Dear all,

I am sending you the program for SIGTUR's « Voices from the South and Toward Real Solidarity between North and South » on September 11th, in Cancun, Mexico, on behalf of our member organization, Korean Confederation of Trade Unions
(KCTU). Solidarity,
Sohi Jeon,
International Coordinator,
Korean People's Action against FTA & WTO (KoPA)
Dear Colleagues,

SIGTUR, the Southern Initiative on Globalisation and Trade Union Rights is organizing a Open Forum under the title of « Voices from the South and Toward Real Solidarity between North and South » on September 11th, in Cancun, Mexico. This SIGTUR forum will be co-hosted by KCTU(Korean Confederation of Trade Unions), COSATU(Congress of South African Trade Unions) and CUT(Central Unica dos Trabalhadores-Brazil). Social/civic movement groups such as Focus on the Global South are co-sponsoring this forum.

It will be composed of two parts.

The first part will focus on the issue of WTO, including its impacts on the South and trade union strategy/responses. Following this in the second part, we will discuss more general effects of neo-liberal globalisation such as labour flexiblisation and the long-term/short-term challenges of trade unions.

Following is a draft introduction and programme of the SIGTUR Forum.

We invite you to this forum.

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SIGTUR Forum

Voices from the South and Toward Real Solidarity between North and South
Date : 11th, Sep(am9:00 - pm 1:00)

Venue will be notified as soon as possible. .(The venue is the same place as one of the « Trade and War » forum organised by the Continental Campaign Against Militarization in the Americas, Polaris Institute and Focus on the Global South, which will be held in the afternoon, 11th Sep.)

1. Introduction and Objectives

• Since Seattle Struggle in 1999, anti/alter globalisation movements have been increasing in capacity and numbers around the world. At the same time, it is the reality that there are some differences in terms of viewpoints on the WTO and neoliberal globalisation among North and South trade union movements.
• It is time to exchange and clarify each view in order to strengthen our movements and materialise real solidarity between North and South under the situation of accelerated neoliberal globalisation and WTO DDA process.
• Taking an opportunity of the 5th WTO Ministerial conference at Cancun, we would like to make a momentum to understand each other's condition and to develop common ground for North-South solidarity from the perspective of southern trade union and people.
• The objective of the Forum under the title of "Voices from the South and Toward Real Solidarity between North and South" is not only aimed that the voices of southern people and trade union on the WTO/neoliberal globalisation be heard but also that these viewpoints be discussed with colleagues from the North in order to build common and balanced resolutions.

2. Draft programme

- The First Part : Challenging the WTO - Our Tactics/Strategies and toward real solidarity between North and South(1 hour 45 minutes)

COSATU, South Africa, on Governments of developing countries and Anti-WTO movement(15 minutes)

Cho Heejoo, KTU, Korea, on Anti-WTO movement and Trade union's campaigns against privatization(15 minutes)

João Vaccari, CUT-Brazil, on Overcoming the debate of labour standards(15 minutes)

One more Panelist from the North on the above issue.(15 minutes)

Walden Bello, Focus on the Global South, Philippines, on The vision of Anti-WTO movement and alternatives to the WTO regime(15 minutes)

Discussion(30 minutes)

10 minute break

- The Second Part : Trade Union's Challenges in face of Neo-liberal Globalisation(1 hour 30 minutes)

Rafael Freire, HAS, CUT-Brazil, Trade Union and alter/anti Globalisation movement including WSF process(15 minutes)

Yoo Duksang, KCTU, The Vision of Trade Union movement in face of Labour Flexiblisation/Casualisation(15 minutes)

Two Panelists(One from the South, the other from the North) on Overcoming the existing barriers from the perspective of strengthening the solidarity between North and South and toward building internationalist trade union movement(15 minutes for each panelist)

General Discussion(45 minutes)

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About the SIGTUR

SIGTUR, the Southern Initiative on Globalisation and Trade Union Rights is a new southern organisation of democratic, independent trade unions in Asia, Africa, South America, Australia and New Zealand that was formed in March 1999.

SIGTUR has been formed under basis that the sweeping policy changes ushered in by neoliberal globalisation were likely to seriously undermine labour rights and conditions that had been won through long and difficult struggle, a struggle that involved considerable human sacrifice.

SIGTUR strategy goes to the very heart of the challenges all unions now face as they find their base cut by the liberal market agenda of globalisation, which has seriously undermined rights, generated massive new inequalities and accelerated environmental degradation.

SIGTUR is built upon the foundation of democratic trade unionism, committed to defending and promoting:

• worker and citizen rights;
• economic equality, social equality, gender equality;
• political freedom and participatory democracy;
• a green agenda against environmental degradation.

SIGTUR is a non-aligned, independent, action and campaign orientated network, grounded in democratic trade unions in the south that has secured a high degree of support from all active trade union internationals.

SIGTUR is deeply committed to the struggle for democratic trade union rights, which means challenging the logic of neoliberal global change, which has been so damaging to collective rights and the maintenance of decent conditions. Hence SIGTUR is willing to work with any international union structure that can help empower the struggle of southern workers.

Lee Changgeun
International Director
Korean Confederation of Trade Unions
5fl. Daeyoung Bldg. 139 Youngdeungpo-2-Ga
Youngdeungpo-Ku, Seoul 150-982 Korea
Tel: ++82 2 2636-0165
Fax: ++82 2 2635-1134
Email: inter (at) kctu.org