But broader, deeper coordination is necessary if we wish to enhance our global bargaining position. This cooperation must be built on solid ground, not on wishful thinking. The globalized economy has perceptibly altered the balance between labour and capital and between politics and markets. Our strategy must be to develop our union work in parallel with the globalization of capital to effectively deal with, among other things, the growing influence of transnational companies. Capital today has the power to play off countries against each other, to violate democratic decisions, and to dictate the terms and conditions of employment.
Capital is highly mobile and can go where conditions are most favorable.
Since the workforce is stationary, there is an obvious danger that this will lead to widescale social dumping, with capital free to dictate the price of labour and the general level of social conditions. Our task is not to stop the globalization of capital, because we cannot. The challenge is to build trade union networks that are strong enough to be taken seriously by employers and by governments, to resist social dumping and to defend and advance the interests of our members at national and international level. We must build effective networks not only within the food chain, which is now brought together within the IUF, but also with international trade secretariats such as the chemical and transport workers, which have close links with our sectors. We must also develop strategies for active cooperation with self-employed and small farmers around the world.