Confronting Globalization: A Look at the Global Network\’s Initiatives in Asia
Trade unions, labor NGOs and civil society groups in seven participating countries in Asia set up the Global Network to engage global institutions and address issues of globalization in the region. The participating organizations in Philippines, Pakistan, India, Thailand, Bangladesh, Hong Kong and Korea forged the alliance to promote workers\’ interests in the current global order.

Asian partners of the Global Network (GN) kicked off its “globalization” project this year with a series of national seminars following the first regional seminar for Asia in February. The GN project was established as an alliance of trade unions and labor NGOs in Europe, Asia, Latin America and Africa in response to the sweeping changes caused by globalization; specifically, the neoliberal type. In the long term, the GN intends to build the capacities of its affiliates in understanding global developments and engage global institutions that affect workers and other basic sectors worldwide.

On Feb. 23-24, the Global Network-Asia affiliates gathered in Manila for the first Global Network Regional Seminar. It focused on analyzing globalization and its challenges to trade unions and labor organizations. Attended by more than 60 trade unionists and activists in the Philippines and abroad, the two-day seminar carried the theme “Confronting Globalization: Global Solidarity for Global Transformation.”

Except for PILER-Pakistan, all of GN\’s current Asian partner organizations were able to attend the seminar: HKCTU-Hong Kong, KLSI-Korea, CLIST-Thailand, BILS-Bangladesh, SEWA-India, SALIGAN-Philippines and LEARN-Philippines. Other local and international NGOs and trade unions also participated, including representatives from the Brussels-based SOLIDAR, IFWEA, TSL-Finland, ACILS-Indonesia and FES-Philippines.

The opening speeches were delivered by Marlon Quesada, Global Network-Asia Coordinator, Rudolf Traub, FES-Philippines Resident Representative and Giampiero Alhadeff, SOLIDAR Secretary General.

Global institutions: lessons learned
Globalization has become the byword for the global changes that are being felt in the realms of economics, politics and culture. The term captures the rise of global institutions, the expansion of transnational corporations (TNCs) and the formation of global social movements. Speeches at the GN’s regional seminar expounded on the varying impacts, perspectives and facets of globalization; how it affects the global civil society, particularly the working people. Given emphasis in the discussions is the vital role of global institutions – World Trade Organization (WTO) and international financial institutions or IFIs (World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Asian Development Bank) – in determining the economic development path of national economies toward further liberalization.

Prof. Walden Bello, a noted Filipino political-economist and one of the seminar’s main speakers, stressed the critical role of WTO Ministerial Meetings in forging trade agreements that have impact on national economies. For instance, Bello disclosed that the WTO conference in Doha resulted to new “negotiations” that have further “liberalized” the world economy. Meanwhile, Gerard Greenfield of the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU) summed up the fundamental role of WTO “to put down trade barriers in order to facilitate, if not hasten, globalization.”

According to Maitet Diokno of the Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC), IFIs in Asia support the liberalization path because their “policies are aimed at liberalizing trade and capital accounts and deregulating the market.” This is done, Diokno said, through official development assistance (ODA) loans of IFIs that bind borrower countries to follow policies on privatization and liberalization.

Furthermore, the heightened liberalization of the world economy has marginalized the workers and peoples at the grassroots level, Josua Mata, secretary general of the Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL), said. Mata stated that “transnational corporations are the winners in globalization while the ultimate losers are the working people.” TNCs have further become influential and powerful non-state players in the present economic world order. Greenfield also confirmed the “rise of investment rules, which give protection to foreign investors and corporations at the expense of the environment, public health, and the rights of workers.”

Majority of the speakers in the seminar pointed out that unbridled liberalization through the dominance and deregulation of the market minimizes the role of the state in the delivery of basic services, such as water, transportation, education and health. The “competitive” and unregulated market likewise pits the workers against each other as massive unemployment drives wages down. In this scenario, the intervention of civil society and social movements become extremely crucial in striking a balance against the social costs of heightened market deregulation.

Challenges: confronting globalization
The challenge for global social movements according to Bello is “to emerge, unite, mobilize and set in motion innovative strategies to pressure their national governments from making destructive concessions toward further liberalization.” To accomplish this, the participants agreed that it is imperative to develop and establish TU-NGO linkages for a more concerted effort in pressuring their governments. On the other hand, Mata pointed out that the loose character of anti-globalization movements, which was evident in Seattle, is one of the weaknesses that should be addressed. Thus, there is a need to forge a more cohesive strategy and a unified vision towards global transformation.

In terms of strategies, Greenfield opined that in criticizing institutional power, pressures must be exerted on appropriate forum because trade agreements initiated by WTO and IFIs are actually concluded outside ministerial meetings. These international meetings have become mere symbolic meetings and formalities. With regard to the TNCs, Greenfield said that trade unions and civil society need to go “global” in confronting these global companies because TNCs now have the power to make social contracts irrelevant.

There were concrete suggestions from the participants in response to the speakers\’ presentations. One important point was to craft “an effective workers\’ education program to enable workers to relate their problems to these global issues and to participate in global social movements.” Everyone agreed that popularizing global issues and arguments that affect human lives and the society is imperative in reaching out people at the grassroots level. In the same vein, trade unions were also challenged to strengthen their research, education, organizing and mobilizing efforts.


Global Network-Asia: part of the global struggle
Global institutions provide the fuel and the engines of globalization. Trade agreements, financial packages and economic development strategies forged by the WTO and IFIs permeate every corner of the globe. Although agreements and strategies are done on paper, they affect lives, communities and societies. Not much has been undertaken in analyzing, engaging and contesting global institutions at the global and civil society level.

The Global Network initiative for trade unions and labor NGOs seeks to contribute in the said objectives. This network aims to consolidate and strengthen trade union and labor response to the impact of globalization. In Asia, Global Network seeks to confront and engage global institutions in the region for accountability that would redound to workers\’ rights and benefits.