International Summer School 2013

Du 6 juillet 2013 (12:07) au 30 novembre 0001 (00:00)

The second GLI International Summer School – the event to debate and question what are,
and what should be, the politics of the international trade union movement.

Trade unionists throughout the world are organising and fighting hard to defend workers’ livelihoods and rights against unprecedented attack from financial markets, corporations and governments, in the context of economic, ecological and political crisis. There are some causes for optimism : a new international agenda for strong industrial organisation, evidence of increasing corporate vulnerability to well-organised and targeted campaigns, and a new generation of activists emerging from unions and movements for democracy and climate justice.

Yet there is a political vacuum. Union members want an international political alternative to neo-liberalism and corporate capitalism, but little emerges beyond rhetoric. Many of the formal institutions of the international labour movement have retreated into a bland, lowest common denominator of politics, shy of even basic principles of social democracy, let alone any mention of democratic socialism. But this is precisely the time when radical political solutions - and a new sense of political direction for the international trade union movement - are needed.

Up to 90 participants - delegations from national unions and global union federations, invited trade union activists, labour movement researchers and educators. Participants and discussion leaders to be invited include :
Sharan Burrow, International Trade Union Confederation ; Beth Costa, International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) ; Alana Dave, International Transportworkers Federation (ITF) ; Plamen Dimitrov, Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (KNSB) ; Jane Slaughter, Labor Notes, USA ; Jennie Formby, Unite the Union, UK ; Dan Gallin, Global Labour Institute, Switzerland ; Susan George, Transnational Institute, Netherlands ; Leonard Gentle, International Labour Research & Information Group (ILRIG), South Africa ; Cedric Gina, National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) ; Sam Gindin, Socialist Project, Canada ; Károly György, National Confederation of Hungarian Trade Unions (MSZOSZ) ; David Hall, Public Services International Research Institute ; Peter Hall-Jones, New Unionism, New Zealand ; Han Dongfang, China Labour Bulletin, Hong Kong ; Gary Herman, National Union of Journalists, UK ; Tony Higgins, FIFPro ; Patricia Horn, StreetNet International ; Vicky Kanyoka, International Domestic Workers’ Network, Tanzania ; Boris Kravchenko, All-Russia Confederation of Labour (VKT), Lefteris Kretsos, University of Greenwich, UK ; Khalid Mahmood, Labour Education Foundation, Pakistan ; Nasir Mansoor, National Trade Union Federation, Pakistan ; Josua Mata, Alliance of Progressive Labor, Philippines ; Roger McKenzie, Unison, UK ; Kim Moody, Univ. of Hertfordshire, Jim Mowatt, Unite the Union, UK ; Nalini Nayak, SEWA, India ; Ann Orjebu, Industri Energi, Norway ; Rosa Pavanelli, Public Services International (PSI) ; Vasco Pedrina, Unia, Switzerland ; Krastyo Petkov, GLI Bulgaria ; Ai-jen Poo, National Domestic Workers’ Alliance, USA ; Fátima Aquado Queipo, Confederación Sindical de Comisiones Obreras (CC.OO), Spain ; Peter Rossman, International Union of Foodworkers (IUF) ; Ashim Roy, New Trade Union Initiative, India ; Dave Spooner, Global Labour Institute, UK ; Lara Skinner, Global Labor Institute, USA ; Elizabeth Tang, International Domestic Workers’ Network ; Bala Tampoe, Ceylon Mercantile Union, Sri Lanka ; Liv Torres, Peoples Aid, Norway

The Big Picture - The New Capitalism : Financialisation, the banks and the state.

Global Unions – Global Politics : What are the political challenges facing the international trade union movement ?

The Politics of Organising : New trends in trade unionism ; the future workforce ; politics, organisation and education.

Our Common Purpose : Do we share the same perception of the world ?