The ASU recognises that many local industrial issues have antecedents in other nations. We also know that globalisation means that the labour standards of workers in other countries can, and do, impact the labour standards of Australian workers.

As a result, the ASU is involved through various means with international labour organisations. We keep abreast of international issues to ensure that ASU members are protected.

In some areas of international activity, the ASU is involved to support the rights of people overseas. Through APHEDA, an arm of the ACTU, Australian unions are involved in charitable activities.

To the right is an index of areas of international solidarity that the ASU is involved in. Click to learn more.

Union Aid Abroad - APHEDA

"A commitment to justice and human rights is the cornerstone of the work of Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA, the ACTU's overseas aid organisation. Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA was established in 1984 by the ACTU in recognition of the union movement's responsibility to contribute directly to countries and regions of the world where men and women workers are disadvantaged through poverty, a lack of workplace / human rights and civil conflict." From the APHEDA website.

For information on the organisation and its work, please visit the UAA-APHEDA website.

AWSA - Australia Western Sahara Association

The ASU is an affiliate of AWSA and an active supporter of the Western Sahara freedom movement.

For some years now, we have hosted Kamal Fadel in our Sydney Office and extended resources to the AWSA contact in Melbourne. In recognition of our assistance, we were presented with a gift from the camps where the Saharawi refugees have lived for over 20 years. The gift was presented by Fatima Mahfoud, an international spokesperson for the freedom campaign.

Photo: From left, Kamal Fadel (AWSA Sydney), Paul Slape (ASU National Secretary), Fatima Mahfoud and Cate Lewis (AWSA Melbourne)

For further information you can visit the AWSA website. You can also read ASU news items about Western Sahara in our International news index (search for "Sahara").

PSI, UNI, ITF - International Secretariats

Sometimes referred to as "global unions", PSI, UNI and the ITF represent workers in the industries they cover on the international stage. They do this by promoting particular workplace campaigns of major significance, thereby generating international activism and also by working on policy and strategy that can be employed with employers and governments.

PSI - Public Services International

From the PSI website:

"Public Services International, or PSI, is an international trade union federation for public sector unions. PSI is an officially recognised non-government organisation - NGO - for the public sector within the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and has accreditation with UNESCO, ECOSOC and UNCTAD. PSI also works in association with the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU).

More than 600 public service trade unions in more than 140 countries make up PSI. Together these unions represent more than 20 million public sector workers. Since 1907, PSI has organised public service workers in many different occupations. Today, health workers, firefighters, workers in public utilities, child minders, civil servants, judges, food inspectors, social workers and a large number of other professional groups make up PSI's membership.

Some of the PSI affiliates are million-strong trade unions, able to influence the national social policy of their countries, whilst others are small, quite new, still in the initial stages of organisation and struggling to become proper social partners."

PSI produces many useful publications you can download or subscribe to on the Internet. Please visit the PSI resources and publications page and the PSI subscription page for further details.

UNI - Union Network International

From the UNI website:

"UNI is the skills and services international launched on January 1, 2000. We are a new global union for a new millennium and a new economy. We are part of the trade union response to increasing economic regionalisation and globalisation and to the convergence of what were, in the past, separate industries.

The job of a global union is to help affiliated unions and their members to put people first in this increasingly globalised economy. UNI encourages solidarity across borders, raises issues of common concern with employers, governments and international bodies - and promotes trade union rights worldwide.

UNI has more than 900 affiliated unions in 140 countries around the world, representing more than 15 million members.

UNI is a global organisation that talks to multi-national employers, to international organisations, to governments, to employer groups and to other trade union organisations."

UNI produces a range of publications you can download or subscribe to on the Internet. Please visit the UNI News Desk and the UNI subscription page for further details.

ITF - International Transport Federation

From the ITF website:

"The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) is a truly global organisation. It is a federation of 621 transport trade unions in 137 countries, representing around 5 million workers.

The ITF was founded in 1896 in London by European seafarers' and dockers' union leaders who realized the need to organise internationally against strike breakers. Today the ITF organises workers in ships, ports, railways, road freight and passenger transport, inland waterways, fisheries, tourism and civil aviation.

The ITF represents transport workers at world level and promotes their interests through global campaigning and solidarity. It is dedicated to the advancement of independent and democratic trade unionism, and to the defence of fundamental human and trade union rights. It is opposed to any form of totalitarianism, aggression and discrimination."

The ITF produces publications you can download or subscribe to on the Internet. Please visit the ITF publications page and the ITF News Online subscription page for further details on how to receive it by e-mail.

United Nations (UN)

From the UN website:

"The United Nations is central to global efforts to solve problems that challenge humanity. Cooperating in this effort are more than 30 affiliated organizations, known together as the UN system. Day in and day out, the UN and its family of organizations work to promote respect for human rights, protect the environment, fight disease and reduce poverty. UN agencies define the standards for safe and efficient air travel and help improve telecommunications and enhance consumer protection. The United Nations leads the international campaigns against drug trafficking and terrorism. Throughout the world, the UN and its agencies assist refugees, set up programmes to clear landmines, help expand food production and lead the fight against AIDS."

Visit the United Nations website for more details.

International Labour Organisation (ILO)

The International Labor Organisation was the first specialised agency within the United Nations framework. Its history dates back to 1919 shortly after the First World War, where it was realised that economic instability contributes to war and that conflicts such as the First World War were not in workers� best interests.

The establishment of the International Labor Organisation with the symbol of three citizens, a worker, an employer representative, and a Government representative unlocking a gate in Geneva was a symbol that all three could work together for the benefit of society. It was also an acknowledgement that �Poverty in one country is a threat to workers' living standards and security in another country�.

The International Labor Organisation in turn has developed a series of Charters that Governments have been asked to �sign off on� that cover a range of issues from Occupational Health and Safety, the Rights of Unions to Organise and Collectively Bargain, along with many other issues. UN Charters are enforceable at law and most labour related legislation throughout the world is based around the framework of the ILO Charters. These Charters form a solid base when Conservative Governments seek to undermine workers and their families� rights of employment, job security and salary income.

The Howard Government has been called to explain itself before the International Labor Organisation in respect of the Workplace Relations Act.

From the ILO website:

"Mandate

"The International Labour Organization is the UN specialized agency which seeks the promotion of social justice and internationally recognized human and labour rights. It was founded in 1919 and is the only surviving major creation of the Treaty of Versailles which brought the League of Nations into being and it became the first specialized agency of the UN in 1946.

"The ILO formulates international labour standards in the form of Conventions and Recommendations setting minimum standards of basic labour rights: freedom of association, the right to organize, collective bargaining, abolition of forced labour, equality of opportunity and treatment, and other standards regulating conditions across the entire spectrum of work related issues. It provides technical assistance primarily in the fields of:

• vocational training and vocational rehabilitation;
• employment policy;
• labour administration;
• labour law and industrial relations;
• working conditions;
• management development;
• cooperatives;
• social security;
• labour statistics and occupational safety and health.

"It promotes the development of independent employers' and workers' organizations and provides training and advisory services to those organizations. Within the UN system, the ILO has a unique tripartite structure with workers and employers participating as equal partners with governments in the work of its governing organs."

Visit the ILO website for more details.

UNESCO

UNESCO is the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation. Australia has been a member since November 1946 and held a place on the Organisation�s International Board with such representatives as Gough Whitlam and Barry Jones.

From the UNESCO website:

UNESCO was born on November 16, 1945. For this specialised UN agency, it is not enough to build classrooms in devastated countries or to restore world heritage sites (to publish scientific breakthroughs). Education, Social and Natural Science, Culture and Communication are the means to a far more ambitious goal: to build peace in the minds of men.

Today, UNESCO works as a laboratory of ideas and a standard-setter to forge universal agreements on emerging ethical issues. The Organization also serves as a clearinghouse that disseminates and shares information and knowledge while helping Member States to build their human and institutional capacities in diverse fields. In short, UNESCO promotes international co-operation among its 190* Member States and six Associate Members in the fields of education, science, culture and communication.

Visit the UNESCO website for more details.