SO BLATANT has the global offensive become that even the lynchpin of anti-communist trade unionism Confederation of Free Trade International world." Unions (1080) 18 obliged to join the criticism fele of the "poverty reduction" policies of the World Bank, An ICFTU statement the Prague meeting of the global bankers on September "Never since the international financial institutions were created has the contrast been so striking between the growing wealth and prosper ty enjoyed by a few and the increasing poverty experienced by a vastly greater number.
Far from the optimism of the WO's Mike Moore, the ICFTU argues that "the number of those living in absolute poverty is increasing." and that:
While the profit rates of multinatona. dented levels, as are the incomes of the managers of those firms, the real wages workers have been stagnant or declining in They have countries The ICFTU does not that this any inevitable development: it is the outcome deliberate policies, and the IMF in par from "must assume cheir share of responsibility for this situation of growing misery, inequality and uncertainty in a world of ever-increasing wealth.
But the ICFTU remains a reformist body, secking to rather than throw the capitalist system. Its statement reers into the of fantasy with the World Bank must make demand that SCCH concrete steps towards reversing the growin combating Of course these bodies were date the control and power of not outright recession, with rowing poverty and unemthe imperialist powers which bankroll them and coatrol ployment their agenda and activities. The problem is that many of the countries have got into scope reverse this role, no matter how the global union bosses the IMF World Bank may plead with them to do guidelines The ICFTU The ICFTU draws atten- cxample of Argentina, which tion to the fact that the big over the last ten years has privatised every public serinclude the majority of coun profit, including the postal rice capable of generating a tries of central and castern "have yet to ystem; has ce the light at the end of the Jecreased socia tunnel of transition to mar- tures; has dismantled most tariff and non-tariff trade cept for a small minor- barriers and has "dollarised" ity of holders of lange assets the national currency, thus who have bencfited from the renouncing any autonomous privatisation of former pub- monetary policy," but which lic enterprises, most citizens now faces soaring unemployin these countries hare not ment and falling real wages.
improvemeat in grammes proposed by the Porerty reduction their welfare ... while most social indicators, including IMF/WB revolve average life expectancy, hare deteriorated significantly. and privatisation as part of Life is no better for *the structural majority of countries of Asia, packages. which "find their coonomics Africa and the Americas the ICFTU's point of view is Even more annoying from anouard League they caim. "The whole thing is by implementquotes the blatantiy anti-union stance of the IMP and World Bank, and their indifference to social welfare, equality issues and workers" conditions and living standards, expendi- making bard ICFTU to be scen to collaborate in such a one-sided "partnership After detailing the extent to which the IMF/WB can be scen to oc cicanty Bacu up with the forces of global capthe working pro- class, the ICFTU concludes by demanding they change around course and "assume the nocessary leadership" to propose a newly regulated internaadjustment" tional financial system.
Among the points to be included in these regulatory Casuis fight for human dignity that Bruador has ruffered a cicious lorid Bank asterity package embraces the call for "The establishment of a currency tax to reduce speculative currency and to raise resources for the support of poverty allevia"The fact that such a basi cally right wing and collaborationist union confederation has been driven into such a poncar stancc ise mark of the extent to which polarising forces around the world.
The call for the IMF and WB to implement a "Tobin Tax" on speculation shows that the logic of neo-liberalunacceptable to anyone who ism wishes to defend, or be scen to defend, the interests of the ICFTU poor and oppressed.