1. Global trends in SASK’s operating environment
Challenges:
Long-term trends: Climate change and restructuring of the global economy. Global warming, trade deregulation and changes in production structures are presenting challenges to the trade union movement’s traditional operating models all over the world. Transfers of production from one country to another, along with the forceful emergence of major developing countries as powerhouses of the global economy, are altering the international division of labour and pushing the trade union movement, too, into a more global approach to campaigning and advocacy work, and into closer collaboration. For the trade union movement Decent Work and a Living Wage are primary goals in the fight against impoverishment. They also form part of any socially sustainable economic model used to implement the regulation of natural resources and patterns of production and consumption required by climate change.
The crisis on the financial markets and the collapse of neo-liberal politics. The global economic downturn that began with the crisis on the financial markets is slowing economic growth, and this is having its most dramatic impact on the world’s poorest population groups, especially the urban poor. The rapid rise in food prices has dragged millions of city dwellers back into poverty, and worsened the already bad situation of those who make their living outside the formal labour markets. Rising unemployment and the drop in living standards of those in work represent a massive challenge, especially for the trade union movement in developing countries. Even though the economic crisis is forcing a reassessment of neoliberal politics, there is a danger that the world-wide competition to reduce production costs – the race to the bottom – will accelerate even more rapidly, and that pressures on poor states to compete for jobs at the cost of working conditions will increase
Growth of the informal economy. Restructuring of production and services, and cuts in the public sector have placed the majority of those of working age in the developing countries outside of the official economy, where they are not protected by labour agreements or legislation, and where the wages from a single job are not enough to live on. The unemployment caused by the international economic crisis is accelerating this trend, and informal working is becoming increasingly common.
Breakdown of unionisation structures. Safeguarding the rights and interests of the new groups emerging on labour markets is becoming increasingly difficult. Trade unions will have to think about new forms of organisation, new types of networking, new ways of approaching and talking to people, along with new ways of serving their memberships. They will also have to think of ways to resist union busting methods, since deliberate attempts to weaken the trade union movement are becoming common in a number of countries.
Opportunities:
Regulating markets and managing globalisation. The global financial crisis has extensively undermined faith in the ability of unfettered market forces to maintain sustainable development and steady economic growth. The resulting discussion of market regulation also provides an opportunity for developing more socially sustainable model of world economy. This gives the trade union movement an opportunity to present its own initiatives on the social dimension of globalisation.
The trade union movement and social movements. Collaboration networks involving the traditional trade union movement and the new social movements are being reinforced, at the same time as the trade union movement is seeking alternative forms of organisation to complement older structures. These networks are defending basic public services, democratic rights and the right of local communities to natural resources, and also taking part in developing initiatives for the management of globalisation.
Time to take responsibility. Citizens are increasingly interested in ethical consumption and, at the same time, there is growing pressure to try out more responsible ways of acting. This opens up new possibilities for discussing workers’ rights and a living wage, and also for generating concrete initiatives in which the trade union movement plays a central role.
Uninity of the trade union movement. The merger of ICFTU and WCL as well as the fusion project for some industry Global Union Federations are improving the scope for strengthening international collaboration and for clarifying the division of labour on a national level, too.
2. Trends in Finland
International restructuring of production and services is having a marked effect on the Finnish labour market. Transfers of production and the international operations of Finnish companies mean that SASK’s project work, along with its communications and its campaigning and advocacy work, are closely tied to the reality of Finnish working life.
Citizens’ interest in global issues is growing, and this creates further possibilities for raising questions considered important by the trade-union movement in Finland, and for campaigning for basic rights at work globally.
Union Fusions in Finland are clarifying the structure of SASK’s membership base, but they also pose a challenge: the level of contact between SASK and its membership base can be reduced in larger unions unless it develops new ways of preserving a multi-faceted, living relationship with its members.
3. SASK’s mission
The SASK policy document says:
“SASK’s mission is to implement projects that support the trade union movement in developing countries and in the European Union’s neighbouring countries, and to act as an instrument for its member organisations in lobbying for improvements in Finnish development-aid policy. As a centre of expertise and a partnership hub for the Finnish trade union movement, SASK is also part of the global network of the free, democratic trade union movement, with which SASK and its member organisations collaborate closely. The principles and major long-term objectives that guide SASK’s work are primarily based on the goals of the international trade union movement. SASK’s partners are also trade unions belonging to the international labour network, or NGOs and citizens’ networks that support those same objectives.
“Operating idea: Representative, democratic and expert trade unions are the most effective means of defending decent work and of ensuring proper conditions and terms of work on a daily basis. These are an important channel that will enable people who earn their livelihood by working to make their voices heard when the rules of the global economy are being formulated and the mechanisms of global collective bargaining are being set up. That is why SASK uses the trade union movement as a network for improving working conditions and implementing democratic rights in the developing countries and in the European Union’s neighbouring countries. The more effectively and skilfully local trade unions do their work, the more individual beneficiaries will also gain from the funds channelled through SASK.”
4. Strategic goals and points of focus 2009-2011
Main goals of project work
The main goal of SASK’s project work is to provide support for the trade union movement in developing countries and in the European Union’s neighbouring countries, so that trade unions will be able to achieve their basic aim, i.e. ensuring decent work and a living wage for their members and for workers in their sector. Participation by Finnish trade unions in activities that support their sister organisations is the cornerstone of SASK’s operations, and also reinforces the trade union movement’s international campaigning and advocacy network.
To promote the goal of Decent Work it is also important to operate in areas for which there is no equivalent in the Finnish trade union context. These areas are, in particular, the informal sector, farm workers, migrant workers and child labour. Other specific areas for projects are support for trade union movement unification processes, collaboration with bodies other than traditional trade union partners, and climate change and the environment. In the future, combating climate change will give rise to new types of job opportunities – or green jobs – with the related working conditions, conditions of employment and unionisation coming under SASK’s programme.
Gender equality issues are a pervasive theme of SASK’s work, and are explicitly incorporated into the Plan for Use of Funds, and implemented in projects.
SASK has a growing capacity for strategic planning and for implementing, monitoring and assessing the development cooperation programme. Its projects adhere to this programme and are having a growing impact. The programme takes into account specific regional characteristics, for which separate points of focus are specified in project operations.
High-quality, properly managed programme work ensures continued funding.
Campaigning and advocacy
International trade unions and collaboration networks know and recognise SASK is as one of their most reliable partners in collaboration.
The Finnish trade union movement and its membership base know and recognise SASK as their own development collaboration organisation, and they are proud of it.
The underlying theme of SASK’s communications and campaigning is Decent Work. This is linked to SASK’s project work by means of practical examples, which helps member organisations commit themselves to the programme work.
The influence of the trade union movement in Finnish society is also one of SASK’s major strategic resources. Thanks to the influence of its member organisations, the goals of SASK’s programme work enjoy broad political support. Whenever necessary, SASK is able to get its message through to the relevant political decision makers and trade unions.
Developing resources
(Management and Administration)
The active participation of member organisations in project work is a major resource, and dialogue between the staff and Executive Board is being further improved. SASK’s Executive Board is closely involved in planning of operations and in their practical implementation.
(Money)
SASK is developing its funding by increasing the self-financing contribution from trade unions, i.e. by encouraging new unions to join in practical project work, by developing the Ylen Hyvä fundraising campaigns, and by increasing its partners’ own contributions.
(Staff)
SASK has sufficient capacity for the project planning, project monitoring and assessments carried out within the framework of the programme.
(Networks)
SASK is able to analyse its global operating environment together with its partners, and to react to changes taking place in its operating environment. SASK maintains, develops and makes active use of its collaboration network both in Finland and abroad.
SASK’s membership base is expanding and the nature of that membership is being developed so as to comprehensively meet the current needs of the Finnish trade union movement. An important potential resource is that the individual TU members and local TU branches can be supporting members, and one of SASK’s strategic focuses is on benefitting from this. Together with its member organisations, SASK is able to organise impressive, inspiring opportunities for Finnish trade union activists to participate in international solidarity work.
Translated from Finnish
