Athens, Greece – 8 June 2023

Decision

IWI Trade Union Education Committee (TUEC)

On Thursday 8 June, the 1st Meeting of the Trade Union Education Committee of the International Workers’ Institute (IWI) was held virtually on the planning of action for the year of trade union educational action 2023-2024. 12 of the 16 members of the Committee were present (5 excused absences). The following colleagues participated and took the floor:

1. George Mavrikos (Greece)
2. H. Mahadevan (India)
3. A.R. Sindhu (India)
4. Valentin Pacho (Peru)
5. Dania Leyva Creagh (Cuba)
6. Walter Tillow (USA)
7. Anda Anastasaki (Greece)
8. Luis Miguel Busto (Spain)
9. Edgar Marcote (Colombia)
10. Cinzia Della Porta (Italy)
11. Chris Townsend (USA)
12. Axel Persson (France)

Taking into account the fruitful suggestions and comments made, the main axes of the action program for the period 2023-2024 are as follows:

Trade Union Education Cycle – Action Planning (2023 – 2024)

Α. Seminars

1. Working Woman as a Unionist and a Social Being. Equality and Emancipation at Work and in Society (Key Note Speech (KNS): Italy)
2. Religion, Trade Unions and Working Class: (KNS- France)
3. “Corporatism” and Workers’ Participation in Capitalism: Co-management or Conflict? (KNS- Colombia)
4. Wage, Price and Profit (KNS Greece)
5. Artificial Intelligence and the Modern Working Class: Facing a “neo-luddism”? (KNS- TBD)
6. Racism, Xenophobia (KNS- Palestine)
7. Embargoes, Sanctions and Blockades: The Consequences for Workers and Peoples (KNS- Belarus)
8. Women and Youth in Socialist Cuba (KNS- Cuba)
9. National Languages and Colonialism (KNS- DR Congo)
10. The scourge of child labor (KNS- India & USA)
11. Health and Safety at Work (KNS- USA)
12. War and Trade Unions (KNS- Greece)
13. External Splittist Interventions against Trade Unions (KNS- Czech Republic)
14. Media and Class Struggle (KNS- Spain)
15. Simple Lessons in Political Economy

At the same time we will be in contact with the leadership of the WFTU to jointly organize lectures. We will propose the same to the ILO.

Β. Publications – Visual Propaganda

In order to strengthen the work with youth and the new generation of trade unionists, it is necessary to create a trade union training manual that can be used as a tool in trade union/ideological courses in cadres’ schools.

This manual, both in form and content, should be prepared collectively by a team that will ensure that it is easy to use, useful, aesthetically pleasing and understandable to a wide range of union cadres. The suggested title is “The Class Unionist’s Handbook”. The phrase: “If one does not make sacrifices for one’s ideas, either he or his ideas are not worth it” could be used as a subtitle.

At the same time, it is proposed to upgrade the Institute’s website (www.theoryandpraxis.eu) and to publish a booklet entitled “IWI: What it is and what it wants”. In the context of the educational activity it is important to include a series of publications focusing on historical figures and personalities of the WFTU; On bright examples of unyielding WFTU worker leaders who were at the forefront of the class struggle.

At the same time, the IWI can launch a cycle of publications under its responsibility, publishing books that were submitted to the public contests of the WFTU and remain unpublished. It may also, in consultation with the WFTU, publish posters and other WFTU materials.

C. Regional Coordination

Since our Institute is “International”, coordination at the regional level is necessary to better organize our work. The following regional coordinators are therefore proposed:

South America: Valentin Pacho

Africa: Vincent Kapenga

Asia and the Pacific: H. Mahadevan

D. Financial Support

For the financial support and financial self-sustainability of the IWI, it is proposed to create a Financial Support Committee consisting of Anda Anastasaki, Axel Persson and Walter Tillow. This committee will be in charge of communicating and finding financial resources, solidarity funds and coordinating the financial support activity in favor of the IWI. It is proposed to prioritize the Europe region.

Ε. Other organisational matters

Overall, the need for the TUEC to meet before the seminars-lectures are held in order to better plan the action is underlined. At the same time, it is proposed that the TUEC meet in person before the end of the current year (maybe at the end of October 2023 in Barcelona)

F. Democratic – Collective Functioning

In summary, we underline the need for a democratic-collective operation of the TUEC in the development of its educational program. We should ensure that the TUEC discusses regularly and in an organized manner, that rich experience comes from the activities of its members, and that suggestions are made for improving the overall activities of the IWI through collective analysis, coordination and planning.