On 6-7 June, EI participated in the presentation of the ILO (International Labour Organisation) Survey on Collective Bargaining in the Public Services. Various speakers stressed the need for ILO Conventions 151 and 154 to be widely ratified and implemented. Workers also requested a four-year action plan by the ILO to promote decent collective bargaining provisions in the public services.
Workers, including teacher representatives from Denmark, Korea, Nicaragua, Indonesia, and the UK commented on the degradation of social dialogue mechanisms, the curtailing of union rights and the revocation of collective agreements under the pretext of the economic crisis.
Negative trends Workers deplored the casualisation and the increasingly precarious nature of contracts in the public services.
The trend to promote individual employment rights to the detriment of collective work agreements was also a source of complaint. Workers condemned the anti-union activities, the restriction of the right to strike, and the imposition of compulsory arbitration, wage settlements and wage freezes instead of the use of existing conciliation mechanisms.
EI noted that this general degradation of freedom of association and collective bargaining rights can dissuade workers from joining trade unions.
Teacher representatives also condemned the role of international financial institutions in imposing economic stabilisation schemes that limit collective agreements, particularly in relation to wages. EI requested that austerity packages respect the fundamental ILO principles and provide for effective consultations with workers’ organisations.