Global Power Trade Unions’ Congress calls on Workers to Fight Back!

“The International Trade Union Movement and Solidarity is more than ever relevant as a counterforce to uplift working families and communities from the vicious cycle of poverty and create better working conditions through negotiated binding contracts. We need to organise, educate, retaliate and fight back,” said Allen Hicks, National Secretary of the Electrical Trade Unions (ETU) Australia in the conclusion of the 6^th Global Trade Union Power Congress.  

Hosted by Unite the Union, the two-day Congress held from 1^st-2^nd October in Esher Place, UnitedKingdom, was attended by more than 70 global union leaders, activists, and invited renowned speakers from academia and UK Labour Party. 

The Congress was conducted under the auspice of the GPTU Steering Committee Members composed by Allen Hicks, Jorgen  Rasmussen General Secretary of Danish Electrical Workers Union; Paddy Kavanagh, General Secretary of Connect Trade Union Ireland; Frank Christensen, General President of the International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC) United States and Canada; and Bernard McAulay, National Officer for Construction, Unite the Union. 

“The increasing number of electrical trade unions participating in our annual global network event shows the significance of joint campaigns and solidarity action, such as the case of ETU, Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) and Australian Workers Union (AWU) picket protest against Exxon and UGL,” said Allen Hicks. 

“Our membership is growing stronger with the participation this year of electrical trade unions from South Korea, Kosovo, United States, Mexico and Italy. We may be working in different country’s economic and political environments, but we are all dealing with the same attack of global capital against our rank and file members, their families and communities.  This calls for global action,” said Jorgen Juul Rasmussen.   

The BWI strongly supports the Global Power Trade Unions’ campaigns. During last year’s Global Congress in Durban, the BWI adopted a Resolution encouraging all Global Union Federations to work together to recognise the electrical sectors and co-operate with the steering committee of the GPTU network on electrical issues.

GPTU Congress delegates were from ETU Australia; Dansk El Forbund Denmark; Rafionaorsamband Island (Iceland); Connect Trade Union Ireland; FLAEI-CISL Italy; Unite the Union, UK;  SUTERM Mexico; The Norwegian Electricians’ and IT Workers Union; South Korean Construction Workers Union; Svenska Elektrikerforbundet Sweden; Unite/Kone PLC, Independent Trade Union Federation of Electrokosovo, Kosovo; IUEC and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and Utility Workers Union of America as well as representatives from IndustriALL and BWI.