Trade Unions React to Globalization

Source: Officials launch new international labor union to withstand globalization

On November 1, a new international confederation was launched in Vienna, Austria. The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) is an attempt to strengthen the rights of workers and eliminate child labor in the context of a globalizing economy. ITUC’s charter disparages the “unbridled capitalist globalization” and promises to stand for the “dignity and rights of all human beings.”

ITUC unites 150 million union member from 241 affiliated organizations in 156 countries. It includes some of the world’s best established and most influential labor groups, including the Trade Union Congress (U.K.), AFL-CIO (U.S.), CGT (France), DGB (Germany), and many others. Guy Ryder, head of this new umbrella organization, expects the coordinated efforts of ITUC to “exert more influence on companies, governments and the international financial and trade institutions” in its quest to protect workers’ rights.

Question:

1. Will ITUC be able to counteract the power and influence of multinational corporations and combat the "evils" of globalization on an international level?