris (BWU)
14.00 - 15.00	IFWEA, its Policies and Structures		Lenny Gentle
15.00 - 16.30	Discussion

 

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Day 2

09.00 - 11.00	The Impact of Globalisation on the Region		Workshop
11.15 - 12.30	Introduction to the ISC Programme		Lenny Gentle
14.00 - 16.30	The Experience, Methodology and Possibilities of ISCs		Ulric Sealy / Lenny Gentle

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Day 3

09.00 - 11.00	Collaborative Work in the Region Workshop
11.15 - 12.30	Adopting a Programme of Regional Activity		Workshop
14.00 - 16.30	Adopting a Programme of Regional Activity

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Day 4

09.00 - 12.30	Planning a Regional ISC Programme		Workshop
14.00 - 15.00	Assessing the Draft ISC Handbook
15.00 - 15.30	Evaluation and Closure

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Opening and welcome

The Seminar was opened by Ulric Sealy, Deputy General Secretary of the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU), and Principal of the Labour College. He especially welcomed the presence of Lenny Gentle as co-ordinator of the ISC Development Project and went on to say that he noted the participation of the foremost practitioners of workers’ education in the Caribbean.

Lenny Gentle of the WEA then went on to introduce the ISC Development project and said that it was a programme of 6 Regional Seminars which had a two-fold aim in each region of IFWEA :

• To introduce the International Study Circle (ISC) programme and debate its usefulness and appropriateness for workers’ education in the region.
• To plan a programme of regional activity which would bring together IFWEA affiliates and their fraternal organisations in the Caribbean region.

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Input Address : Globalisation and the Trade Union Movement - Robert Morris (BWU)

The meeting heard an input on

Globalisation and the Trade Union Movement

by the Deputy General Secretary of the BWU, Robert (Bob) Morris.

Arising from his input there was discussion on issues such as :

• The nature and extent of globalisation
• Whether the labour movement still has "friends" and "enemies" or whether there are only different interests
• How seriously unions are taking the need for education and what kinds of education programmes are necessary
• Whether trade unions should be involved in business ventures and on what terms

Despite differing views, particularly on strategies of union empowerment through credit unions and pension funds and on whether ownership and control of the means of production were still relevant issues, the seminar gravitated towards a view that placed two issues as vital for the labour movement internationally:

• the need for an alternate philosophy to that of the market
• the need for education and development programmes

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 The Impact of Globalisation on the Region

The seminar broke into two working groups for a workshop looking at the impact of globalisation on the Caribbean region. Each group had a worksheet with the following questions :

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Worksheet 1

Discuss the impact of globalisation on the region by looking at its effect on the following areas :

1. On your country as a whole, at the level of :

• its national economy
• political democracy
• social stability
• unemployment
• levels of wealth

2. On your organisation, at the level of :

• the constituency you serve
• the human and material capacity of your organisation
• membership recruitment and participation
• finances

3. On workers’ education, at the level of :

• the demand for education programmes
• the kind of education programmes
• new methods of carrying out programmes

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Plenary Report Back

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Group 1 (Dominica, Belize, Barbados, Grenada)

1. The group felt that globalisation has had a negative effect in general and has caused increased social instability and widening wealth disparities. Some of the specific points made were:

• Politicians are hiding behind the globalisation phenomenon to make their political positions secure. There is a plethora of new ministry names which are used e.g. Ministry of Social Justice, Ministry of Social Transformation etc.
• There has been a huge decline in voter turnout in elections. In some countries minority parties are in power.
• There has been large scale public sector reforms e.g. privatisation of postal services, water and electricity. Also a high level of public-private sector partnerships.
• Increasing social problems such as a high rate of suicide amongst debt-ridden farmers in Dominica, drug problems and general large scale migration to the USA and other countries. In Grenada there is a major population shift towards the towns.
• In general unemployment is increasing (except in Barbados).

2. There has been a general decline in union membership and because unions depend on dues there is a general negative financial capacity. Some of the specifics are :

• People are asking "What is in it for me ?"
• A lack of quality staff and absence of training of shop stewards is leading to a general apathy amongst members
• The BWU is an exception, being in a healthier state financially and in terms of owning its own estate.

3. All the participants felt that there is a need for more co-operation amongst unions. There is a demand for new methods of disseminating information and for new technology. Many unions do not have computers and this needs to be addressed. Some felt that the unions should ask their governments to finance training programmes.

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Group 2 (Trinidad, Guyana, Jamaica, Barbados)

1. The group debated whether globalisation is new and what is new about globalisation. They questioned whether the effects felt at present are the result of something new or the recession through which the region has gone.

• The traditional market for CARICOM, i.e. Britain - sugar, timber, bananas, rice, coffee - has taken a bashing over the recent period. This started off because Britain shifted towards Europe.
• This has been made worse by the result of trade blocs and trade wars e.g. the WTO’s ruling in the banana wars.
• As the regional; economy’s declines there is an increase in crime and social problems.
• There has been increased Transnational Company (TNC) involvement in the region - KFC and McDonald’s have been given major concessions to get them to invest in the region
• Export Processing Zones (EPZs) are now established in parts of the region
• Pressure from international lending agencies has lead to privatisation and subcontracting.
• In Trinidad up to 40 % of the government income is reliant on oil and oil based products and therefore the country is dependent on the price of oil.
• Rice and sugar is subsidised by the EU and there is a bauxite levy in Jamaica. This leaves these countries vulnerable to political changes elsewhere..
• Geo-political issues lead to the US invasion of Grenada. This and the blockade of Cuba has had a brutal effect on the region.
• 70 % of the population in Guyana lives below the poverty datum line and there is an increased mal-distribution of wealth in the region as a whole.
• However one of the positive spin-offs of globalisation has been the increase in tourism although this is offset by the fact that much of the new tourism is cruise tourism which does not bring money into the region.

2. In Trinidad union density has fallen from 40 % to 20 %. Barbados is stable at 25 % and Guyana has a density of about 25 - 30 %. However there has been a general decline in trade union activity in the region.
3. Globalisation has however challenged union assumptions e.g. about the Caribbean Congress of Labour (CCL) and the need to address difficult questions such as how to give real power to regional structures.

• There is a need to target younger workers and women workers.
• Unions must strive for issues of equality and take up gender issues.
• The debate between capitalism and socialism is not being taken up by younger comrades.

Out of these plenary reports there was a renewed debate about globalisation. Derek Alleyne of Barbados felt that globalisation was an old thing. That the World Bank and the IMF came on from the end of World War 2. Technology has been driving this process but it is a continuation of the same. The dividing line has been the decline of the Soviet Union. For example Caribbean countries wanted to destroy the Commonwealth in the past when some were pro-Soviet Union but now this has changed and the Commonwealth is seen positively.

 

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 Day 2

The day was devoted to a lengthy presentation by Lenny Gentle of the WEA and IFWEA on the history, appropriateness and methodology of the International Study Circle (ISC) programme. He went on to demonstrate the IFWEA web-site and participants were given an opportunity to access the ISC and the Development Projects web-pages.

This was complemented by a presentation by Ulric Sealy of the BWU tracing the history of the ISC project since its inception out of the Seville IFWEA meeting. He handed out copies of the education materials which were used in the Pilot Projects and made a point of emphasising that ISCs are about getting the idea of globalisation across as simply as possible.

Rosemand Puckerin of the BWU also spoke about her experience as a participants in one of the pilot programmes.

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 Identifying Regional Issues

The seminar broke into 2 groups in order to discuss possible regional activities. Each used the following worksheet as a guide.

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Worksheet 2

1. What would you say are the most important issues facing workers’ organisations in your country and the region ?

2. What role do you think that an organisation such as yours can play in attempting to address these issues ?

3. What obstacles does your organisation face in attempting to address these issues ?

4. What forms of regional co-operation do you think could exist ?

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Plenary Report Back

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Group 1 (Dominica, Belize, Barbados, Grenada)

1. The issues were quite similar in the region :

• financing to fulfil essential functions
• lack of commitment by members (only interested in wage issues)
• dwindling membership
• workers lack awareness of their rights
• lack of education programmes
• lack of quality staff as well as staff numbers
• no library or research facilities
• sense of mistrust in leadership because of political connections
• lack of adequate labour legislation and lack of capacity at labour department to enforce labour laws.

2. The group felt that the trade unions in the regions should do the following :

• membership drives
• proper financial planning and management
• more educational and recreational activities
• proper marketing of unions
• Taking up national issues
• sourcing grant funds from local governments (Grenada and Barbados do)
• Establish a data base of all union members and a membership profile.
• Updating legislation by lobbying governments.

3. The group identified the following obstacles :

• apathy amongst members
• lack of government interest in workers’ education
• a simplistic adversarial attitude that union can adopt in a knee-jerk way
• governments and unions sometimes in bed with each other
• financial resources are lacking and grants are drying up from traditional supporters

4. The group suggested the following areas for co-operation :

• group and staff exchanges and attachments
• exchange of information about issues
• networking through e-mail, faxes, telephones and the internet.
• more regional co-operation at international conferences and meetings
• strengthening regional trade union organisations such as the Caribbean Congress of Labour (CCL)
• establish a regional International Study Circle

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Group 2 (Trinidad, Guyana, Jamaica, Barbados)

1. The group identified the following problems in the region :

• membership losses
• poor levels and methods of organisation
• lack of capacity all round - financial and human
• political influence and pro-political party interests sometimes clash with trade union interests
• external factors such as IMF conditionalities (e.g. IDB) have had a huge negative influence.
• gender issues are important including a Caribbean irony that sometimes women are over-represented in certain sectors of society (e.g. the university campuses).

2. The group identified the following issues for trade unions in the region to take responsibility for :

• education of membership and leadership training
• take strategic approach to long and medium-term planning
• run trade unions in a business-like manner although not run AS a business.
• look to organisational change and change in structure e.g. mergers, integration and rationalisation.

3. The group identified the following obstacles in addressing the above :

• financial
• lack of commitment of membership and willingness to embrace change.

4. The group identified the following possibilities for regional co-operation :

• sharing of information and resources
• integration and amalgamation
• an international study circle

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Adoption of a  Work Plan for the Region

After discussion on the two group reports and a long discussion on the possibilities of centralised bargaining as a way of rationalising collective bargaining and building union strength, the seminar adopted the following work plan :

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Exchange of Staff / Attachments

• Unions in the region to be asked to release a staff member/s to liase with all the islands on a specific company (e.g. LIAT could be an important starting point). Participants to give this information to the Regional Co-ordinator, Ulric Sealy of the BWU.
• An exchange of staff in ensuring joint education programmes. Justin Campbell of Grenada to initiate the process by inviting participation of other unions in the region in the Strategic Planning Workshop programme scheduled for early 2000.

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Exchange of Information

• Dave Smith of the NUGFW in Trinidad to draw up a needs analysis of all unions in the region on their Information Technology (IT) capacity so that proposals can be made for strengthening communication between the unions in the region.
• All unions to send information on collective bargaining to the CCL (Caribbean Congress of Labour). All participants to distribute the ILO labour standards report as well as feed information into the report.
• Set up a web-page via the NUGFW and IFWEA.
• Lilieth Harris of Jamaica to draw up a questionnaire for distribution to all participants in this workshop. The questionnaire will seek to establish a basic data base on :
• union information
• basic company information (e.g. which companies trade in all the Caribbean islands)

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Sharing Resources

• sharing of personnel in collective bargaining
• sharing representatives at international meetings so that all the unions do not have to duplicate expenses of sending a representative to every international meeting.
• sharing research papers, documents and publications (e.g. ILO materials, publications)

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Setting up a Regional International Study Circle

The seminar agreed to launch an International Study Circle for the region on the theme : "Lessons of the European Union Experience for Caribbean Trade Unions"

• The present group of 7 countries will be the participating group but efforts will be made by the Regional Co-ordinator to brings in other CARICOM countries.
• The present participants will be the facilitators or will ensure a facilitator from his/her home country.
• The programme will begin in April 2000 with a 2-week deadline for each session reports to be submitted. The actual programme design will incorporate the following issue :
• what is CARICOM ?
• what blocs have emerged and what are they doing ?
• The report of the Regional Negotiating team for Seattle - structures, focus, objectives etc
• What are the main issues for labour ?
• single market and single currency ?
• trading agreements
• labour market issues
• harmonising of labour legislation
• decision-making structures
• Forms of centralised bargaining
• Trade Union restructuring
• Forms of tri-partism
• International trade union links
• Political, historical and cultural challenges

• The ISC programme may start earlier as a more modest one depending on the outcome of the ISC Development Project Evaluation meeting in Manchester in January 2000.
• The IFWEA web-site will be used to facilitate the programme. Emails or Faxes will be used for participants who do not have internet access. Ulric Sealy will be responsible for getting the information to the participants.
• The Regional ISC programme will have to be evaluated 6 months after the programme commences.

  

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Comments on the Draft ISC Handbook

The seminar decided to comment in detail on the Draft ISC Handbook. Factual errors were pointed out arising out of comments made in previous seminars. The following were specific points made by the participants :

• The handbook reads like an internal report in places (e.g. page 13 and 14) and gives information which is not relevant to a handbook which should be instructional.
• There is inconsistent highlighting - sometimes these are sections which can stand alone and sometimes they actually cannot.
• The handbook should have a format which sets out learning outcomes e.g. "What did we learn ?"
• The handbook needs layout techniques which are educational. Drawings take up too much space and the text is too dense.
• The text font should also change at various times - currently it is too much in word-processing style.
• The handbook should have pages that can be photocopied and used as transparencies. For this reasons even some illustrations should be substantive.
• Chapter 5 has a heading which suggests an approach to how to use the technology but does not actually do so.
• Why is "Work in Progress" right at the end i.e. after the list of IFWEA organisations when it should be before ? Also bring the dates in this section up to date.

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Evaluation and Closure

The seminar closed with each participant evaluating the seminar against their own expectations. All endorsed the International Study Circle programme as an important initiative in workers’ education and undertook to discuss the possibility of joining IFWEA in the case where they are not already affiliates.

The regional Co-ordinator thanked all the participants and drew attention to the fact that trade unions in Haiti, Canada (Canadian Labour Congress) and the USA (George Meany Centre) had been invited but could not attend and that he would be following up this seminar with reports to be sent to Surinam, Bahamas and Bermuda.

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Appendix 1 - Participants

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Participants
Name	Organisation	Country	Tel. & Fax	E-mail
Randolph Johnson	Administrative Secretary National Trade Union Congress Belize P.O.Box 259 Belize City	Belize	Tel : 501-2-71596 Fax: 501-2-72864	ntucb@btl.net
Derek Alleyne	National Union of Public Workers’ Dalkeath St Michael	Barbados	Tel: 246-426-1764 Fax: 246-436-1795	nupwbarbados@sunbeach.net
Justin Campbell	General Secretary Bank and General Workers’ Union P.O.Box 329 Bain Alley St. George’s	Grenada	Tel: 1-473-440-3563 Fax: 1-473-440-0778	bgwu@caribsurf.com juscom@hotmail.com
Dave Smith	Organisation Officer National Union of Government and Federated Workers 145-147 Henry Street Port of Spain	Trinidad	Tel: 868-623-4591 Fax: 868-625-7756	nugfw@carib-link.net
Catherine Valerie-Solomon	Waterfront & Allied Workers’ Union 43 Hillsborough Street Roseau	Dominica	Tel: 1-767-448-2343 Fax: 1-767-448-0086	wawu@hotmail.com catherinevalerie@hotmail.com
Lancelot Arthur Baptiste	Assistant General Secretary Guyana Trades Union Council Woolford Avenue & Albert Street Georgetown	Guyana	Fax: 592-2-70254
	Administrative Officer & Field Secretary Guyana Teachers’ Union Woolford Avenue Longden Park Georgetown	Guyana	Tel/Fax: 592-2-70403 592-2-63183
Rosemand Puckerin	Barbados Workers’ Union P.O.Box 172 Solidarity House Harmony Hall St. Michael	Barbados	Tel: 246-428-0954 Fax: 246-436-6496 246-435-5505	bwucol@caribsurf.com joyceulric@sunbeach.net
Lilieth V. Harris	Executive Director Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions 1A Hope Boulevard Kingston 6	Jamaica	Tel: 1-876-977-5170 Fax: 1-876-977-4575	jctu@cwjamaica.com lvharris@cwjamaica.com
William Holder	Barbados Workers’ Union
Ulric Sealy	Deputy General Secretary Barbados Workers’ Union Principal BWU Labour College Mangrove St. Phillip	Barbados	Tel: 246-435-5500 Fax: 246-435-5505	bwucol@caribsurf.com joyceulric@sunbeach.net
Leonard Gentle	Workers’ Educational Association (WEA) Temple House Victoria Square London	United Kingdom	Tel: 181- 983 1515	leonard.gentle@mcr1.poptel.org.uk
	IFWEA Projects Office GMB College College Road Manchester M16 8BP		Tel: 161- 860 5952 Fax: 161 - 8811853

Appendix 2 - Key Note Address

What then should be done ?

• Trade unions must link up globally.
• We should IFWEA and other networks and use the available IT to build these networks
• There should be international level campaigns against international capital
• Education is an absolute priority. We need to create awareness and cannot assume that trade union leaders understand globalisation. The international labour movement is a powerful forum but first we must educate people.

• Trade unions need to move away from friends and enemies and understand that there are only interests.
• Trade unions should be involved in investment and empowerment. We need to look at economic institutions such as credit unions and pension funds. We must not be afraid of accumulating wealth. This does not make us capitalists.
• We need social compacts - how we can build wealth and share wealth. Our relationship with employers does not have to be a conflictual one.
• We need to change our approach to collective bargaining so that we can get the macro economics right. We can be positive about restructuring including negotiating productivity agreements.