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Ann Selin, President of PAM, Finland
Speech on 10th of December at UNI Global Union congress in
Cape Town, International Convention Centre (CTICC)
Dear Sisters and Brothers
Peace is what we need first!
There are no possibilities to better the lives of workers in the presence of war. The labor movement needs to realize this and strive for peace all over the globe.
Tripartism was the most innovative and daring idea of the ILO, when it was set up by the Peace Conference. In 1919 the concept of tripartism was hardly known, even at the national level, not to mention globally.
The ILO is still the only worldwide organization where international cooperation is not only the business of diplomats and governments, but also of workers and employers.
The idea of tripartism carries widely in promoting peace. We must use this and implement it nationally in every possible way we can. It helps nations to see that there is common ground and that cooperation is the key to peace and better lives for people.
In my own country – Finland – the employers recognized the unions as negotiating partners in 1940. The joint declaration of employers and employees organizations was called the January Engagement. From there on the labor relations and labor laws began to develop year after year. Still it wasn’t until the 70’s when the generally binding collective agreements were a reality f.ex. in the private services sector.
Tripartism doesn’t mean the same thing all over the world - this is obvious. Stillit helps to build common ground and is worth striving for. At the moment tripartism is under some attack in various countries. Neoliberalist politicians don’t seem to be too keen on giving the workers a voice and some enterprises certainly are in the same choir, singing the same song over and over: It is called “Money and only money is power”.
Dear sisters and brothers
The top half percent of the global population had a 36%share of global wealth, whilst the bottom 70% had a 4,2%.
Workers around the world are being pressured to accept less and less. The pressure comes from many different directions; the employers, governments and by global economic system built around profits. We are constantly hearing the same argument. It is better to have any job than to be unemployed.
We won’t settle for any job. We need decent jobs. We need jobs that provide a living wage, safe environment, prospects for the future and common dignity.
The theme of the congress is Including You – Ubuntu! For me this means the very core of labor unions. Unions are the organizations that by including as many as possible, give the voice for the workers. We need to include the whole working world to union work. We need to listen what the workers need for their unions to do for and with them. We need to make participating not only possible but easy. We need to organize, organize and organize. The same idea of including has to be built from the bottom up; from the workplaces to the locals, from the national unions and confederations to global unions and other labor organizations. Only together we will succeed and gain the leverage that we need and deserve!
In UNI Europa we have created a services policy agenda that is called the Services Manifesto. It is about defining a cross-sectoral political program for quality jobs forquality services. The aim is to develop policy proposals that serve to put a shared vision ofthe future of the European services industry into practice. I believe we also need a global Services Manifesto.
Improving the quality of servicesemployment, generating sustainable growth, and ensuring a high quality of services are important objectives that should be on the agenda for the whole of UNI Global Union.
Dear sisters and brothers
I want to thank you all from the bottom of heart for the confidence you have put in me. All though I am the President of the biggest union in Finland, we are still a very small nation. Only 5,5 million inhabitants. To be elected President of a huge international organizationis at the same time humbling and so exciting! We have accomplished a lot and there is still so much to do. I’m happy to serve as your President and promise to do my very best for all UNI members. I am so happy to continue the work in this forward going organization, our common - UNI Global Union. Thank you so much!