Intl conference on Trade Union Rights in Kochi

Kochi, Feb 28 (UNI) An international conference on 'Globalisation and Trade Union Rights' will be held here from April 19 to 23, CITU President and CPI(M) Politburo member M K Pandhe said today.

Addressing a press conference here, Dr Pandhe said as many as 100 foreign delegates and 150 Indian delegates, representing all shades of the trade union movement, were expected to participate in the conference.

Stating that the trade union movement and labour rights were under attack from the forces of globalisation, Dr Pandhe said the membership of trade unions had seen a decline since the advent of globalisation over 15 years ago.

He said the decline was largely because of increasing contract appointments and outsourcing. The governments, all over the world, were adopting flexible labour policies.

''Globalisation has marginalised the trade union movement and their role in the socio-economic life of the people,'' he added.

Stating that trade unions all over the world felt the need for a common platform to work out a strategy to tackle the problems faced by them, Dr Pandhe said while one per cent of the population controlled 40 per cent of the world's resources, 50 per cent had access to only one per cent of the income.

He said the conference would have special sessions to discuss the issues of working women and globalisation, role of MNCs, outsourcing and contract labour and unemployment, which was highest since World War II.

Foreign delegates would be from the US, Australia, South Korea, Vietnam, China, Japan, South Africa, Thailand, Africa, Latin America, the EU, France and Germany.

The conference would be inaugurated by Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan.

UNI ARC AJ RL RN1555