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Linking young trade unionists in the UK and
Nicaragua
In 2007 NSCAG launched a new project working to
develop links between young trade union members in Nicaragua and the UK.
Through a tour of Nicaraguan trade unionists in the UK, a delegation to
Nicaragua and TU workshops within Nicaragua it aims to involve more
UK young members in international trade union work, produce information
about the different ways unions are organising young members and strengthen
structures in Nicaragua to enable young people to participate more
effectively, developing a future generation of trade union
leaders. These projects have been generously funded by CWU
and the UNISON International Development Fund.
Background
Nicaragua is one of the poorest countries in Central America, with workers
generally facing increasing informalisation, a reduction in public services,
low wages and increasing unemployment. 70% of the population are under 30
and unions are seeing the increasing importance of involving young people in
their work.
Young workers face twice the unemployment rate of their older colleagues and
are often less able to access the rights and benefits available to them.
Many end up in informal work or emigrating to other countries It is vital
for unions to organise young workers in order to maintain and increase
unionisation levels, ensure protection of their rights and to develop a new
generation of union organisers and leaders. Although Nicaraguan unions have
had some success in this area there is a need to develop the structures and
opportunities available to young members and to ensure they have the skills
necessary to play an active part in organising work.
In the UK unions face an ageing membership and there is a need to attract
more young workers. Young people are increasingly more aware of global
linkages and more interested in travel and international affairs than ever
before. Raising awareness of young people about the work done by unions on a
global is an important way of both attracting young people to unions and
showing the power and importance of unions on the international stage.
2008: International Youth Solidarity Seminar on July 12th:
get involved ! (FREE ENTRY)
The next activity in the Linking Young Trade Unionists Project is an
International Youth Solidarity Seminar at Congress House, providing UK young
members with information and training on developing international links with
sister unions including union campaigns on international development,
organising fundraising activities and events, setting up twinning links and
many more ideas for building practical solidarity links with trade unions
and their young members at branch, regional and national level.
When: July 12th - 10am to 4pm
Where: Council Chamber, 5th Floor, Congress House, Great Russell
Street, London WC1B 3LS
Skills based workshops:
Fundraising: organising fundraising events and activities
Campaigning: how to run a campaign, campaign stunts and lobbying
Building practical links with trade unionists in other countries
Media and raising awareness
Speakers (tbc): Polly Jones (UNISON International), Jeremy Corbyn MP,
Julian Guevera (NSC Nicaragua), Gemma Tumelty (NUS), Steve Ratcliffe (CWU
and UNI Europa), Nadine Houghton (BWTUC) ………and many more
The young members- from CWU, UNISON, UNITE/Amicus and UNITE/TGWU- who
participated in the delegation to Nicaragua will be speaking at the seminar
to share their experiences from the visit and share ideas for developing
solidarity relations with our partners in Nicaragua. Participants will also
be given information and contacts for a variety of campaigns and solidarity
organisations that can support them in developing international solidarity
links.
For more details - or if you can distribute leaflets
for the seminar through your union - contact Anna Cooper at
nscag@nicaraguasc.org.uk
or phone 020 7272 9619 or 07973 758581
2008: Young Members Delegation to Nicaragua a great success!
In February 2008 five young members from CWU, UNISON, UNITE/Amicus and
UNITE/TGWU visited Nicaragua as part of the NSCAG Youth Delegation. The
visit was hosted by the National Workers Front (FNT). Whilst in Nicaragua
the delegates met with young members from five of the FNT’s affiliated union
federations, representing workers from a range of sectors; health,
education, communication, judicial, industrial, manufacturing and the
informal sector. The delegates also met with a number of civil society and
women’s rights organisations to learn more about the current political and
social situation in Nicaragua.
You can read the full report of
the delegation
through this link >>
2007 & 2008 FNT Workshops in Nicaragua:
NSCAG has facilitated the funding of workshops organised
by the FNT. The project started in Nicaragua last year; the FNT
(National Workers Front) has run a number of youth training workshops and
has set up the FNT Youth Council to coordinate national activities to
support young members and encourage them to become more active in their
union. In September, the FNT Youth Council organised a National Youth
Assembly, the first of its kind for young Nicaraguan trade unionists.
These workshops have been generously funded by
the
UNISON International Development Fund. For more information on this
fund and other projects it has funded see
www.unison.org.uk/international/uidf.asp
2007 Speaker Tour:
As part of the NSCAG Linking Young Trade Unionists Project
two youth representatives from our Nicaraguan partner, the FNT (National
Workers Front), visited the UK from November 23rd to December 2nd. The
speaker tour was a chance for young activists in the UK to meet the
Nicaraguans and share experiences and ideas on young member organising and
how to develop sustainable and effective solidarity links. As well as
meeting with a number of key union contacts throughout the UK, the
Nicaraguan representatives ran a workshop at the Latin America Conference
2007 in London on December 1st on youth organising and young member
solidarity.
Please see the links on the left hand column for more information about
NSCAG.
For all queries about the Youth Unionists Project or NSCAG contact us on:
nscag@nicaraguasc.org.uk
or: NSCAG, 129 Seven Sisters Rd, London N7 7QG
tel: 020 7272 9619
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