The Global Union Research Network

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• The Global Union Research Network
• Global Network - Lima

Esther Busser, Trade Policy Officer, ITUC
Geneva Office
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• Background
• Initiative of the Global Unions
• Consultations with the national and
  international trade union movement
• Rationale
• Give trade unions better access to research
• Enable a better exchange of information
• between trade union researchers and academics
• Develop the capacity to make analyses and
  take part in debates and policy formulation

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Topics Website Research Listserv Database Newslet
ters Online Discussions

• Corporate Governance
• OECD Guidelines for Multinational
  Enterprises
• Bilateral and Regional Trade Agreements
• PRSPs and IFIs
• Economic Alternatives and Poverty
  Eradication
• Migration
• Sustainable Development
• Health
• Union Renewal

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Topics Website Research Listserv Database Newslet
ters Online Discussions

• Objectives
• Repository (documents and contacts)
• Topics
• Status
• 20 pages hundreds of links
• more than 100 contacts to institutes and
  organizations
• eight topical pages

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Topics Website Research Listserv Database Newsl
etters Online Discussions

• Objectives
• Facilitating collaborative research
• Capacity building for research
• Status
• Seven Working papers published in cooperation
  with partner organizations
• Special issue of the Journal Labour
  Education on Social Security
• Books on Trade Union Strategy towards
  Globalization will be launched in Nov 07

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Topics Website Research Listserv Database
Newsletter Online Discussion

• Objective
• Facilitating information sharing between
  researchers and trade unionists
• To be included in the listserv, add your Email
  address to the list which is being circulated or
  send an Email to researchnet_at_ilo.org

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Topics Website Research Listserv Database Newsle
tters Online Discussions

• GURN Database in cooperation with the FES library
• Online library of trade union documents
• Search facilities
• Upload and download of articles

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Topics Website Research Listserv Database Newsle
tters Online Discussions

• Access to article database of the FES
• Free access to the FES article database
  including articles of more than 200 journals
• FES will send send scans of the articles
  found in the database by Email, Fax or Post

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Topics Website Research Listserv Database Newslet
ters Online Discussion

• Objective
• Information from GURN network coordinators
• Opportunity for disseminating information on
  research by network participants

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Topics Website Research Listserv Database
Newsletters Online Discussions

• Objectives
• Targeted and moderated discussions on topics
• Discourse facilitation
• Information sharing

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Topics Website Research Listserv Database
Newsletters Online Discussions

• Online discussions
• Bilaterals, migration and IMF/WB policies
• March 2005 on Trade union engagement in bilateral
  trade agreements
• Possible ideas
• 1. Specific agreements (EU-ASEAN or EPAs or)
• 2. Sectoral discussions for example textiles,
  electronics, automobile etc. or..
• 3. Specific issues such as investment or
  competition or intellectual property or
  government procurement

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• Contact details
• ILO ACTRAV
• c/o Verena Schmidt
• Global Union Research Network (GURN)
• 4, route des Morillons
• CH-1211 Geneva 22
• Tel [phone]
• Fax [phone]
• researchnet_at_ilo.org
• www.gurn.info

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• Possible engagement of Global Network members
  with GURN
• Access to Information, research and research
  contacts
• Submission of Research papers
• Inclusion of Research contacts
• Inclusion in listserve
• Participation in Workshops
• Participation in online discussions

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Global Labour University (GLU)

• International Master Programme for Trade
  Unionists
• Response to the current course of globalization
• strengthen the intellectual and strategic
  capacity of workers organisations and establish
  much stronger working relationships between trade
  unions, the ILO, and the scientific community
• Research and debate on social and economic
  policies to promote a socially and
  environmentally sustainable and inclusive
  globalization
• building a channel for the development of
  qualified trade union leaders as well as
  supporting the recruitment of younger experts

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GLU

• Network of Universities..
• Together with international and national trade
  unions..
• Civil society organizations..
• And the ILO

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Entry requirements

• A first degree (Bachelor or equivalent) in
  Political Sciences, Sociology, Law or Economics
• Experience in trade union work or related fields
• Proficiency in English
• Limited number of scholarships available

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GLU programme

• Multi-disciplinary
• Sociology
• Economics
• Political science
• Labour law
• History
• Internships
• Thesis

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GLU programme

• Germany University of Kassel and Berlin Labour
  Policies and Globalization
• South Africa University of Witwatersrand Labour
  and Development
• Brazil University Estadual de Campinas Social
  Economy and Labour
• India under preparation Tata Institute of
  Social Studies (TISS) in Mumbai
• McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada is
  exploring the possibilities of starting a GLU
  program in Canada.

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Other activities

• GLU workshops (Kassel and Johannesburg)
• GLU Alumni Kassel
• Newsletters
• ILIAS electronic platform designed to share
  information, curriculum outlines and reading
  material within the GLU network and a database
  for the Alumni network.
• Research project closing the representational
  gap In cooperation with the GLU network the ILO
  will undertake a comparative study on policies
  and experiences of trade unions in different
  countries designed to improve the representation
  of workers in small enterprises.

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GLU Information

• www.global-labour-university.org
• glu.germany_at_uni-kassel.de