Jennings at ILO Conference: “You are the canary in the mine!”
Speaking at the 103rd International Labour Organisation Conference at the United Nations’ Geneva office, UNI General Secretary, Philip Jennings, told the ILO that “workers of the world need a pay rise” and thanked the ILO for speaking out against inequality.
Jennings pointed out that as the wages share of wealth plummets and gender inequality widens CEO pay continues to rocket. This increasing inequality as led to widespread suffering in our economies and communities.
He said, “It’s time for the international community to follow the UK’s CBI, the Pope and the US President and support a worldwide rise in wages. Workers of the world, women workers everywhere need a pay rise!”
In a wide ranging speech, Jennings also said: “The ILO conducts brilliant work on wages, jobs and work trends. You have taken a heroic stand to halt the Troika breach of labour standards. You are the canary in the mine.”
“The 2016 ILO Conference theme is ‘Supply Chains” – let’s build on the success of the Bangladesh Garment Accord to halt the race to the bottom. Forged from the Rana Plaza ruins, the Accord now includes 180 brands.
The inequality coin has finally dropped, Jennings added. Now many governments and international organisations finally get it: inequality is holding back growth. Binding. Transparent. Consequent. Only business cheats need fear.”
He praised the ILO for taking a stand, "The ILO is putting forward positive proposals on quality jobs, building strong labour market institutions, unions and collective bargaining, all to steer us to shared prosperity. These proposals make good sense to UNI Global Union members in the growing services sector."
Jennings said it was time to face up to the challenge presented by the toxic anti-union behaviour of Walmart, T-Mobile, Prosegur and Amazon destroying the chance of a living wage or decent work conditions.
Citing his recent visit to Peru and Latin America, Jennings explained how Chilean retailer was victimizing workers for joining a union. UNI has put in OECD complaints on Ripley and Prosegur and Jennings urged the relevant governments to take note.
Turning to the EU Troika, he accused the IMF/EU/European Central Bank of having created unprecedented jobless levels, eliminating labour institutions, leading to a young Troika Diaspora. The Troika is killing social Europe, he said. The ILO is taking an important stand to halt the Troika breach of labour standards.
With the world’s attention firmly on the football World Cup in Brazil, Jennings pointed out that sport was not just a leisure activity for millions but big business, and a key part of the services economy. He said the aspirations of sporting bodies such as the IOC had to live up to expectations of on the ground labour standards. Jennings joined calls for the Qatar World Cup bid to be re-run.
Finally, Jennings reminded the ILO audience that UNI would be convening its world congress in South Africa in December under the banner, “Including You” for inclusive growth, not a planet rigged for the 1%.
“We are spurred by the 20th anniversary of the victory over apartheid, a rising Africa, UNI’s Breaking Through organizing strategy is winning and the continued struggle for social justice from Colombia, to Korea, North Africa.
Inspired by the South African expression ‘Ubuntu’, meaning ‘I am who I am because of who we are’. Let’s bring an Ubuntu spirit of humanity not just to Walmart and the Troika but to the ILO Future of Work centenary project as well,” he concluded.