YouTube video from the Unions21 event on globalisation, captured at the Labour Party Conference, September 2008.

Solidarity Plus – Working Closer Through Globalisation
Speakers:
Will Hutton, Chief Executive Work Foundation
Paul Noon, General Secretary of Prospect
Mick Maguire, President FIFPro
Leo Gerard, United Steelworkers

As news of the bail out plan for failing financial institutions hit the headlines Unions 21 convened a breakfast meeting to discuss globalisation issues. Will Hutton, Chief Executive of the Work Foundation was joined by joined Mick Maguire, President of FIFPRO, Paul Noon, General Secretary of Prospect and Leo Gerard, United Steelworkers, to discuss how unions can organise globally.

Will Hutton chose to respond to the economic news directly and began the meeting by challenging unions to respond. He said that the financial crisis presented trade unions in Britain, North America and Europe with a real opportunity, arguing that if banks are being bailed out by the taxpayer, they should for example require the companies they invest in to recognise trade unions. Will also argued that there are issues about the lack of voice on boards of companies that should similarly be addressed: “I do think that if we are going to see major government effort to bail out distressed banks that there should be quid pro quos and the Labour Movement should start urgently debating what those quid pro quos are”.

Leo Gerard told the meeting that the previous day he had been part of the first ever meeting of Workers Uniting, the new union formed from the merger between United Steelworkers and Unite. He called the merger “a learning experience and an adventure“. Leo said that the current US model of globalisation is not based on any rules or standards and so is destined to fail: “For a more equitable world collective bargaining has to be expanded to developing countries in which labour standards are lower, it is the aim of Workers Uniting to do this”. Leo argued that collective bargaining has to happen in South America and Africa, or the working conditions in the USA and UK will be put under more pressure.

Mick McGuire had lessons from the PFA about how a union can answer the practical realities of a globalised employment market. There are now over 600 international players playing for English clubs, in 1991 it was 7. FIFPRO is now made up of over 40 countries. All the battles won in England by the PFA over the years are now templates for player organisations in other countries to use. This is important in driving up standards in regions such as Eastern Europe where players face poor conditions, for example being paid only if they win. Mick said that English football can invest in players from other countries to the detriment of domestic players. UEFA are now consulting the football unions to contribute ideas to a new way of dealing with the effect on national teams of youngsters taking training places in countries not of their birth. UEFA are looking at the idea of players being allowed to take on new nationalities if they have trained in another country for a certain length of time.