The fourth Indian Ocean Regional trade Union Conference has been concluded recently in 17-22 Feb.1997 at Calcutta, India. Some 72 non -Indian delegates from Australia, Bangladesh, China, France, India, Indonesia, Korea (South), Kazakstan, Mauritius, Malaysia, Nepal, New Zealand, Philippines, Pakistan, South Africa, Thailand, Turkmenistan, United Kingdom and Vietnam as well as about 150 Indian delegates had participated in the Conference.
Under the theme of "Working class strategies to challenge Globalisation Ideology", the conference was scheduled as Feb. 17-inaugural ceremony, 18-21: Key note presentation and the several sessions along with Feb. 22 exposure trip to outsider and press conference.
In the inaugural session, Hon'ble Governor of West Bengal Mr. K. V. R. Reddy was the Chief Guest.
"Following the collapse of the socialist system in the USSR and Eastern European Countries, the global balance has now been shifted in favor of the developed countries. They are trying to establish their supremacy over the Third world" said Com. Jyoti Basu, the Chief Minister-Govt. of West Bengal as well as Polit Bureau member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) or the CPI-M. Com. Basu who was addressing the inaugural session of the Conference further said-"... the imperialists are pressuring the international institutions like the IMF, the World bank and WTO to advocate to the member -countries to reform their economies structurally in order to suit their objectives of globlisation, liberlisation, privatisation and unbridled market economy. Many of these developing countries are helplessly moving towards the debt trap." Adding- "More than 4500 million people of the developing countries are victims of the attacks engineered by the imperialist and reactionary forces. Struggles are being conducted by the working class in these countries. The working class forces have to act in unison to protect people's interests".
The inaugural session was presided over by Com. A. B. Bardhan, General Secretary of CPI, where several trade unionists had expressed their solidarity.
The core session of the conference was started with brief history of Indian Ocean Initiative & Key note paper-'Globlisation : the challenges facing labour' in 18 Feb. at the Great Eastern Hotel, Calcutta. Followed by brief country responses, the conference was then divided into 11 groups. The sectorally divided groups had been comprised of : Mining/Energy/construction, Chemicals, Clothing/Textiles/ Footwear, Education & health, administration & services, Metals/ engineering/Electronics, Maritime/ Transport/ Communications and Tea Plantation & Rural workers.
Friday 21 February was the day of adaptation of Resolutions. With hot debate and discussion the conference finally adopted the resolutions with amendments.
"We, the delegates to the 4th IORTU Conference, note the resolutions adopted at the 1st, 2nd, 3rd conferences", the preamble of the 4th IORTUC reads-"struggles in the defense of basic rights are intensifying everywhere, this struggle needs to be directed against employers and imperialist's every attacks...the great challenges that trade unions face is the development of clear political and strategic ALTERNATIVES.
Rather than simply concentrate on issues of principle, this 4th IORTUC has focused on strategies for ACTION in our region that can be implemented to counter the forces of Globlisation in the region."
The resolution addresses various issues like communication frame work, South Korean movement, arrest of Indonesian Trade Unionist and repressive labour relations act, the agony of Thailand's Eden group TNC worker, sacked Liverpool Dockers, Maritime union's regional solidarity, links to the environment, women workers and building strong unionism.
The resolution from the sectoral groups include chemicals, maritime, transport, communications, education & health, public sector & administration, metals and agriculture & plantation.
There was special motion moved on South Korean labour movement, Swaziland repression and in support of the sacked Liverpool Dock Workers.
It is noted that the conference was addressed by GEFONT Secretary General Bishnu Rimal on behalf of Nepali delegation.
The Indian Ocean Regional Trade Union initiatives was started some 8 years before. The South African Trade Union movement-COSATU, Phillipines -KMU, India's CITU, Brazilian CUT, Western Australian Trades Council and the then S. Korean Chhonohyup or KTUC were the mentor of this initiatives, most of them were affiliated to neither ICFTU nor WFTU at the very moment. The 2nd and 3rd IORTU Conference was held in Australia on Dec. 1992 and November 1994 respectively. Though the initiative covers geographical regional representation principally, but in the process of its expansion, it seems that participation has gradually become more diverse.
-- Comradely,
Richard.
New Worker Online http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/2853
