Barcelona Declaration

III INTERNATIONAL TRADE UNION LEADERS MEETING

BARCELONA DECLARATION

"FOR RESPONSIBLE TRADE UNIONISM WITHIN RESPONSIBLE GLOBALISATION"

We, trade unionists gathered from around the world in the city of Barcelona in the III International Trade Union Leaders Meeting, invited to the UGT of Catalonia's 13th Congress, for the purpose of strengthening trade unionism as an instrument for the defence and guarantee of labour, social and human rights,

DECLARE

FIRST. We live in a world which adjusts itself to changes too quickly, before it can assimilate them and know where these changes lead us; where yesterday's unquestionable reality is relativised today, only to be expired in a matter of hours. We are suffering a strong moral breakdown as a result of a globalization that accelerates the contradictions: now that there are more technological advancements, we are expected to work more hours; now that there is an increase in food production, more people are suffering from hunger. We are living within a blind and irresponsible globalisation without mechanisms or instruments of democratic control.

SECOND. The current context in which we live is marked by three large crises: the food, energy and economic/financial crises. Also, we have to add climatic change as a new agent which generates inequalities. All of those paradigms which seemed unquestionable and up until now regulated and managed our relations in this world are in crisis. We have seen with amazement the breakdown of our financial system, and whereas before the economic benefits were privatized, now there is an attempt to socialize the losses.

THIRD. We have seen that globalisation is not an ideologically neutral process. Based on this premise, an egocentric capitalism which is motivated solely by profit has imposed itself and spread across the world. In this manner globalisation has developed into a financial situation without precedents, which has caused an increase in financial volatility and speculation, as well as the progressive retreat of state control, giving way to multinational corporations which are not subject to any regulation nor control.

FOURTH. Now that the strictest conservatives have demanded state intervention in the economy, we must turn the situation around so that the problem becomes an opportunity. We need political control of the international financial system. It is necessary to govern globalisation within a democratic framework, not just manage it. It is time to start the process toward a socially responsible globalisation. This process should include the participation of working men and women via trade unions, in other words, through the full participation of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).

FIFTH. Throughout the last few years the war against terrorism has monopolized international efforts between countries, leaving aside the fight against poverty. Armed conflicts have a new aspect now that many of the confrontations are related to the control of natural resources. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), 43.5% of the world's workers do not earn enough to place their families above the poverty limit. In the world there are 218 million working children between the ages of 7 and 14.

SIXTH. Faced with this context, it is more necessary than ever to implement a new multilateralism, a new international framework which leaves aside the state-based logic in order to build a true dialogue between the people and citizens of the world. In this manner, the alliance of civilizations and the millennium objectives become indispensable elements. For this reason, a worldwide trade union movement is more necessary than ever. The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), with 168 million members in 155 countries, has become an essential tool for the democratisation of this new international framework, with the goal of dignifying and creating a more humanised globalisation.

SEVENTH. Because of all these reasons it is necessary to develop a worldwide responsible trade unionism which follows the parameters defined by the ILO in all matters related to decent working conditions; in other words, a permanent demand for adequately paid work which is carried out in conditions of liberty, equality, security and respect for human dignity.

For this purpose, the trade unions that sign this declaration ask that the governments and the political and economic leaders, as well as business organizations, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the World Trade Organization and the United Nations and its specialised organisms, from a new sense of shared responsibility, face the challenge of constructing a new globalisation based on people and not simply on specific financial interests, for which reason, and in accordance with the founding principals of the ILO,

WE DEMAND

1. The implementation of an economic policy to guarantee full employment and the improvement of living conditions.
2. A new international framework, at the service of working people.
3. The recognition of trade unions as indispensable intermediaries for economic and social progress.
4. The fair distribution of the fruits of progress and a wage that guarantees a decent life for workers.
5. The adequate protection of the life and health of workers in all occupations.
6. The implementation of social security systems that guarantee adequate funding and universal medical attention.
7. The guarantee of an effective application of equal access to education, professional/worker training, and employment for all workers.
8. The ratification and fulfilment of the ILO's international agreements, giving priority to the Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work with relation to trade union freedom, collective bargaining, non-discrimination, forced labour and the eradication of child labour.
9. The democratisation of the working world through social dialogue and worker participation in all areas of national and international decision making processes.
   

WE PLEDGE

• To make decent work our main goal and demand, for the benefit of society as a whole.
• To participate in an active and constructive manner in all areas of social dialogue and collective bargaining, in order to strengthen the democratisation of labour relations.
• To promote equality and non-discrimination in all of our trade unions' areas of influence, including within our own organisations.
• To work with public and private employers for the continued improvement of productivity and the quality of products and services.
• To fight for social equality, democracy and the dignity of people in our respective countries, with the same international scope, in a globalisation which we also claim as ours.
• To continual renovation, with emphasis on the internal promotion of gender equality and the inclusion of young people, echoing their demands.
  

For all these reasons we declare our commitment to work together and without boundaries in the heart of the International Trade Union Confederation, for the purpose of improving the work and living conditions of working men and women and their families, as well as our commitment to defend human rights, social justice, gender equality, peace, liberty, and democracy.