Trade imbalances irk unions

The unions, who met under the auspices of the Brics Trade Union Forum, as such, “cautiously” welcomed the proposal of a Brics development bank.
“We strongly believe that this bank should take a different form from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

“It should primarily developmental in character. We envisage the Brics Development Bank solely owned by Brics, publicly funded, taking all decisions on consensus, promoting trade based on own currencies of its member countries, with a core focus on infrastructure and development in consultation and approval by all stakeholders, inclusive of the community and trade unions,” the unions stated after an event running concurrently with the Brics Summit.

They proposed Brics trade unions should be represented on the Brics bank’s highest decision-making body and its various task teams.
Meanwhile, the Brics Trade Union Forum recognised that without a co-ordinated approach within the trade unions, workers’ interests may not be taken forward.

“In defending and advancing workers rights, we commit to ensuring that all multinational companies comply with core labour standards and do not exploit unequal conditions between countries, driving down wages and eroding workers rights by playing workers against one another.

“In addition, we recognise the importance of national and global tripartite dialogue structures, and pledge to defend these as a key site for advancing the decent work agenda and ensuring the protection of workers’ rights, particularly those of vulnerable and migrant workers.

“We will struggle to ensure that the Brics agenda does not isolate regional and continental counterparts and will work to advance the interests of the developing world in general,” the Brics trade unions said in a joint statement.

In order to enhance their co-operation, the unions established a co-ordinating mechanism consisting of representatives from all trade union federations based in each of the Brics countries. The task is to implement this and previous declarations, including preparations for the next Trade Union Forum in Brazil in 2014. — CAJ News.