definition for: #becauseofOURUNION

The theme of the 13th Regional Conference of IUF Asia/Pacific is: “because of our union”. One the common challenges our affiliates face is that our members often take for granted what the union has won for them. What we as a trade union movement have won for our members and their families, their communities and for society is somehow perceived as natural. This could potentially weaken organized strength and collective bargaining power. The fact is that a vast range of benefits from pensions to medical insurance to restrictions on working hours to workplace safety, overtime pay and maternity leave only exist because of the union. Many of these policies, laws and regulations are taken for granted ("it was always this way") right up until they are taken away by governments or employers. Even in our collective agreements across companies or in individual workplaces there are provisions on entitlements, benefits and rights that are taken for granted. It is like familiar furniture - it is just there and no one really remembers how it got there - until it is gone. We need our members and their families to understand that all of these benefits, all of these improvements in their lives - big and small - are because of our union.We need to celebrate every win, big and small, because winning builds collective confidence. If anything in these times of severe uncertainty and anxiety we need to build collective confidence to restore our collective bargaining power. Over the past five yearswe have won thousands of permanent jobs in several transnational companies in Asia. When workers who were casual or contract workers for 5, 10 or 15 years finally secured permanent jobs they understood that was because of their union. Their families and indeed entire communities understood. And they love the union because the union changed their lives. In India, Indonesia and Pakistan thousands of contract workers won permanent jobs with job security and the protection and benefits of collective agreements. Every single permanent unionized job with a living wage negotiated through collective bargaining by the union supports 8 to 12 family members. Union members and family members understand this is because of their union. We know this because we designed all of our campaigns to ensure this understanding was clear in the workplace, in the home and in the community. With such tremendous support for the union, and with the union celebrating its wins - big and small - our collective power has grown. And we used this power to win even more. Women workers could not only secure permanent jobs and support their families but became leaders of their unions in the workplace and at national level. Women workers also secured paid maternity leave for the first time - in fast food restaurants and food processing factories in Indonesia and in tea plantations in India. Hundreds of families living in tea plantations in West Bengal in India have safe, dry conditions in their homes because their union negotiated the repair of their houses as part of the collective agreement. In the same agreement new school buses were provided because the union negotiated this in the collective agreement. In factories, hotels and plantations where workers were abused, overworked and mistreated we organized unions, and they now sit across the table from management and employers to negotiate, with management and employers speaking to them and listening with respect. With respect...because of our union!