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Union forum aims for poverty cut SHANGHAI: Enhanced co-operation and poverty eradication were the hot topics for representatives of international trade unions who gathered yesterday for a two-day International Forum on Economic Globalization and Trade Unions. "The growing trend of globalization has brought the so-called economic boom, but at the same time, it has also exacerbated the imbalance of development between different countries, and the unfair distribution of wealth in the world," said Wang Zhaoguo, chairman of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU). According to the latest data from the United Nations and the International Labour Organization, more than 1.2 billion people survive on less than US$1 a day worldwide, and 54 countries at present are poorer than they were in 1990. "We fear that the situation will only worsen in a climate in which governments are being forced to compete on the price of labour to attract foreign investors," said Ardhendu Dakshi, national secretary of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions. Participants agreed at the meeting that uprooting poverty is not just a pressing task facing each country, but also a common responsibility of the international community and an important mission trade union organizations are obligated to shoulder. As poverty traces its roots to economic, political and social backgrounds, Wang suggested that trade unions in all countries should actively participate in the formulation of international rules to ensure that the benefits of global economic growth are shared fairly and reasonably among workers of all countries, particularly those in developing countries. During the meeting, representatives of several trade unions discussed the protection of workers employed by small companies. Most of them are not represented by trade unions. "But in fact they are usually the most exploited in terms of low wages, long working hours, lack of social protection and job security," said Jose Del Valle of Mexico trade union organization CROC. "It is necessary to include them into the unions." Delegates from 17 foreign trade unions participated in the international forum organized by ACFTU, including the World Federation of Trade Unions, the Organization of African Trade Union Unity and the International Confederation of Arab Trade Unions. "We hope to provide an open platform so that trade union organizations from different social backgrounds and ideologies can freely exchange views and seek more opportunities for co-operation," said Wang, also vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature. Wang also met with leaders of international and foreign trade unions attending the forum, calling for world trade unions to take poverty alleviation as one of their key tasks. (China Daily 09/21/2005 page2)
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