http://www.world-psi.org/en/global-day-action-right-strike-sends-strong-signal-employers-around-world-hands-our-right-strike PSI affiliates
joined the ITUC, ITF, EI and other Global Unions’ affiliates around the world
for the Global Day of Action for the Right to Strike on 18 February. From Japan, Korea, Indonesia, India, Thailand, Russia, Turkey, Belgium, Spain, Switzerland, Tunisia, Botswana, South Africa, Canada, to Argentina and Columbia and in many other countries, workers
joined actions
in defence of the right to strike.
The day of action
took place a few weeks before the ILO
Governing Body has to take a decision, in March 2015, on the resolution of a
conflict that has had a chilling effect on the ILO supervisory mechanism since
2012. At the same time, governments are negotiating the Post 2015 Development
Agenda.
Rosa Pavanelli,
general secretary of PSI says: ”We live in a globalized economy and workers
have to be strong and united in their action. Solidarity is more important now
than ever before, when trade union and workers’ rights are being attacked on
all fronts. The day
of action gives a
clear signal to employers around the world – hands off our right to strike.”
While some unions
organized mass demonstrations and pickets, others organized public hearings,
workplace protests, petitions and press conferences to expose the role of their
national employers’ organizations and raise awareness on this global attack on
democracy.
Since June 2012,
employers have been challenging the existence of an international right to
strike and the authority of the ILO and its supervisory mechanism. These
attacks come at a time when employers and governments implement austerity
measures and “structural reform programmes”, the growth of precarious jobs is
rampant and social protests are criminalized with the intent to silence workers
and their demands for decent jobs and social protection. Without the right to
strike, collective bargaining is nothing more than begging. Workers must defend
and protect an international system based on human rights and international
labour standards and prevent it being replaced by free trade agreements and
ad-hoc private tribunals (investor-state dispute settlement or ISDS) that
prioritize the interests of multinational companies over the public good and
democracy.
PSI will continue to
fight for the right to strike, together with its affiliates and the ITUC, ITF,
EI and other global unions.
Advice from PSI
