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Global Labour Column The official page for the Global Labour Column: https://globallabourcolumn.org

The Global Labour Column (GLC) is a website that is a collaboration between the Global Labour University, the Corporate Strategy and Industrial Development at the University of the Witwatersrand. The Global Labour University (GLU) is a network of Universities, Trade Unions, Labour Foundations and the ILO offering unique masters programmes to trade unionists around the world (Brazil, South Africa,

India and Germany). The GLC was established in 2009 to document the challenges, effects on, and responses by the labour movement to the global economic crisis. Over time, the mandate has broadened to accommodate general labour issues. The GLC provides a forum for unions, academics and other members of the labour movement around the world to connect, debate, and share knowledge and experiences.

08/05/2025

Latest Column: Decent work as a sustainable development goal: any benefits? by Christoph Scherrer.

Christoph Scherrer is Professor Emeritus and Non-resident Senior Fellow at the Kassel Institute for Sustainability and an Associate Fellow of the Global Labour University.

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Latest Column: 'Trump humiliates Zelenskyy as Western solidarity with Ukraine crumbles', by Frank Hoffer.https://globall...
11/03/2025

Latest Column: 'Trump humiliates Zelenskyy as Western solidarity with Ukraine crumbles', by Frank Hoffer.
https://globallabourcolumn.org/2025/03/06/trump-humiliates-zelenskyy-as-western-solidarity-with-ukraine-crumbles/

In this column, Frank Hoffer analyses the dramatic shift in US-Ukraine relations under the new Trump administration. He argues that Zelenskyy's public humiliation by Trump is part of a strategy to appease Putin and swiftly end the war on Russia's terms, creating an almost hopeless situation for Ukraine. With European allies unable to replace American military assistance and reluctant to risk conflict with Russia without US backing, Hoffer concludes that Ukraine may have to accept a compromised settlement. He calls on Europe to develop greater strategic autonomy and proposes a 'freedom fund' through a wealth tax to maintain sustainable support for Ukraine.

Frank Hoffer is an associate fellow of the Global Labour University (GLU) and non-executive director of the GLU Online Academy.

18/12/2024

New Column: South Korean workers stand tall in the fight for democracy by Hyunsu Hwang.

Earlier this month, South Korean democracy faced its gravest threat in decades when President Yoon declared martial law, deploying heavily armed troops to parliament and ordering the arrest of opposition politicians, journalists, and union leaders. Yoon's decree banned all political activities and press freedoms and threatened striking medical workers with severe penalties.

In this column, "South Korean workers stand tall in the fight for democracy," Hyunsu Hwang of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union describes how citizens and trade unionists mounted an extraordinary resistance — rushing to parliament, confronting troops barehanded, and breaking through military blockades to allow the democratic body to convene.

Though Yoon withdrew the martial law order after six tense hours, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions has initiated a general strike and a series of strike rallies, while specific unions have engaged in joint strikes and continue to hold candlelight vigils. Their ongoing, unified struggle to hold Yoon accountable shows how organized workers and mobilized citizens remain democracy's strongest defenders.

09/12/2024

New Column: The overlooked role of unions in healthcare quality research, by Marina Durano.

In this Column Marina examines the overlooked yet crucial role of unions in healthcare quality research. Drawing on extensive evidence, she demonstrates how organized labor improves outcomes for both workers and patients, while highlighting a concerning gap: clinical researchers and epidemiologists rarely acknowledge unions' role in shaping healthcare quality, even as labor researchers document their significant impact on working conditions, safety standards, and patient care.

Marina Durano is a feminist economist currently serving as Senior Director of the Collaborative for Gender-Just Economies Fund. Previously, she was Senior Adviser on the Care Economy and Partnership Engagements with the UNI Global Union.

08/12/2024

Latest Column: Transnational care chains and the negotiation of belonging, by Christa Wichterich.

In this column Christa Wichterich examines how Germany's healthcare system has relied on nurses from the Global South since the 1960s, focusing on two generations of Indian nurses. Through biographical interviews, she reveals a striking transformation: while the pioneer generation of the 1960s/70s migrated as part of a family survival strategy, today's nurses pursue more autonomous paths despite facing similar struggles for recognition and belonging.

Wichterich's analysis exposes persistent tensions in Germany's treatment of Indian migrant healthcare workers, from bureaucratic hurdles to subtle discrimination, while raising critical questions about the ethics of recruiting healthcare workers from countries already facing severe shortages. Her research highlights how transnational care chains both reflect and reinforce global inequalities in healthcare provision.

Christa Wichterich is a sociologist and former guest professor of gender politics at the University of Kassel and other universities in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. She is now a freelance researcher and author.

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04/11/2024

New Column: Care work and the family in capitalism by Tamara Seiffer.

The first Column in our ongoing Care Series. Tamara Seiffer takes up the relationship between care work, family structures, and capitalism, particularly focusing on why essential domestic labor remains largely uncompensated and gendered.

While capitalism requires wage labor for survival, the reproduction of labor power — through activities like childcare, food preparation, and household maintenance — occurs primarily within the unpaid family sphere. Seiffer argues that the family persists as the primary site of care work because capitalism necessitates the production of "free individuals," a process that requires the intimate, private relationships characteristic of family units rather than institutional collective care.

As the characteristics of the economy change, so too does the gendered division of care work. Though rooted in historical and persistent patterns of female socialization, care work today is evolving differently across class lines — with more affluent workers able to marketize care tasks while working-class families face increasing difficulties managing care responsibilities amid economic pressures.

Tamara Seiffer holds a PhD in Social Sciences and a Bachelor's degree in Social Work. Associate researcher at UNQUI/CONICET. She is a lecturer in undergraduate and postgraduate programmes at the University of Buenos Aires and the National University of Central Buenos Aires, respectively.

04/11/2024

Latest Column: Aligning US politics on class terms: a difficult, critical task by Ben Burgis.

In this new column, Ben Burgis examines the complex dynamics of labor politics in the United States through the lens of recent events involving the Teamsters union. At the center of his analysis is Teamsters president Sean O'Brien's controversial speech at the Republican National Convention — a move that highlights the challenging task of aligning American politics along class rather than cultural lines.

While critics viewed O'Brien's RNC appearance as needlessly giving legitimacy to reactionary and anti-union forces, Burgis argues that internal union polling — showing 59.6% of Teamsters members favoring Trump over Harris — reveals a more complex situation. This divide between union leadership and rank-and-file members illustrates the broader challenge of building working-class power in a political system where labor has an uneasy seat at one party's table while facing overt hostility from the other, and where class has ceased to determine political affiliation.

The column suggests that advancing workers' interests requires more than just backing the lesser evil in any given election — it demands a fundamental realignment of American politics along class lines. This means reaching voters outside traditional Democratic coalition circles with clear messages about corporate power and workers' rights, even when doing so creates controversy.

Ben Burgis is a Jacobin columnist, an adjunct philosophy professor at Rutgers University, and the host of the YouTube show and podcast Give Them An Argument. He's the author of several books, most recently Christopher Hitchens: What He Got Right, How He Went Wrong, and Why He Still Matters.

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25/10/2024

New Column: 'In Nigeria, a season of protest driven by hunger and hardship' by Baba Aye.

Nigeria has experienced widespread protests against economic hardship and government policies this year. Despite government attempts to suppress the demonstrations, protesters shut down major economic activities, costing businesses $300 million on the first day alone.

In this column, Baba Aye explores the dynamics of the protests and their primary cause: severe economic conditions, including a 240% increase in fuel prices, 300% rise in electricity tariffs, and 34% inflation rate, pushing millions into poverty.

The protests have faced brutal crackdowns, with reports of over 40 deaths and 1,200 arrests. However, the resistance continues, demanding an end to neoliberal policies and calling for improved living conditions.

Baba Aye is a global trade union policy officer and co-convener of the Coalition for Revolution (CORE, Nigeria), an alumni of the Global Labour University, the author of Era of Crises and Revolts (2012) and co-president of the Geneva Global Health Hub.



20/09/2024

Latest Column: 'The global labour movement must hold Russia accountable for war crimes against Ukrainian workers', by Vasco Pedrina.

As the Russian Federation’s war of aggression in Ukraine reaches a new level of escalation, Ukrainian workers are under attack. In today’s column, Vasco Pedrina calls on the International Labour Organization (ILO) to disavow the regime-loyal Russian trade union, the FNPR, in solidarity with Ukrainian workers.

“The FNPR does not represent the interests of workers in Russia or anywhere else,” argues Pedrina. “As the worldwide authority on labour standards, the ILO has both the duty and the capability to confront these breaches of its conventions. It’s crucial that these abuses be brought before the ILO, and that the organization take action to hold Russia accountable for its war crimes.”

Vasco Pedrina is a former Co-President of the Unia trade union and Vice-President of BWI (Building and Wood Workers’ International) and representative of the Swiss Trade Union Confederation on the EFTA (European Free Trade Association) Consultative Committee.

https://globallabourcolumn.org/2024/09/18/the-global-labour-movement-must-hold-russia-accountable-for-war-crimes-against-ukrainian-workers/

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18/09/2024

Latest Column: 'Kenya’s protests herald a new age of anti-austerity youth politics' by Monicah Gachuki.

As Monicah Gachuki argues in today’s column, the youth-led protest movement that erupted in Kenya this summer was notable for being “tribeless,” a significant departure from Kenya’s historical pattern of ethnic-based politics. This shift indicates a potential political transformation in the country, as the youth rallied around shared ideals rather than tribal affiliations.

The protests began as a response to tax hikes, which were largely driven by the need to repay IMF loans. But rather than remain narrowly focused on the cost of living, they grew to reflect an appetite for more thorough social and political reform. As such, this summer’s protests in Kenya announce the entry of a new generation into the political sphere — a generation that is united, digitally savvy, and intent on radical change.

Monicah Gachuki is the National Organising Officer for Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) and an alumna of GLU-UNICAMP, Brazil, dedicated to advocating for workers’ rights to promote decent work. Her passion for labour rights drives her efforts to ensure fair and equitable conditions for all workers.

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://globallabourcolumn.org/2024/09/13/kenyas-protests-herald-a-new-age-of-anti-austerity-youth-politics/

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