The act of membership to a Trade Union testifies of a will so at the same moment to defend itself and to be defended.  The feeling leaves that only we can nothing, that it needs to gather, to show solidarity.

The trade union does not live for itself.  It has sense only in the defense of its members, their implication in all the choices to be operated, the decisions to be taken. 

It applies as well as on every place of work and life as at the international level. 

The trade unionism must be rich in the variety of all those which composes it.  Its independence, that is the free collective choice of its members is the security of its efficiency.
Utility and Efficiency

            Useful and effective, such has to be the trade unionism.  It is in these criteria that every organisation has to pull the balance of its  activity and define perspectives.

            The IEMO does not escape this requirement.  The congress constitutes the privileged moment to review.  But beyond, it is important to wonder about the international trade unionism in general. 

            In this beginning of century and millennium, with the internationalization of the economy-called globalization – it is our responsibility for wondering about our reason for being.  Everybody is called. 

            The world of the work prevents bad knocks, imposes successes but it is not the logic of social progress that dominates.  The forces of the capital-particularly financial-tend to impose their logic. 

            Why is it so? 

            Everything is balance of power after all.  Exactly, how create the conditions ?

            Millions of men and women are engaged in the trade-union activity.  They make it dedicatedly, self-abnegation, courage, quite freely. 

            Repression, attempts of integration in the liberal dogma are realities and so many obstacles to social progress. 

            Then let us look at the situation in any lucidity and let us try to bring answers in any humility. 

            To realize the state of the international trade unionism, it is enough to cast a glance on the international rules of the work.  In front of a divided trade unionism or at least not collected, the employer, with the complicity of certain governments, tends to impose its law. 

            As  for peace in certain regions of the world, the trade unionism has difficulty in making its voice listen. 

            Certainly, in the social and economic field, successes are imposed, but to which price and in any case they remain fragile. 

            And nevertheless, it was not always the case. The trade unionism contributed to impose important victories as those against colonialism or racism. 

            Beyond the report – which everybody can not share- because it must be linked to every national or regional  or regional situation – the balance of the activity of the international trade unionism has to confront in the requirements of the internationalization of production and services. 

            While this one could allow social progress for all the peoples, peace, disarmament, it is put in the service of the competition between territories, between employees. 

            Is not it the responsibility of the trade unionism to contribute to the reduction of social and territorial inequalities, to solidarity and social cohesion?

A divided trade unionism 

            This situation results from no fate, and from no deliberated will on most of the activists.   Moreover each tries to make well there where he is in responsibility.  All are confronted with an established, fact, but in trouble to define perspectives. 

The critical exercise is often difficult, each is connected with his (her) organisation. 

Every organisation, and the IEMO does not escape the rule, cares about its history, its culture, original lines which mark it profoundly. 

In front of the internationalization of production, every organization has its approach as for the solutions for social cohesion around a dynamic set of collective rights., 

We cannot remain powerless in front of  the action of multinationals. 

Trade unionism on an international scale has to have a capacity of training and stake in movement of the employees. 

It is on its capacity to build or to reformulate united systems concerning right to work, health, training, pensions, etc., in brief to build new international standards, that international trade unionism will be judged. 

Generally speaking, trade unionism is asked to be much in touch with wage-earners, their rank and file organizations, to have an approach always more democratic. 

Why-what is possible on every place of life and work in the leading of claiming fights would not be possible at the international level.

The trade union pluralism is a reality at the level of the planet.  To competition we prefer the fertility of debates, stimulating to allow the assembling and the development of initiatives. 

Up to here – some exceptions apart – the international trade unionism was incapable or reluctant to conjugate pluralism and assembling. 

And nevertheless, every international organization, in professional branches, continents or even in the ILO, is aware that it does not have means, itself only, to modify durably the procedure.

Is not the common mission of every organization the defense of the world of the work ?

The international trade unionism developed in a frame of divisions, ideological cleavage.  In its birth the trade unionism nevertheless wanted unitarian. 

It is on the basis of this unitarian will that built up itself the IEMO from a profession by adhering to no inter-professional structure. 

But this approach remained isolated. 

For a collected and unitarian trade unionism 

            As our opinion, the hour came to put   in big the questions of the assembling for the efficiency of the trade unionism. 

            It is premature to define that will be forward the international trade unionism.  The ideal would be a single respectful organisation of all the territorial and professional sensibilities. 

            Every organisation can have a different vision on the nature and the shape of the relations that it intends to have with the government and the employers of its country.  As well as it can have a vision on the political, economic and social choices, which should preside over the fates of its country. 

            But there is a common point between all, it is the will of defence of the interests of the wage-earners. 

            Is it not the main part there and that has to be of use as base to the construction of unitarain initiatives? Already some are taken at the regional level or of groups but force is to notice that they are limited. 

The hour came for every organisation to take initiatives to create the conditions of the assembling. 

For its part, the IEMO intends to contribute to it from its originality, itself factor of assembling. 

Let us know how to exceed our differences to take support on what join us. 

It passes by unitarain claiming initiatives on question as that of peace or globalization such as it is lived in the occupations and the continents. 

It supposes to exchange, to discuss it, to meet. 

That is why the IEMO has already had meetings with the TUI-WEMCORI* (WFTU), the ICEM (ICFTU) and the PSI (ICFTU). 

Let us open a process going towards a wide and flexible unity and not excluding – necessarily –nobody.  It is our conception.  So we shall face up in an effective way and shall touch all the wage-earners concerned by the effects of the globalisation. 

Thus let us find the forms which allow us to implement this approach, to make it share by the biggest number. 

Is not it advisable to set up a unitarian international committee which works on the formulation of prepositions either another flexible collective of co-ordination between organisations? 

Such an approach also  supposes to transform our ways of life so that it is indeed the organisations who decide on orientations and where each will count for one equally of rights. 

The IEMO intends to put itself in the service of such an approach and is opened to any forms for propositions. 

It is premature to define its evolution.  To our opinion, it should eventually result in the creation of a new unitarian international organisation. 

The unity does not arise in term of rallying but indeed to create something new including in its mode of functioning. 

                                                                                                F. DUTEIL