People power can challenge bleak 'New World Order'

national | miscellaneous | news report Friday May 02, 2003 15:10 by D'oB - LP

SIPTU Vice President Jack O’Connor has warned of the emergence of a “New World Order” signalled by “the blatant abuse of awesome military might in flagrant violation of international law and the effective dismissal of the United Nations.”

Mr. O’Connor told delegates to the SIPTU National Women’s Forum in Galway that this new order is primarily economic and is being developed through multinational corporations which seek globalised markets and globalised production processes – characterised by a relentless race to the bottom in which wages and jobs are continually undermined by the threat of competition from cheaper locations elsewhere.
“But of course this is not really a new world order: it is simply a re-instatement of the old world order of the British Empire but under new leaner and meaner management in Washington.
“And while this recourse to overwhelming military force is truly shocking and awful - especially when you consider the appalling waste of resources which could have been used to improve lives instead of destroying them - yet we should not become unduly pessimistic. In the events of the last few months, we have seen another super power begin to emerge: “People Power.”
“The potential of participatory democracy – even though it may be under threat in many quarters – and not least from those who seek to control the global distribution of information – cannot be underestimated. We need only reflect on the splendid turnout of millions of concerned citizens across the globe in the anti-war protest and we draw comfort from the efforts of the vibrant democratic Trade Union Movement in the USA – where it must be remembered that more Americans voted for Al Gore than for George Bush.
“A healthy and vibrant trade union movement is an essential element in strengthening democracy and in consolidating “People Power.” And for trade unions to develop their influence within society effectively, then the activism and commitment of the growing numbers of women workers must be developed through effective organisation and representation.
“It is important to understand that in the new economic order nothing we take for granted is safe. In the relentless “race to the bottom” in pursuit of ever-increasing profits, not only companies but entire societies are being sucked into the vortex of “unrestricted competitiveness.”
“Social services like healthcare and education are becoming commodities to be bought and sold in the marketplace by private providers – and those who cannot pay their increasingly exorbitant prices are to be left with an increasingly under-resourced public sector offering the most basic levels of service. And the agenda of the privatisers who would sell their own grandmothers will no doubt include their grandmothers’ State old age pensions as well as other social welfare benefits.
“And when people say to me that this broader social agenda is not the proper concern of pure “bread-and-butter trade unionism,” I reply that it is absolutely crucial to our work on the shop floor - because the more that this safety net of social protection is diluted and removed, the more that the bargaining power of workers will be undermined.

“While we should not underestimate the threats to our overall quality of life in the broadest sense, we should not minimise our power and potential to create a better world – if we work together in solidarity. We should realise the potential of our own economic power. For example, the issue of ethical investments has come into sharper focus recently as many individuals and institutions seek to use their wealth in a morally responsible way to provide practical support and solidarity for a range of progressive developments - a development which has already been recognised by perceptive entrepreneurs.
“But one thing is clear: the old “insurance company-style” trade unionism has little to offer in the face of the new realities. “Progress without participation” may have been successful in delivering real improvements in pay, working conditions and standards of living (though not necessarily quality of life) but it has been a failure in terms of the increasing sense of alienation and remoteness from trade unions felt by many workers in this country today.
“Revitalising organisation and rekindling awareness through participation and engagement is the way forward if we are to build a more humane society locally, nationally and globally,” he concluded.