3rd UNI EUROPA CONFERENCE
Speech by Philip J. Jennings
General Secretary
UNI Global Union
Toulouse, 3 October 2011
Thank you our French affiliates for your brilliant support.
We are proud to be in France and in Toulouse - the heartland of French Rugby.
And as a true Welshman I will be backing France to beat the English in New Zealand
next weekend.
France has centre stage in the world as they preside over the G20. In their hands lie
the destiny of the global economy.
A G20 that represents 85% percent of the world’s wealth and two thirds of its
population.
The G20 summit takes place in Cannes. UNI will be there.
The Global Unions will bring G20 a powerful message to get off their backsides. A
message of indignation.
G20 leaders plan for growth must put jobs as priority number one.
In France you mobilise.
We need this spirit to fight the business, media and political elites waging a war of
the rich against the poor.
It is time to take a stand. Frank, Bernadette, Oliver – you are the revolution. We are
all the revolution.
A Revolution in thinking and in action: where the values of Liberté, Egalité,
Fraternité, which were born in France, return to Europe and the World.
Our revolution is to drag the world back from the brink of another crisis brought about
by warped global values of Intolerance, Inégalité, Individualité.
Charles Dicken’s book set in the time of the French Revolution – “A Tale of Two
Cities” – opens with the immortal line “It was the best of times, it was the worst of
times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness…”
We the people are again in the middle of chaotic times - facing a choice – to meekly
go along with the self-interest of the rich elites or take a stand.
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We know who the over-paid, over-privileged fools are who have led us into the worst
of times. Most of them are bankers.
So I say take a stand.
If you will fight for a world of justice – stand up
In Nagasaki we pledged to “Break Through” and “Change the Rules of the Game.
The world is more global, more integrated, and more interconnected than at any time
in history.
We live in a time of revolutionary change in technology, communication, business,
how we live and work, an economic power shift to Asia and the Americas.
Collectively we have to do more.
The people won’t wait.
The 200 million jobless – a new global record - can’t wait.
Neither can the 1.6 billion people living on a dollar a day.
Our unions around the world look to you in Europe. We see we are in this crisis
together.
They see you as the rock of global solidarity.
We look to Europe to build on your tradition of solidarity and welfare. We do not want
a neo-liberal European desert.
The world has been waiting for Europe to find a response.
At least Barroso is now quoting Nelson Mandela.
The message is more austerity. The EU is on the wrong track with the six rules of
economic governance introduced last week. This so-called Six Pack looks flabby
more Homer Simpson than Brad Pitt.
The measures mean more austerity, more wage repression and more imbalances in
the Eurozone: a road to depression.
The only saving grace is the clause safeguarding our collective bargaining systems.
UNI Europa, we see you have the ideas to deal with the crisis in a socially
responsible way, from better financial regulation to the push for a fair wage, new
instruments, new institutions, Eurobonds.
We now know EU economic governance will now compare wages in the EU with
markets worldwide.
This means more European and Global Union co-operation.
Our unions in Asia, the Americas and Africa see we are in this together with you.
We are mobilising. People everywhere have stormed their Bastilles. They are
organising; fighting for social justice; fighting social dumping, for better wages, for
equality, for social protection. Our aim is to raise standards.
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Our affiliates throughout the world support your fight for a Social Europe; for
democratic institutions from the Parliament to the Economic and Social Committee,
the introduction of social dialogue in sectors and business through European Works
Councils.
We are also fighting to put in place institutions that put the market in its place.
We are fighting for a place for unions and people in structures for economic
integration, from Asean to Mercosur to the African Union.
We want to reinforce the fight for a new economic and social deal globally.
We have our global plan to breakthrough at the G20.
Last week the G20 Labour Ministers began to get it.
They got that Jobs are the top priority.
They got that the labour market must produce jobs for the young and vulnerable.
To build social protection, I repeat, they agreed that every nation needs a social
protection floor. That’s why we need to rebuild our work in Social Insurance.
They got that labour rights – the right to organise and negotiate – are vital for a
recovery not a block. The crisis must not be used to slash rights.
Our aim: workers covered by a collective agreement in every G20 nation.
The Labour Ministers have to convince their paymasters at the G20 of Finance
Leaders and Heads of State in Cannes next month.
Our message: we need a new deal to create 40 million jobs in 2012.
Greece shows you cannot cut yourself to growth.
We will them its folly to rush to put public finances back in shape in only three years.
The austerity plans will choke the life out of economic activity.
Business is sitting on 2 trillion dollars in the USA 700 billion in Europe.
We have to get this money working again.
Let’s target public investment to trigger investment.
We will tell the G-20 that everyone must pay their fair share.
No more tax havens. No more tax breaks for the rich.
That is why we need a financial transactions tax.
In the 1789 declaration of the rights of man, the text said in regard to taxation, “This
shall be equally distributed among all citizens in proportion to their means.” It applies
today.
Use the tax code to end inequality. There must be limits on CEO pay.
We want a financial transactions tax.
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We will tell the G-20 we are ready to be part of a People First Solution – a new global
deal.
We must step up our organising efforts.
We have to break through to build our unions.
We have an organising fund – we are investing it.
Every sector in Europe has an organising plan.
We have organising plans in Africa, Asia & Pacific and the Americas. We will not fail
We are breaking through with companies.
In Europe you have the platform of social dialogue and European Works Councils.
We are in reach of our 50 global agreements’ target. We are building the alliances,
building the organising plans. Global agreements not just in Europe but in Asia,
Africa and the Americas.
We have a new breakthrough at the UN on business and human rights. Multinational
companies now have an express requirement to respect human rights and must
exercise due diligence to ensure they respect those rights. A breakthrough for human
rights.
We are testing this in Colombia. Our affiliates, together with companies where we
have global agreements, will convene in one month with the country’s Vice President,
who also visited our head office two weeks ago to build a new era of respect for
rights.
Women are leaders of the new people’s revolution as they were in the French
revolution. On 5 October 1798, thousands of women marched to the Palace of
Versailles and returned to Paris with Louis XVI. An event comparable with the
storming of the Bastille.
Well, the women of UNI Global Union are on the march and the 40% rule is now
spreading to all parts of the organisation. We will make further progress this week.
UNI Youth will find their voice here.
We intend to relaunch our work for professionals and managers.
In conclusion, crisis brings opportunities.
It was in the depth of war and depression that we saw a new deal emerge in the USA
and a new Social Europe.
In my country, three weeks ago four miners lost their lives in a mining disaster. Four
men scratching a living in medieval conditions.
The community came together. They helped each other; gave love, affection,
support.
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Margaret Thatcher never killed the spirit in the Welsh valleys.
We will not let the elites of today wreck that spirit. We will not buckle in the face of
this crisis.
They will not wreck our movement.
We will not let them take us back to the days of masters and servants.
We have something worth fighting for.
I am a global warrior.
I am a Welsh global warrior.
You and I are the new revolution.
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