Pineapple union members in Costa Rica
This month UNISON is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its International Development Fund (UIDF), which has helped dozens of sister unions all over the world to carry out their work.
Established in December 2005 to support the union’s international policy objectives, the UIDF has enabled UNISON to fund projects that provide practical assistance to trade unions in the global south, as they build sustainable capacity and represent the interests of workers.
The fund has supported unions in Colombia, Nicaragua, Estwani, Peru, Costa Rica, Egypt, South Africa, India/Gulf states, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Qatar, Philippines, Israel, Palestine, Zimbabwe and Turkey, among others.
UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said today: “For 20 years the UNISON International Development Fund has helped build strong, campaigning trade unions that defend quality public services, equality and workers’ rights.
“It’s in all of our interests to have a strong trade union movement all over the world, standing up to authoritarian governments and defending our rights, and I’m proud of the role the UIDF continues to play supporting trade unions worldwide.”
The UIDF is not funded through membership income, but through commission from UNISON’s affinity partners.
Most projects run for one, sometimes two years, usually with a budget of up to £25,000. The union will sometimes consider longer projects, or larger budgets, in exceptional circumstances. Projects are approved by the NEC international committee and then developed by partners with support from the union’s international officers.
Projects relate to at least one of four categories:
- trade union and labour rights
- strong and active trade unions
- quality public services
- equality
Recent projects supported by the UIDF
Defending the rights of Palestinian workers
The occupation of the West Bank has devastated the Palestinian economy and forced workers to rely on precarious employment in Israel and the illegal settlements. Palestinian workers in the settlements, including industrial zones and farms, pay higher taxes than Israeli workers, and are consistently denied their rights under Israeli law, including the right to a minimum wage, or the right to join the trade union of their choice.
UNISON is supporting the Israeli trade union MAAN and the labour rights organisations Kav LaOved to inform Palestinian workers about their rights, support them to achieve those rights and to organise. The projects have also gained recognition in workplaces and tens of thousands in compensation for Palestinian workers.
Strengthening unions in Zimbabwe
Members of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, at a UNISON event
For decades, Zimbabwe has been affected by rising poverty, inequality and unemployment. These problems have been exacerbated by privatisation, hyperinflation and the erosion of workers’ rights. Trade unions face enormous pressure from the government, limiting their ability to campaign on these issues.
UNISON is supporting the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) and public service trade unions to advocate for quality public services and ensure that decent work is central to trade agreements.
Using public procurement to stop union busting in Malaysia
In 2023 Malaysia’s electrical and electronics exports rose by 54.2%. But the industry is characterised by excessive overtime, health and safety concerns, short fixed-term contracts, very low wages, forced labour and fear of being fired for speaking out.
Just 6% of the Malaysian workforce is unionised due to weak and poorly enforced labour laws and employers’ union-busting activities. A coalition of four regional electronics unions have just 2.8% density in the industry.
Meanwhile, during 2021/22, the UK public sector purchased over £14 billion worth of information and communication technology (ICT) goods and services. But the failure of the UK government to invest in sustainable social and environmental public procurement means its economic leverage is contributing to, rather than preventing the violations.
UNISON is a key affiliate of Electronics Watch (EW) a worker-driven monitoring organisation with 1,500 indirect and 50 direct affiliates within the public sector in Europe and Australia. EW uses its affiliates’ economic leverage to remedy violations in their supply chains.
And, in 2023, UNISON supported IndustriALL Global Union, Electronics Watch and Asian electronics unions to develop the groundbreaking Principles for worker-driven remedy; a grassroots toolkit to assist workers to implement those principles is due to be published next year.
Empowering health and care unions
The global Covid-19 pandemic helped to expose the inequities and inadequacies of health and care systems across the globe. This has largely been driven by development banks’ conditions for loans, which dictate that recipients reduce their public sectors in favour of private sector investment and development – subsidised by foreign aid from richer nations like the UK.
Rather than providing the most effective, efficient and fair public services, multinational healthcare employers and providers act to maximise their profits. These employers are also actively hostile to workers exercising their human rights to join and/or form trade unions with a view to gaining collective bargaining agreements.
UNISON has worked with Public Services International (PSI) to organise health and care workers in Indonesia, Ghana and Kenya, empowering them to win better pay and conditions through collective agreements and strengthening the global struggle against health privatisation.
Defending tropical fruit workers from exploitation
Famous for protecting its rainforests, white sandy beaches and eco-tourism, Costa Rica’s La Pura Vida (the good life) slogan rings hollow for tropical fruit workers who face systemic exploitation, salaries below the minimum wage and union busting.
With UNISON’s third project coming to an end, achievements include training activities that contributed to unions taking action against supermarkets and enabling UNISON’s union partners ANEP and SITRAP to successfully advocate for a law to end violence and harassment in the workplace. Further, SITRAP elected four women onto its nine-seat executive committee and a woman deputy general secretary.
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