FORGING LINKS, CHANGING LIVES
UniteLANDWORKER Winter 2024
How unions like Unite make the world’s
workplaces better
Workers of the world, UNITE!
Over the last forty years particularly,
the worldwide expansion of markets across all sectors has taken a heavy toll on
workers and trade unions. Labour’s relationship with political parties has also
weakened.
So, it’s more vital than ever that
trade unionists across the world build alliances with one another that protect
and advance their terms, conditions and rights.
Thankfully, Unite, and its descendant
unions before it, fully understands the need for international solidarity and
is part of a number of organisations dedicated to building internationalism.
One such body is the IUF, the food,
farm, hotels, restaurants and fast-food chains global union representing 12
million workers that was formed in 1920 but dates back to 1889.
Unite’s Bev Clarkson is the President
of the IUF Agricultural Workers Trade Group and in this interview, she explains
her role and the crucial work of the IUF.
“I lead efforts to represent
agricultural workers concerns at international forums within the IUF. This
includes addressing issues like fair wages, working conditions, safety and
labour rights across the agricultural sector.”
Agricultural work is, even in Britain, a
highly dangerous occupation whilst death rates in the USA are seven times the
national average.
“This involves working with unions globally
to tackle shared challenges such as, seasonal labour, exploitation and climate
change.”
Bev works closely with the Unite FDA executive
council (EC) delegates along with the National Industrial Sector Committee (NISC)
members on all these policies with Unite having delegates holding various seats
within the IUF.
According to Bev it is important that
Unite takes a leading role in the IUF because it “represents workers worldwide
across food and agriculture sectors heavily represented by Unite. Actively
participating helps Unite build a unified front to address challenges that are
often shared across borders.”
Success
The shared challenges include workers
in food, drink and agriculture being vulnerable to working conditions, low
wages and, in some cases, exploitation in the global supply chain. One such
case where Unite worked with trade union affiliates within the IUF to put an
end to abhorrent sexual abuse on Kenyan tea farms was featured in the 2024 Landworker
Summer edition. This followed a Panorama programme in 2023.
International trade agreements can also
influence labour standards, wage levels and job security whilst policies on
food safety, animal welfare, and agricultural practices affect the whole of the
sector.
“Agriculture is also particularly vulnerable
to the effects of climate change, with rising temperatures and unpredictable
weather conditions more frequent, “ states Bev.
“Extreme weather patterns threaten
yields and crops. Unite members in
agriculture are directly affected, extreme weather can lead to income
instability and job insecurity.”
This was something that was highlighted
in the 2024 Summer Landworker in articles on rain, the heaviest over the
previous 18 months since records began, and heat with the UK recording the
hottest day ever in 2022. Similar weather patterns can be found worldwide –leading
to scores of Californian farmworkers dying - and clearly need to be tackled
internationally if the world is not to face a catastrophic scenario.
Strengthening global rights
Bev hopes to see the IUF achieve many
things over the next few years including strengthening global labour rights, improving
wages and reducing wage inequality, enhancing health and safety standards, promoting
job security, dealing with exploitation in the workplace and supply chain, strengthening
union solidarity and concluding global policies for gender equality and
anti-discrimination.
Migrant workers in the UK play a major
role in food production. Many arrive having never previously been in a trade
union. “They are vulnerable to exploitation more so within the agriculture
sector where many workplaces are remote with the whole of the workforce also
being migrant workers. They face issues such as underpayments, excessive hours,
unsafe working conditions and poor housing.
“Clearly without union support, workers
lack an organised way to address grievances, negotiate wages and secure any
working benefits. The work migrants often do is of a precarious nature such as
zero hours and seasonal work and this in its self can be very challenging.”
Thanks to Unite, migrant
workers are getting active within the IUF
“In many places we have been successful
in organising migrant workers in particular within the meat sector, our reps
within the sector are now delegates not only in the UK but also within the IUF,”
states Bev proudly.
Worldwide, the majority of child
labour, affecting 112 million boys and girls, often in countries with high
poverty levels and little access to education, is found in agriculture
including farming, fishing, coca and
sugar cane production to name just a few.
Bev identifies Africa and South Asia as
having the highest rate of child labour in agriculture, “although developed
countries also see cases especially across migrant labour communities. This is
invisible labour due to informal working arrangements and lack of regulation in
rural areas. “
She identifies how the global demand
for cheap inexpensive food encourages the use of cheap child labour.
“This starts at the top with the food
retailers pushing down the prices throughout the supply chain. To end child
poverty, we need to end adult poverty and to do this we need to stop the
exploitation of workers in the sector brought about by the global supermarkets.”
Can members who don’t work in
the food, farm, hotels, restaurants and fast-food sectors back the efforts of
the IUF?
“Yes,” she replies. “They can actively
take part in joint campaigns organised by the IUF, support global days
of action, lobby for ethical standards, putting pressure on multinationals that
often have head offices in the UK to adopt collective bargaining rights across
the whole supply chain.”
Joint
campaigns currently include
Safe
Workplaces for Fast Food Workers
https://www.iuf.org/safe-workplaces-for-fast-food-workers-now/
Growing
Justice – Workers Fight for Good Jobs on Fyffes Farms
https://www.iuf.org/campaigns/fyffes/
Marriott
Worldwide Workers Together
https://www.workersofmarriott.org
Coca-Cola’s
Human Rights Violations
https://www.iuf.org/campaigns/coca-cola-campaign/
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