From Poverty to Power Green, Oxfam 2008 - weman

FROM POVERTY TO POWERMany unions have also wrestled with their political role, in particulartheir links to progressive political parties. Ever since they began toform, the focus of trade unions on the rights of poor workers hasinevitably drawn them into the political arena, pressing for changes tolabour legislation such as health and safety codes or minimum wages.Many left and centre-left parties around the world were initiallyfounded by trade unions. However, involvement in politics can be aserious drain on resources, and electoral victories by sympatheticpolitical parties can be a mixed blessing. In South Africa, Brazil, andBolivia, progressive governments desperate for experienced leadershiphave turned to the trade union movement, skimming off generationsof leaders and dragging unions into electoral politics.Historically, the benefits of an active trade union movement haveaccrued not just to union members, but to society as a whole. Tradeunions have been at the heart of the social democratic contractbetween state, workers, and business that has underpinned theprosperity and stability of welfare states around the world. They are avital means of ensuring that the chaos and change that inevitablyaccompany economic growth do not exacerbate suffering andinequality. Furthermore, investors are more likely to be attracted bystable industrial relations. According to Mamphela Ramphele,managing director at the World Bank, ‘Co-ordination among socialpartners can promote better investment climates while also fosteringa fairer distribution of output.’ 123As the traditional model of organising a stable workforce on asingle site becomes less and less relevant, new approaches haveemerged. In South Africa, the Women on Farms Project supportsworkers demanding a minimum daily wage on farms that grow tablegrapes and other fruits for export. Previously, the women had noorganisation – hardly surprising, given their relative isolation and theseasonal nature of their work. Less than 5 per cent of farm workers inSouth Africa are unionised, and the overwhelming majority of theseare permanent workers and hence male. Sikhula Sonke (‘We GrowTogether’), a women-led trade union formed to defend the rights ofseasonal workers, especially women, has a membership of close to4,000 women farm workers and is engaged in education, women’sleadership development, and advocacy. Already, at a local level, the160