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Congress delegates endorsed Breaking Through, the new plan for UNI to grow itself and its unions by focusing on organising workers and ensuring collective bargaining rights. The Congress also passed a host of other resolutions, including a new plan to ensure women hold at least 40 percent of every leadership structure in the organisation. The Congress also approved a new organising fund, to which affiliates can contribute to fund union organising work around the world.



Congress delegates elected a new president, Joe de Bruyn, a leader of Australian commerce union SDA. They reelected Philip Jennings as General Secretary.



“This UNI Global Union knows where it wants to go,” Jennings said in his closing address. “There is no time to lose. We are stronger together. This is a team effort. You elected me but you endorsed a team.”



Jennings said the team, in offices around the world, will work together on Breaking Through.



Jennings thanked the Japanese team for their “Brilliant Congress.”



“Please feel proud,” he said. “You could not have done better.”



Aside from all their work planning and organising the Congress, the Japanese host unions brought an army of young union member volunteers to Nagasaki who acted as guides, ambassadors, interpreters and all-around helpers for Congress attendees. The volunteers helped create a wonderful atmosphere at the Congress.



“To South Africa: 2014 is just around the corner,” Jennings said. “In Berlin, Chicago and Nagasaki the bar has been lifted. Together we will take the 2014 Congress to a new level again.”



See you in Cape Town!



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