|
|
home / course outline / general information
/ facilitators / materials
/ summaries / links
Session 1 / Session
2 / Session 3 / Session 4 / Session
5 / Session 6 / Session 7 / Session
8
WORLD COMPANY COUNCILS
Gavin Hartford is a former National Organiser for the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA). Here he reports on world meetings of the International Metalworkers' Federation which bring together shopstewards in the auto industry.
Every four years the International Metalworkers Federation (IMF) sets up World Company Council meetings for workers from the same transnational company to come together and exchange information. There are big changes in the auto industry worldwide, so these meetings are very useful for workers from the big companies like General Motors, Ford, Volkswagen and Toyota.
NUMSA sent delegates to the General Motors and Volkswagen World Company Council meetings. At these meetings, workers from different plants around the world reported on work conditions and workers' rights in the company. In this way, workers got a good idea of the global strategy of these TNCs, and workers passed resolutions on how to deal with the issues that had come up.
After World Council meetings, the IMF writes a useful report with all decisions and resolutions taken. But this is often where it ends. The meeting does not strategise on how to take these decisions forward, and no plans of action are worked out. This is a major weakness.
NUMSA wants to push for shopstewards at these meetings to develop a workers' solidarity strategy for the whole company, a common approach on union and worker rights, and to formulate a set of demands. Then NUMSA wants to see one set of negotiations with the head office of the company. These negotiations should cover all workers employed in this company worldwide.
One set of conditions for all workers in a single corporation is critical. TNCs shift their operations to wherever they can produce the cheapest. So workers in one country lose jobs, and in the new country of operation they get badly exploited. Volkswagen, for example, is starting to invest in China and to retrench workers in Germany where labour is skilled and wages high. By contrast, wages in China are low and there are no strong unions. By producing in China, Volkswagen wants to cut labour costs and to gain access to the car market for the whole of Asia.
Establishing one set of conditions for all workers can prevent TNCs from playing out workers against each other and driving down working conditions. Instead of competing with each other for investments, workers can regain some control over TNCs through world company councils.
(From: Breaking Boundaries, COSATU Shopsteward/ILRIG publication, April 1994)
For problems or questions regarding this site contact [Alana Dave].
Technical problems and ideas contact [Technical staff].
This site was developed with financial assistance from the European Commision's Socrates Programme
