M&M Sydney Declaration

Think Globally and Act Locally

INTRODUCTION

We are trade union leaders and rank and file members representing in excess of five million workers in the mining, maritime, manufacturing, road and rail transport, energy and construction industries.

We are from Australia, New Zealand, Germany, South Africa, USA, Japan, England, Switzerland, East Timor, Canada, Vanuatu, United Kingdom, Denmark, Belgium, Papua New Guinea and Sweden.

We have gathered in Sydney Australia on 14 and 15 April 2008 to consider the previous Newcastle and Long Beach Declarations and to develop a positive plan of action in response to globalisation, to respond to changes in the global financial system and to the impacts on workers in response to climate change.

The Conference welcomes our special guests from the ACFTU, Chinese Seamen and Construction Workers Union and the Chinese Energy and Chemical Workers Union.

We have delivered on previous commitments to consolidate Regional Committees and to create education programs through the DITSELA project to educate rank and file members. The International Committee meets on a regular and systematic basis and we have now grown to eight sponsoring unions who continue to fund and organise this network and progress agreed actions.

REPORT BACK

We are initiating a work plan going forward involving all key unions in the global supply chains to assist each other in protecting workers' rights to organise and collectively bargain and to help those who seek our assistance to achieve basic workers' and human rights.

FIGHTING VIOLENCE AGAINST WORKERS

Violence and intimidation against workers and trade union leaders have escalated with most recent attacks on workers in Burma, Mexico, India, Zimbabwe, Colombia, Peru, Iran, Guatemala, Philippines, Chile and many others and the prosecution of union leaders in pursuit of workers' rights in Australia and around the world.

We condemn these attacks and we are building global solidarity to progress the international trade union response to these atrocities. We commit to expose these multi national corporations (MNCs) and their crimes against individual workers and their unions.

We pledge our support for the people of Western Sahara to be given an opportunity for self determination through a referendum as outlined by the United Nations Security Council Resolution.

WOMEN

We acknowledge the crucial participation of women and we declare that we will:

1. Increase the numbers of women at the next Mining and Maritime Conference to reach or exceed the 10% participation target.

2. We will share the contact details of the responsible women's officers of all affiliated unions so we may convene a teleconference immediately to forge a network and work towards our global initiative and in particular concerns of women.

3. We will condemn any harassment, bullying or violence towards women in all areas and use our networks to aid in this agenda.

ACTION PLAN

Having deliberated and extensively discussed how we build on our commitment to counter the impact of MNCs and capital globalisation on our members and our families and the very fabric of our union global solidarity, we are committed to a program of action and activism based on effective national and international trade union organisation.

We are specifically committed to:

• Work together nationally, regionally and globally in our sectors in ways that leverage our representation of workers across the supply chain in order to improve our members' contracts, organize new members and benefit all workers through effective communication and organisation.

• Use the popular education pamphlets launched at this conference to educate our members about this initiative and about the importance of solidarity among workers and unions along the supply chain.

• Campaign jointly to ensure key mining, transport, energy and maritime companies such as BHP, Xstrata, Maersk, Rio Tinto, Peabody, and Grupo Mexico respect trade union and labour rights to organise and bargain for decent work outcomes.

• Campaign jointly around key issues for all workers including occupational health and safety standards and job security.

• Include a shareholder component in these campaigns through possible joint actions at these key companies' annual shareholders' meetings, use of superannuation funds and other possible workers' capital to ensure labour values and rights are recognised.

• Build links with community, environmental and other organisations in pursuing the aims of this initiative.

• Learn from the experience of the Australian unions' world-renowned Your Rights at Work Campaign that ousted the brutally anti-worker Howard

• Government through the active engagement of labour and community political strategies and activism.

• Continue to publish the Global Links Newsletter and develop web-based tools to further this initiative.

• Designate staff or officers who will serve as contact points for their respective unions and who will engage in ongoing communication, coordination and collaboration with other participating unions to further the aims of this initiative.

• Engage with and involve global union federations - particularly ICEM, ITF and IMF together with the ITUC - in developing this and other international effective organising initiatives.

• Engage with other trade union networking and organising initiatives to ensure maximum communication assisting organising capacity within nations, regions and internationally.

• Continue to build on our work with and involvement of women, youth and pensioners in building stronger and more representative organisations and campaigns.

• Consideration be given to the planning and convening of a 4th Mining and Maritime Seminar with the objective of convening in 2010 in South Africa.

A detailed report back on the above Action Plan will form an essential component of the next Global Solidarity Seminar.

To achieve this requires a strong commitment from the Regional Committees backed by strong and militant unions and action wherever practical.

The Mining & Maritime Network now has the direction and commitment from all the partners in mining & maritime sectors to mobilise against the power and ownership of MNCs and private global equity funds.

We are committed to establish and further enhance Regional Committees where they currently apply and empower them to develop other Regional Committees where they currently do not exist.

CONCLUSION

The Newcastle Declaration brought the chain to the table, the Long Beach Declaration added links to the chain and the Sydney Declaration will put that chain to the test in defending workers rights globally by robust and decisive action where called upon and necessary.