The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) held its Second World Congress in Vancouver, Canada, on Jun. 21-25, 2010, under the theme: “Now the people - From the crisis to global justice.”

The 2^nd ITUC World Congress convened at a time in which the social and working conditions that affect the world of labor have not only changed drastically for the worse, they are also exhibiting a tendency to deteriorate further, thus proving that the economic crisis is a harsh reality, as evidenced by the reports from the International Labour Organization (ILO) that were reflected in the Congress’ documents. According to ILO data, 34 million people worldwide have lost their jobs over the last three years, joining the ranks of the 178 million already unemployed. And these figures do not even take into account the phenomenon of underemployment, a situation that is difficult to quantify but which has spread like a chronic disease, as workers strive to maintain a steady income and a decent livelihood.

The ILO also reports that an alarming 50,6 percent of the global workforce is engaged in vulnerable work, and that 633 million workers are defined as working poor, that is, workers that live below the poverty line and are at risk of complete social marginalization.

As for the situation of women workers, according to the ILO, women perform 66 percent of the world’s work and produce 50 percent of the food, but earn only 10 percent of the income and own a mere 1 percent of the property.

The above evidences that being employed no longer offers protection from poverty and destitution. This stands in stark contrast to the world of new opportunities and prosperity that the hawkers of neoliberal globalization have being loudly heralding.

A closer look would have revealed numerous situations of human rights abuses and life-threatening activities, such as child labor and forms of slave work in agroindustrial mega-projects, multinational fisheries and open sea catch processing industries. These alone should have been argument and reason enough for the ITUC to have taken its Second World Congress beyond the theoretical framework and statutory proceedings it was constrained to.

In my opinion, the Second ITUC World Congress was more about protocol than anything else; it was basically a formality carried out to adopt predetermined documents that were presented for consideration by the General Secretariat, with prior approval from the General Council and the Executive Bureau. The work dynamics left no room for an ideological or political debate over the content of the documents presented for discussion, allowing only for quick comments that ultimately failed to substantially change the proposals.

It’s ironic that the main document of the Congress, entitled “Now the people,” should suggest that the best way to deal with the global forces responsible for the world crisis, as it affects trade unions, is to working for trade union internationalism through the ITUC and the Second Congress, when the event was clearly organized as a mere formality and left no room for ideological, political or program discussions.

Debates were hindered because the precarious committees formed for the Congress were constrained by the event’s mechanical proceedings, including the approval of draft resolutions that were imposed from above, to be submitted to the Plenary Assembly for formal ratification without discussion. The debate was furthered hindered by bylaws that give each labor federation only one opportunity to speak, and then only for up to five minutes, which is barely enough time for formal greetings.

The ITUC missed a unique chance to open up an internal debate on the outcome and implications of its participation in the G-20 Washington, London and Pittsburgh summits, which were identified in the General Secretary’s report as signs of “a paradigm change, a real chance for a new start for globalization.”

These statements contrast with the current labor and social situation denounced by the ILO, and with the fact that the policies adopted by the G-20 or the G-8 have done absolutely nothing to alter a system that increases the privileges of the rich while spreading poverty throughout the world, providing no possible solution.

The G-20’s most recent decision aimed at mitigating the global economic crisis entailed giving more power and more funds to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), so it may increase the public indebtedness of developing countries - the victims of a crisis created by the very same rich countries providing the solution.

It’s disheartening to see the general secretary of the ITUC justifying the validity of public indebtedness as an instrument of financial recovery with the sophism that 21 million jobs have been saved. In other words, and according to the secretary general’s report, let’s keep the critically ill patient on life support, because if we did otherwise it would “likely throw the world back into a ‘double-dip’ recession.”

It’s an old tactic that is typically applied at both the national and international levels, when crises become so bad that national governments, or international authorities such as the G-20, are forced to call workers to the negotiating table and ask them, how can you contribute to solve the crisis?

As for the elections for ITUC authorities, they were almost laughable. Secretary general Guy Ryder chose not to run for reelection, because, following in the steps of other international unionists, as soon as his term ended he was going straight to the ILO to serve as deputy director, a position that requires not only the approval of labor, but also of the business sector and of governments.

That explains the neoliberal elements that can be detected with even a cursory glance at the documents submitted to the Congress. It also explains the presence of the directors of the IMF and the World Trade Organization (which is seeking entrance to the ILO). The two directors addressed the Plenary Meeting as panelists, singing praise for their neoliberal capitalist policies and calling on workers to be patient. And as trade union delegates were not given the opportunity to respond or dispute these statements, the panel resulted in a grotesque act of provocation.

Moreover, the positions occupied by CUT–Colombia in the ITUC’s Executive Bureau and the General Council were declared vacant - curiously enough -, a situation that is not contemplated under the agreement of the First ITUC World Congress, which provides for representations to be maintained for two terms in order to consolidate the unification process that gave rise to the ITUC.

This vacancy only became known when it came time to draw up the list of Council and Bureau members. The argument given for this is also absurd. According to Víctor Báez, general secretary of CSA (the Trade Union Confederation of the Americas), it was agreed on in an informal meeting at a café, where the former president of CUT, Carlos Rodríguez, promised to give up the Council and Bureau positions so that the Argentine Workers’ Federation (CTA) could have them for the term beginning with the Second Congress election.

As things stand, CUT has not renounced, nor will it renounce, its legitimate statutory right, which were observed in the case of all the other organizations with representation in the CSI’s governing bodies (with the exception of individual persons), as is the case of Colombia’s CGT, whose two representatives in the Executive Bureau and the General Council were maintained.