PSI's Inter-America Conference renews commitment to international union solidarity

The high-level political event included participation from Government Ministers, allies and over 400 union leaders who emphasized the importance - now more than ever - of building international solidarity to grow workers' power.

The conference also represented a moment of renewal: PSI Regional Secretary Jocelio Drummond will retire at the end of the year with Euan Gibb, PSI Regional Assistant and Global Multinationals Organiser, set to take on the role.

After a dynamic opening on November 13, the next day began with a compelling discussion on a decade of tax justice advocacy in the region. The session, moderated by PSI’s Southern Cone Sub-Regional Secretary Nayareth Quevedo, featured prominent voices such as Jorge Coronado, a Latindadd board member; Luis Godoy Rueda, Open Society coordinator; and Pedro Caro, president of SINEDIAN Colombia.

"Tax justice is related to the construction of quality public services and the capacity of the State to provide them," explained Godoy. Likewise, Caro indicated that "the budget of the countries is nourished by public revenues, therefore, allowing regulations that favor tax evasion attacks workers, the public sector and human rights".

From there lies the importance of trade unions and their workers to get involved, supervise and influence tax matters, especially in a global context where the advance of the right wing allows the loss of public budgets. Regarding concrete actions to combat tax evasion, Coronado inquired about the binding Framework Convention being discussed at the United Nations, and the need to tax the richest.

In the same vein, the second panel was coordinated by the PSI Regional Head of Tax Justice, Fair Trade and Digitalization, Gabriel Casnati: "Privatization, tax justice and pension funds". CICTAR researcher, Livi Gerbase, delved into the techniques used by multinationals to evade taxes in Latin America and how this situation negatively impacts workers. Senior Research Officer and Director of CUPE, Kevin Skerrett, addressed the Canadian context around the attacks on workers' pension funds.

Concern about the future and present of work is a constant for workers, so the director of the Observatory on the Social Impacts of Artificial Intelligence, Sofia Scasserra along with IAMREC Co-Chair and AFT member, Jan Hochadel, delved into how digitization affects the public sector.

"Technology has always done things better than us - why would I get on a bicycle, for example, if I'm going to go slower? We shouldn't be afraid of technology, but we do need to question how they are creating it, what for and its impact," Scasserra said. Hochadel, for his part, stressed the urgency for unions to promote an agenda focused on workers, strengthen local debates and take demands to political advocacy spaces to protect the rights of affiliates and citizens. "Workers must be excited about the future of work, having knowledge and the necessary tools," he concluded.

Care Policies

Coordinated by PSI's Subregional Secretary for the Andean Subregion, Susana Barría, the last panel of the day focused on Care Policies and the work being carried out in Inter-America on this issue. The Vice President of the Women's Committee, Carolina Espinoza, stressed the need to recognize care as the fourth pillar of social security, the implementation of national care and remuneration systems.

"We must ensure that all care is publicly funded, publicly owned and that care workers are in the public sector," said Barb Nederpel of CUPE. Marta Clara Ferreyra Beltrán of the Global Alliance for Care and representatives of Colombia's Ministry of Equality shared experiences in building public care systems in Latin America, highlighting opportunities for transforming gender policies.

On the last day of IAMRECON, the panel on Trade Union Rights, Collective Bargaining and New Trade Union Struggles in the region was held. Daniela Pérez emphasized that "stability is a guarantee that enables us to remain at work, and it is our defense against the discretion of some governments", stressing the importance of labor stability as a fundamental right. Karina Trivisonno, member of UPCN, pointed out that "collective bargaining democratizes labor relations" and underscored its essential role as "the thermometer that measures the strength of unions" and a crucial means of building consensus.

For her part, former PSI General Secretary Rosa Pavanelli called for international unity, affirming that "we have to go back to the origins of trade unionism", since "we cannot think that such a great struggle can be won by a single country in the world", and appealed to the need for a common front to confront the growing power of those who attack labor rights.

Throughout both days, the workers presented the sectoral reports of health, municipal and local governments, judicial, tax, water, central administration, legislative, energy, state control and education; together with that of the Regional Committees. Finally, they carried out the approval of the 5-year Action Plan with more than 400 union representatives present, the leadership, IAMREC and Committee elections.

The 13th Conference marked the beginning of a space for critical reflection and renewed commitment to face the current challenges, under the motto "the people over profit with peace, democracy and social justice".