12. Union rights under pressure

Trade union militants prosecuted

In many countries, free and independent trade unions are simply banned. Just think of China, where unions are controlled by the regime and where free trade unions don’t stand a chance. Authoritarian regimes often openly persecute trade union militants. Around the world, the right to strike is being questioned, the right to take action is being pushed back, employers are trying to extract repressive legislation from governments to make striking and other actions more difficult.

And that action can go pretty far! In February 2023, Esther Lynch, General Secretary of ETUC, was expelled from Tunisia for addressing a rally organised by the UGTT – the local trade union – to protest against the failing policies of President Kais Saied. A wave of anti-union actions by the authorities followed, as well as the detention of Anis Kaabi, Secretary General of one of the branches of UGTT. President Saied ordered Lynch’s expulsion because of a speech he said indicated blatant interference in the country’s internal affairs. In March 2023, the government banned the entry of trade unionists from at least six countries who wanted to come to Tunisia to show solidarity with the ITUC-affiliated UGTT at a weekend rally.

‘The proportion of countries violating the right to strike increased from 63 per cent in 2014 tot 90 per cent in 2023.’

For ten years, ITUC (global trade union umbrella organisation) has published a sad report

While visiting a strike picket at DHL Express in Turkey in March 2018 with MEP Kathleen Van Brempt, I spoke to a militant from our sister trade union Tümtis about his small son. Like many of his comrades, he himself had been in prison for trade union activities. When he was released and was tucking his little son in at night, he talked to the little boy about what he wanted to be when he grew up. The little boy replied that he wanted to become a superhero to ensure that his daddy would never have to go to jail again for taking care of other people. At such a moment, you know how tough trade unionists worldwide have it.

On 30th June 2023, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) published the 2023 edition of its index of workers’ rights around the world. That report is downright worrying. 149 countries are analysed and weighted annually by the ITUC about their respect for workers’ rights.

The proportion of countries violating the right to strike increased from 63 per cent in 2014 to 90 per cent in 2023.

By 2023, strikes were severely restricted or even banned in 130 of the 149 countries analysed. In those countries, governments actively suppress collective action. Often in brutal ways. Workers who went on strike were criminally prosecuted or lost their jobs.

In 44 countries, workers and their union representatives were victims of violence. Along with the deployment of police or security forces, who often use excessive force. The percentage of countries arresting and detaining workers rose from 25 per cent in 2014 to 46 per cent in 2023.

In the same year, trade unionists were murdered in eight countries: Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Swaziland, Guatemala, Peru and Sierra Leone. Ecuador and Tunisia joined the sad list of the 10 worst countries for workers. They join Bangladesh, Belarus, Egypt, Swaziland, Guatemala, Myanmar, the Philippines and Turkey.

But trade union rights are also coming under increasing pressure in democratic states. In my country, Belgium, the president of my confederation – along with 16 union militants – was convicted of malicious obstruction of traffic. A number of union militants from the socialist trade union ABVV had organised a filter blockade during the general strike in 2015. They and the president of the ABVV were prosecuted and sentenced for this action to suspended prison terms ranging from 15 days to one month, as well as fines.

Sometime before, the president of the ABVV of the Antwerp region was also convicted for the same reason: for organising a strike picket at the port of Antwerp during a strike action.

Not surprisingly, Belgium remains in the category of countries facing regular rights violations in this ITUC index. Belgium is explicitly listed for violations of the right to strike.

‘Trade union rights are also coming under increasing pressure in democratic states.’

But it is not only trade union rights that are under threat. Freedom of the press, so typical of a true democracy, is also in question. The French philosopher Voltaire once said, “Even if I disagree with your opinion, I will always continue to fight for your right to be able to express it.” This is why our modern democracies have provided for free speech and freedom of the press.

When we see how – mainly on the populist right – the press is intimidated, and openly taunted, we know where we stand. Donald Trump does not hesitate to lash out heavily at press people who dare to contradict him during media conferences. Critical journalists who dare to ask critical questions are dismissed by far-right populists as purveyors of fake news.

The atmosphere thus created opens the door for the next step. In places where authoritarian, right- wing regimes are in power, journalists are simply persecuted. Authoritarian regimes increasingly cracking down on free media are the biggest threats to press freedom in the world, along with disinformation and propaganda.

Today, seven out of ten countries in the world have poor press freedom. So says the annual World Press Freedom Index. That index measures the extent to which journalists are free to report independent news without risk to their own safety. Only three in ten countries score sufficiently well in that area. In 2022, 86 journalists worldwide were killed simply for doing their jobs!

LUC TRIANGLE
°03/10/1961. Belgium.
Belgium. General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC). Former General Secretary of the IndustriAll European Trade Union and the European Trade Union Federation for Textiles, Clothing and Leather (ETUF-TCL). Launched his trade union career with the Belgian trade union CSC-ACV.

‘When democracy falters, trade union rights become threatened.’

LUC TRIANGLE

All over the world, we are seeing trade union rights coming under threat.

Why? Because, as trade unions, we represent the largest social movement in the world and are therefore also the principal guardians of democracy. The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) has 200 million members in 340 organisations and 167 countries (or occupied territories such as Palestine). We defend democracy, human and workers’ rights, equality, protection of the most vulnerable, freedom of expression, the rights of the lgbtq+ community, peace and much more. It’s a world within our reach – provided we make the right choices.

However, what we are seeing today, and what Frank describes, is that extremists, fascists, nationalists and populists are using the fear and uncertainty of many working people to push their extremist agenda. Fear and uncertainty arise from unbridled globalisation and the fact that workers see their rights and earned wages systematically attacked by the generalised race to the bottom.

The lines between autocracy and democracy are blurring. When dialogue between authorities and citizens fails, when states flirt with autocracy to pass unpopular laws, when governments mobilise the police and army to suppress legitimate opposition, democracy is put at risk and citizens and workers suffer the consequences. Trade union rights are in retreat because, as trade unions, we have a vision that is diametrically opposed to the populists and extremists. In fact, there is a direct link between the health of democracy and trade union rights.

The ITUC is also able to demonstrate this. Every year, we publish our Worldwide Rights Index. This is an in-depth survey of trade union rights in 149 countries. Since the introduction of the index in 2013, we have seen a systematic regression in the right of workers to organise in trade unions, as well as the right to collective bargaining, the right to strike, the right to register trade unions, the right to freedom of expression and the right to demonstrate, etc. Every year, many trade union activists are attacked in their homes or during demonstrations.

We must reverse this trend. Defending trade union rights is tantamount to defending democracy. Political representatives who claim to be democrats (including in Belgium) are not democrats if, at the same time, they approve of the legal actions we have seen against trade union activists in Belgium (Liège, Antwerp, etc.).

I’m writing this just after talking to trade union activists from the textile sector in Bangladesh, who were asking for help after two of their colleagues were murdered by hit squads. In Honduras, four trade union activists were killed at the end of June 2023.

Is trade union solidarity necessary at international level? The ITUC index showed that the situation in Europe is deteriorating rapidly, whether in the United Kingdom, France, Turkey, Poland, North Macedonia or Hungary. This is no coincidence: these are the countries where politicians add their “own signature” to the concept of democracy.

As trade unions, we have an absolute duty to support each other. An attack on us anywhere, is an attack on us everywhere, as they say in English. More than ever, we need to join forces. Amazon workers in the union-hostile states of the American South are showing us the way. They are fighting for union recognition, just like the workers at Starbucks, Tesla and many other companies around the world. Their struggle is our struggle too. For trade union rights, for democracy.

11. Young people are the present

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13. Everyone belongs to the world and the world belongs to everyone!