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President of the European Economic and Social Committee Avrupa Ekonomik ve Sosyal Komitesi Başkanı Roger BRIESCH gave a speech at the European Economic and Social Committee Conference about the human rights in the workplace, in Brussels, 2 and 3 December 2002 and addressed people from Africa, the Caribbean, the Pacific, the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, Latin America and Asia who have come to Brussels to meet with their European partners and representatives of the institutions attending this conference. This conference is extremely important to me on a personal level - not only because it is the first conference I have had the honour to chair since taking up my new role - but also because the issue of human rights in the workplace is particularly dear to me owing to my long-standing involvement both with the trades union movement and with the activities of the International Labour Organisation. I would like to begin with a story about the origins of this conference. In November 1999 I found myself trapped in my hotel along with several colleagues from the Committee who were also taking part in the Seattle Ministerial Conference. President CLINTON was in town, there had been some trouble the previous day, and the police had imposed a curfew. I had experienced several curfews in my life, although never before in the United States, but on this strange evening the suspicion of the developing countries, their point-blank refusal to discuss social issues, and President CLINTON's highly damaging reference to the possible use of trade sanctions to impose social standards, combined to create an uneasy atmosphere. Since our return from Seattle, we have acknowledged the importance of engaging in dialogue on the promotion of core labour standards (specifically, freedom of association and effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining, the elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labour, genuine abolition of child labour and the elimination of discrimination in labour and occupation) today recognised as universal. Naturally, then, I was delighted when, in October 2000, Commissioner LAMY (European Trade Commissioner) asked the EESC to draw up an opinion on human rights in the workplace, using its network of contacts within the European Union and in third countries. I believe that we delivered in full. Mr. PUTZHAMMER, the rapporteur, and Mr Gafo FERNçNDEZ, co-rapporteur, drew up a high quality opinion, managing to find common ground between the highly divergent viewpoints which - even within the European Union - exist on this particularly sensitive issue. I wish personally to thank those two members of our Committee, who have demonstrated the virtues of constructive dialogue and proved that consensus is not necessarily synonymous with a lack of conviction and ideas. The Committee has also endeavoured to initiate a dialogue on these matters with its partners in the southern countries, and in this connection has organised a number of meetings and hearings in which several of you have taken part. Such meetings have taken place in Egypt, under the aegis of the Euromed Partnership, in the Dominican Republic, with the representatives of economic and social players from the Caribbean in May 2001, in Geneva, with trade union and employers' organisations from African, Asian and Latin American countries in June 2001, in Chile, with representatives of a number of Latin American countries in November 2001, and in Kenya, with representatives of East African countries in February 2002. Overall we have shown that it is possible to hold a dialogue on these thorny questions - a dialogue between all economic and social players and between north and south. We have demonstrated, and will continue to demonstrate, the important role that civil society can play both in complementing the work of governments and even, on occasion, in spearheading progress, through our capacity both for dialogue and for confrontation, combined with our ability to reach agreement at times when our governments refuse to talk. Without wishing to pre-empt any conclusions that might emerge from these two days, I would nonetheless like to suggest a number of ideas that I hope will help to shape your discussions. The question of human rights in the workplace must be examined as part of an overall approach to promote sustainable development I believe that with regard to north-south relations, it is essential that we consider this issue in conjunction with that of poverty reduction and development policy in general. I wish to make it clear that I roundly condemn all forms of child labour, but I am also well aware that in the interests not only of credibility but also of effectiveness, this condemnation must go hand in hand with aid for education policy and specific action to create jobs for adults. I am convinced that the tools of development policy, used in such a way, can play an important role in promoting core labour standards. We must address, as a matter of urgency, the growing imbalance, noted by Kofi ANNAN in his Millennium Summit report, between the development of rules facilitating the expansion of global markets and the attention accorded to equally important social objectives. In other words, while market governance is gaining in strength - a development which is to be broadly welcomed - social governance, despite the efforts of the ILO, to which I pay tribute, has yet to be achieved. We must thus concentrate further efforts on promoting this social dimension of globalisation. The importance of the Neither/Nor rule: neither sanctions nor protectionism The European Economic and Social Committee - and indeed the European Union as a whole - rejects any approach based on sanctions. The idea of using incentives to promote social standards, however, does merit discussion. It is also important for the European Union that the link between trade and social issues is not manipulated to serve protectionist ends. We do not, therefore, wish to challenge the comparative advantage that low wages represent for your countries, a matter about which concerns are sometimes voiced. The European Union has a major role to play in developing a social dimension of globalisation Firstly, the Union itself is founded on respect for fundamental rights. The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, proclaimed at Nice in December 2000, reiterates the fundamental objective of the EU of promoting and integrating fully fundamental rights - including core labour standards - in all of its policies and actions. Furthermore, our model of development, based on social and environmental considerations and on the participation and consultation of representatives of organised civil society interests and attracts people in the southern countries I am sure that the representative of the European Union Council Presidency, Mr Claus Hjort FREDERIKSEN, will reiterate the European Union's firm commitment to promoting core standards. On behalf of the European Economic and Social Committee, I can assure that we will continue to strive for progress in this area. Indeed, this is a subject where the Committee, as the representative of the economic and social players in European organised civil society, can make a major contribution. Take as your starting point the words of Boutros BOUTROS-GHALI: unless we democratise globalisation, globalisation will distort democracy. Roger BRIESCH, 2-3 Aralık 2002'de Avrupa Ekonomik ve Sosyal Komitesi (AESK) tarafından Brüksel'de düzenlenen, işyerinde insan hakları konulu konferansta dünyanın dört bir köşesinden katılımcılara hitap etti. Bu konferans benim için kişisel olarak çok önemli, çünkü uzun yıllar boyunca hem sendika hareketinde, hem de Uluslararası Çalışma Örgütü'nde (ILO) görev yapmış biri olarak, işyerinde insan hakları bana çok önemli geliyor. Ben Kasım 1999'da Seattle'da otelde mahsur kalmışlardanım. Orada, kalkınmakta olan ülkelerin sosyal konuların tartışılmasını bütünüyle reddetmesi ve başkan CLINTON'ın sosyal standartları kabul ettirmek amacıyla ticari yaptırımların uygulanabileceği yolundaki çok tepki toplayan konuşması havayı çok germişti. Seattle sonrasında temel çalışma standartları (sendikalaşma hakkı, toplu pazarlık hakkı, angaryanın ortadan kaldırılması, çocuk emeğine son verilmesi ve ayırımcılığın önüne geçilmesi) konusunda diyalogun önemini hepimiz kabul etmiş bulunuyoruz. AESK, Avrupa Komisyonu'nun Ticaretten Sorumlu Üyesi Pascal LAMY'nin talebi üzerine, işyerinde insan hakları konusunda bir rapor hazırladı. Ayrıca, bu konuda Mısır, Dominik Cumhuriyeti, Cenevre, Şili ve Kenya'da Güney ülkeleri ile bir diyalog oluşturmak amacıyla toplantılar düzenledi. Sivil toplum düzeyindeki diyalogun ne kadar önemli olduğu böylece kanıtlandı. Bence işyerinde insan hakları sorunu, sürdürülebilir kalkınma konusunda bütünsel bir yaklaşımın parçası olarak ele alınmalıdır. Kuzey-Güney ilişkileri bağlamında, bu sorun yoksulluğun azaltılması ve genel kalkınma politikasıyla birlikte düşünülmelidir. ‚ocuk emeğini ortadan kaldırmalıyız, ama bunun eğitim politikası ve yetişkinlere istihdam yaratma çabasıyla el ele gitmesi gerekir. Kofi ANNAN'ın Milenyum Zirvesi'nde vurguladığı gibi, küresel pazarların genişlemesi ile sosyal amaçlar arasında büyümekte olan dengesizliğe acil olarak çözüm aramalıyız. |