Foreword

The publication in your hands (or on your screen) is the most recent of the Guides to Union Action published by PSI with the support of the DGB. In addition to complementing the other two previously published - the “Practical Guide to Trade Union Action in the Inter-American Human Rights System” and the “Practical Guide to Trade Union Action at the International Labour Organization” - it represents a further effort by the Secretariat for Inter-America to create and make practical, effective and up-to-date tools available to all PSI affiliates in the region. It is not the first and most likely will not be the last. The violation of workers’ rights, in the public sector and in general, embodies constant struggles and challenges; in addition to being persistently repeated, violations are becoming increasingly complex and sophisticated. We are therefore obliged to move out of our comfort zone and explore other mechanisms, actions and courses of action if we want not only to preserve but also to extend our rights. The mechanisms outlined in this Guide have been comparatively underused by unions to date. However, it is not a question of supplanting one by another, but of using them strategically, according to the circumstances. In no way can they replace union action at the national level. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, has clearly demonstrated how events of this kind place new limits and restrictions on our actions, including our rights, and how digital and other tools will increasingly be an integral part of our work and our societies. This transformation requires us to adapt and use all means at our disposal to secure our own future and to ensure that the conduct of governments and businesses is more democratic, inclusive and respectful of workers’ rights. This guide provides us with an opportunity to address these challenges in the years ahead.

Camilo Rubiano

PSI TRADE UNION RIGHTS OFFICER