Trade Unions in Transformation 4.0

Unions take on multinational companies and parts of their value chain. The exposure to global capital may leave workers vulnerable, but at the same time opens up new strategic opportunities.

For example, unions make use of their structural power by taking advantage of the time-bound nature of globalized production, including in auto assembly lines or deadlines to finish World Cup Stadiums. Attacking the corporate image of a garment brand or a coffee chain makes use of societal power, especially when people’s sense of justice is evoked successfully. As the Chile case highlights, leverage increases if institutional power such as the OECD Complaint Mechanism can be thrown into the equation. In all cases, associational power is a pre-condition for success and has to be mobilized both at the local and the transnational level.

Building alliances beyond the worksite and across borders adds complexity but opens the chance to escalate the conflict. In sum, a common sense of purpose and solidarity, sharing of responsibilities and a long-term strategy are indispensable elements of building up power.

Unions and union confederations in Brazil, Uruguay, Tunisia, South Africa and Indonesia have built sometimes complex alliances with a broad set of social actors, including social movements and NGOs, or long-term relations with political parties to achieve their goals. Both types of alliances are crucial for building up societal power, for extending unions’ spheres of influence and for making progress in different political arenas.

The stories provide insights into what capabilities unions need to build successful alliances and make them last. One recurring issue and success factor is that unions should be autonomous vis-à-vis their partners.

Internal political processes are changing unions and enable them to embark on previously uncovered territory.

The story of the Brazilian National Confederation CUT makes yet another compelling argument for women empowerment, which make unions stronger and more relevant to society. The stories of the ASEAN Service Employees Trade Union Council (ASETUC) and the Trade Union Confederation of the Americas (TUCA) show how unions represent the interest of their members at the regional level. Furthermore, the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) and the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) are working on deep structural changes that, if successful, will reshape the face and identity of the unions. Malaysia’s MTUC has also opened a new chapter by representing migrant workers’ interests. In Honduras, the deepening of internal democracy allows the teachers’ union to withstand political repression and stay true to its mission.