[stop-imf] ICFTU calls for World Bank commitments on workers' rights

[Robert Weissman]

INTERNATIONAL CONFEDERATION OF FREE TRADE UNIONS (ICFTU)

ICFTU Online...
086/060503

ICFTU calls for World Bank commitments on workers' rights

ICFTU Online Brussels, May 6, 2003: Today, the World Bank's board of
directors will be debating the issue of basic workers' rights, in
follow-up to the Bank's recent study which highlighted the positive
impact of trade unions in economic development.

The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) is calling
on the government representatives on the World Bank board to ensure that
the Bank goes beyond its recent public support in principle
(http://www.icftu.org/displaydocument.asp?Index=991217201) for basic
workers' rights (or "core labour standards" (CLS)), and takes serious
measures to respect and support these standards in its everyday policy
work.

The ICFTU is concerned that the Bank's board will shy away from
implementing the reforms implied by the results of recent research,
leaving a wide gap between the Bank's international backing of CLS and
its day-to-day activities at the country level, which often undermine
workers' rights and trade unions.

According to the ICFTU, "The only way to prevent the Bank from
undermining workers' rights is for it to commit to ensuring that all of
the World Bank's country-level policy advice and loan conditions are
consistent with core labour standards and other ILO conventions ratified
by the country in question."

The ICFTU is also urging government representatives to push the World
Bank to integrate CLS as mandatory elements of the Bank's procurement
guidelines, to ensure that workers in Bank-funded projects have the
freedom to join unions and that project managers negotiate with the
unions when they exist.

Finally, the ICFTU is urging that, as part of the Bank's
poverty-reduction strategy, it join with the ILO to promote CLS among
the most vulnerable and poor, such as rural workers and unprotected
(informal economy) workers.

For more information, see the recent statement to the World Bank and IMF
of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU):

http://www.icftu.org/displaydocument.asp?Index=991217355

The ICFTU represents 158 million workers in 231 affiliated organisations
in 150 countries and territories. ICFTU is also a member of Global
Unions: http://www.global-unions.org

For more information, please contact the ICFTU Press Department on +32 2
224 0232 or +32 476621018