Education International’s 7th World Congress has voiced its support on 24 July for the global organisation’s new Human and Trade Union Rights Policy Paper.
The paper describes how human and trade union rights strengthen the work of education unions and provide a mandate for them to act on behalf of their members. It reflects the core values and objectives promoted by Education International through its constitution, policies and programme activities. It complements the EI Education Policy Paper adopted by the 6thWorld Congress in 2011.
The paper outlines principles relating to human rights in a globalised world, education for the world we want, the role of education trade unions, education workers’ rights, and children’s and students’ rights.
Rights not for sale
Amongst other things, “the resolution recognises the improvement of working conditions”, said Mugwena Maluleke of the South African Democratic Teachers' Union (SADTU, South Africa), who placed the paper before Congress on behalf of EI's Executive Board. “This resolution calls us to defend the freedom of association as a fundamental human right. It calls upon all of us to promote and defend children’s and students’ rights. These rights are not for sale.
“Trade unions, in particular education trade unions are also about fighting inequality, opening up opportunity, building trust, democracy, and social justice. All of these struggles are linked to and dependent on the effective exercise of the full range of human rights. It is only the protection of and respect for human rights that makes social and economic progress and decent societies possible.”
Dignity
Contributing to the debate, Silvia Joaquin, Federação Nacional dos Sindicatos de Educação (FNE, Portugal) said: “We need to fight for dignity at work, decent work, and social dialogue.” This new rights-based approach and EI’s policy paper gives unions a powerful tool to negotiate with governments, a tool is based on fundamental human and trade union rights recognised universally, said Kolbjorg Odegaard, Union of Education Norway.
“Every time we succeed in using our rights, individually or collectively, we strengthen and reinforce our common rights and manifest our identity as actors in a strong union movement, independent from commercial interests,” said Maria Ronn, Lärarförbundet (Sweden).
In a joint contribution, Randi Weingarten, American Federation of Teachers (USA) and Juan Diaz de la Torre, Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de la Educación (SNTE, Mexico) said their unions had forged a partnership based on a shared belief that access to high quality public education is key civil and human right.
Photo Credit: François Beauregard