English
This book is another publication resulting from the VIII International Conference of the Global Labour University (GLU),held in Brazil, at the Economics Institute of the State University of Campinas, in September 2012, under the theme "Sustaining Giowtb, Development and Work: Progressive Responses at local, National and Global Levels". Complementing the first publication, which resulted from the organization of approved papers, this book presents transcriptions of lectures performed by people invited for this international event of such great magnitude bringing together academics, trade unionists and public policy makers to discuss development alternatives from the perspective of the work.
The debates of the Conference were motivated by the global crisis and its aftermath, thinking of development alternatives with greater social inclusion and environmental respect. The global economy showed signs of recovery after the initial impact of the crisis in the period of 2007-2009, indicating that the neoliberal era could be in its end. However, the weak recovery and the continued hegemony of the financial sector frustrated those hopes. Conservative forces are spreading the idea that governments should restrict their activities to a minimum, both as regulators and as participants in economic life without observing progresses toward a tighter regulation of the operation of the financial market. In this context, GLU Conference of 2012 focused on the analysis of development processes, policies and concrete experiences that can help to build local, national and global strategies in order to overcome the neoliberal orthodoxy in theory and practice, creating conditions for the inclusive development based on strong unions and on democratic nation states with capacity for regulating the economy.
The Eighth GLU International Conference helped to stimulate the research, the reflection and the proposition of public policies promoting economie and social development. It also helped deepening exchanges between academics, trade union activists and policymakers from different continents. The texts presented here make up a set of reflections of union leaders and researchers from different countries and disciplinary traditions that study the work and development. The texts were divided into five chapters.
In the first chapter, entitled "Development and Work in the Context of the Ctisis and Geopolitical Restructuring", the lecture: "Origins and Nature of the Current Ctisis" is presented by the professor of the Economics Institute of the UNICAMP and FACAMP (Brazil), Luiz Gonzaga MelIo BelIuzzo. In addition to a brilliant analysis of the global crisis whose origin is attributed to changes during the past 30 years, the professor highlights several aspects that characterized the process of "deconstruction that societies created in the postwar suffered over the past 30 years", als o showing their relationships and impacts on the levels of productivity, on wages, employment and working conditions, the leveI of unionization, the degree of inequality, the protection situation and social mobility. In a non-optimistic perspective, BelIuzzo argues that, despite all the adverse effects, the most recent crisis - an economic and also civilizationaI crisis - of this neoliberal stage, "rather than uníting those who have been harmed by it, it is increasing the ideological and the politicel power of those who have caused ii". And given its gravity, as argued Belluzzo, the crisis requires a rigorous and relentless reflection, "because we have the duty of not running away".
In the second chapter, lectures transcripts are presented on the panel.
"Diagnosis of the Ctisis and Prospects for Sustainable Developtnent", activity coordinated by Prof. Carlos Salas Páez (CESIT/IE/UNICAMP/Brazil). In the first article, "From Financial Ctisis to Stagnation", Thomas PalIey (AFL-CIO/USA) discusses the impacts of the 2008 financial crisis and the difficulties of overcoming it. With the title. "Growth with Social Justice. Lessons from Global Economic Crises to Asisn Countties" Arun Kumar (ITC/ILO/ Italy), based on the evaluation of Asian countries coping with the recent international financial crisis, discusses important lessons to be drawn from these experiences.
In the sequence, with the title. "Brazilian Economy: Recent Developments and Petspectives" the lecture is presented by Professor Carlos Alonso Barbosa de Oliveira's lecture (CESIT/IE/UNICAMP/Brazil), not only discusses the impacts and the policies to address the crisis in Brazil, but he also debates on the main chalIenges to the economic development in Brazil. The Professor Jorge Isaac (UNAM/Mexico), in the text "Latin Ametice. Alternatives before the Ctisis" brings a discussion focused on Latin America. Closing the chapter, it is presented a lecture performed by Professor Birgit Mahnkopf (Berlin School of Economics and Law/Germany), dealing with the "multidimensional character" of the recent international crisis, stressing the environmental issues and the so called "green economy".
In the chapter 3, the lectures are organized in the panel on Wages, coordinated by Professor Anselmo Luis dos Santos (CESIT/IE/UNICAMP/Brazil). The first text, "The Debate on Minimum Wages", is the transcription of the presentation of Professor Hansjõrg Herr, from the School of Economics and Law, in Berlin, that presents a general overview of the debate about the minimum wage, considering the role of wages in the neoclassical paradigm and on Keynesian paradigm. In its turn, the lecture performed by Professor Luis Quintana Romero, from the Univeisided Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), resulted in the second text. "Minimum Wage as Besis of an Alternative Policy. The Mexican Instance" that shows how "the Mexican case follows a completely different trend of the rest of Latin America countties", arguing that the minimum wage policy in Mexico has been great1y influenced by the interpretation of the monetary authority that the inflation in that country would be impacted by wage increases, which would result in "excesses on salary restraint", an important factor for understanding the fact that in 2009, the minimum wage in Mexico, in purchasing power parity, was the lowest in the Americas.
Further, it is presented Anna Bolsheva's lecture (Russia), a student of Global Labour University, addressing the theme "Developtnenis of Minimum Wage ia Russian Fedetetion" which examines the importance of the minimum wage in that country, considering the average wage, the subsistence level, the ways of fixing their levels, the salary negotiations, the regional features, the impacts on regional and federal budgets, arguing that "a set of measures should be taken to make the minimum wage an eiiective mechanism to prevent unbtidled teduction of the standards of living in the most unprotected layers of workets".
In the fourth chapter, the Professors Amilton Joseph Moretto (CESIT-IE/UNICAMP/Brazil) and Mario Raia (CONTRAF/CUT/Brazil) coordinated the table. "Sustainable Developtnent, Changes in Workplace and the Impact of the Global Economy in Unioti Organization and in the Collective Negotiation".
Professor Paul Baltar (CESIT/IE/UNICAMP/Brazil) established a relationship between the dynamics of the Brazilian economy and the most favorable outcome indicators of the labor market, noting that there was a conjunction of favorable factors to employment and to the increasing of the purchasing power of wages.
The scenario has changed in recent years, indicating that the improvement of the indicators will depend much more on the workers politi cal action in a context in which the conflict should be intensified. Professor Sarah Mosoetsa (Wits University/South Africa) developed an analysis of COSATU,highlighting the meaning and the discussions of the Congress in 2012. She draws attention to the difficulty of the union movement on incorporating the agenda, in an effective way, the workers from informal sector and on expanding the struggles agenda of the labor movement. The agenda is still very focused on wage negotiations and a big challenge is to expand alliances with other social movements. Professor Mike Fichter (Free University of Berlin/Germany) presented his research on global agreements between workers' organizations and transnational companies. The question around which he made his speech was. Dothe global agreements can be considered a progressive tool to establish regulatory standards of work and to move towards sustainable development? His answer is positive, emphasizing that global agreements are an opportunity to include the workers agenda inside the enterprises and to advance on the democratization of labor relations, considering the parameters established by the ILO.
Kjeld Jakobsen (GLU/Brazil) presented the historical importance of the debate on the social economic development for workers in Latin America, highlighting the platform built around the theme of the CSA (Trade Union Confederation of the Americas). Among other aspects, he highlights that the issue gained importance recently, because a space for negotiation was opened with the elected progressive governments in Latin America in the 2000s. The existence of this space requires the organization to be prepared to discuss major national issues. CSA's agenda includes two aspects. 1) sustainable development in its economic, political, social and environmental dimensions: 2) the strengthening of the union movement through a campaign in defense of freedom of association and the realization of a union reform since part of trade unionism in the region suffers repression and have their action limited by the state.
Felipe Bouvier (UNI), as unionist, presents the challenges posed by the labor movement with the changing of the work world, with the economy globalization and with the shifts in production. The challenge is to intervene in the multilateral agencies and within the scope of the enterprises, through the strengthening of global agreements made possible by union networks.
Finally, the fourth chapter is closed with Neil Coleman's lecture (COSATU/South Africa) with the title. "Minimum Wage, Collective Bargaining and Sociel Protection Strategies in South Airice and iti Btezil" in which he emphasized the importance of wage policy for workers and the positive aspects of the minimum wage policy implemented in Brazil, which can serve as a political reference to several countries.
In chapter 5, are presented the lectures on the table. liStrategies for the Articulation of Union Campaigns and Actions for Sustainable Development at National and lnternational Levei", coordinated by Jana Karen Silverman (AFL-CIO lUSA) are presented. The text that opens the chapter shows the intervention of Arthur Henry, by then President of the Central Workers Union (CUT/Brazil), which argues that the issue of the development needs to consider social, economic, environmental and political dimensions. The debate on democracy and social participation is strategic for the sustainable development, which implies discussing the conditions for developing the union activity. From these pillars, Arthur develops an analysis of disputes taking place in Latin America in recent years, highlighting the need to advance on the creation of a left thinking, where there is combination of development with social inclusion and advancement in the quality of life.
In the second text, Alberto Pepe Robles, head of UNI (Americas/ Argentina), examines the new scenario with the emergence of China, and highlights that the integration of Latin America, in the perspective of achieving a sustainable development cannot be confined to the role of commodity producer. At the same time, shows that the capital is globalized, but not the work. In this sense, he shows the importance of the labor movement to match a national action with ways of organization and Intervention at the internationallevel.
Alvaro Padrón's speech (FES/Uruguay) begins by highlighting that the sustainable development requires a supranational perspective, especially in a period of capitalist development on a global scale, in which nation states are losing autonomy in setting their policies. Based on this diagnosis, he proposes the implementation of a new international trade union. The strategy meets challenges to become viable in the Americas. CSA has resolutions, but it is difficult to achieve an effective implementation of the formulated propositions.
He also highlights the difficult relationship between the various segments of the organization of workers. Finally, he highlights the difficulty of establishing a single strategy in Latin America, because there is plenty of national differentiation, and the building of the unit is still a challenge, especially when you consider that there are, at least, two Latin Americas: North and South. The South one has advanced in social policy and inclusion, and the North one is very articulated with the interests of the United States.
Finally, we want to thank the organizations that helped with their support, to facilitate the event and this publication: CAPES (Brazil), Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES), DAAD(Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst), International Labour Organization (ILO), Petrobras (Brazil), Central Workers Union (CUT/Brazil), Solidarity Center of the AFL-CIO, International Center for Development and Decent Work (ICDD/Germany), the Institute of Economics and the Centre for Trade Union Studies and Economics Work (CESIT), State University of Campinas (UNICAMP/Brazil).
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THE EDITORS
