European Social Forum

THE 2004 European Social Forum (ESF) will be held in Alexandra Palace and Park in North London from Thursday, October 14 to Sunday, October 17. You should be there. Thirty thousand mostly young Europeans will be coming. They are idealists who believe that “another world is possible”. So we want to put trade-union issues at the heart of the weekend. The TUC wants union members to take part in the debates and spread the message about our values. The ESF will bring together thousands of people from across Europe for debates and discussion, and for music, films and exhibitions. It will start with a mass rally on the Thursday evening and end with a demonstration in Trafalgar Square on the Sunday. And if you can’t find what you’re looking for at the main event in north London, there will be fringe events across the capital. The event will emphasise that globalisation is not an uncontrollable force, but the result of conscious policy choices made by the people who run the world. If different choices were made, we could have a different kind of global- isation, with greater wealth, better health and better lives. But that will only happen if people take control - creating what might be called “social” globalisation. At the moment, transna- tional companies can move money and more and more jobs around the world. The latest example of this is offshoring, where work in Europe and the US is moved to a country where wages and other costs are lower. In the world we want to see, there would be rights for workers too – to keep their jobs or migrate to where the jobs are and wages are highest. And globalisation would be a tool to raise the quality of working life across the world instead of a lever to make work worse. RMT is playing an active part in the European Social forum and is organising seminars on issues that will be of interests to Transport Workers, these include discussions on European rail privatisation, trade union rights and pensions. The ESF has happened twice before, in Florence and Paris. It was inspired by the World Social Forums (WSF) that began in the poor town of Porto Alegre in Brazil. The WSF mirrors the World Economic Forum of world leaders and business owners, which meets each January in the Swiss ski resort of Davos. Trade unions have worked with the event organising committee and the Mayor of London to ensure that the ESF is a success. As a result, there will be trade-union speakers at the main plenaries and seminars. Many of the topics for debate were suggested and planned by trade unions. There will be a trade-union welcoming event on the first day, and a trade union ‘base’ at the TUC national education centre in Crouch End, very close to Alexandra Palace and Park. And we will be doing more than just debate. For example, we plan to use the opportunity to go out and recruit trade-union members across London. It’s a great opportunity. TUC general secretary Brendan Barber explains why you should come to London this October for the European Social Forum 13 Another world is possible Checklist: what can you do? 1. Register to attend the ESF at www.fse-esf.org.uk – it costs just £30 (people who register early will get a complimentary Travelcard worth £15), and there are reductions for people without jobs. The ESF office may also be able to advise on budget accommodation. You could get your branch to sponsor you to attend. 2. Tell the TUC if you are coming and able to help with trade-union activity. Send us an email at esf@tuc.org.uk, or send us a note at Trade Unions at the ESF, Congress House, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3LS. 3. See what’s happening during the event. The full programme will be available soon at www.fse- esf.org.uk and the trade-union programme will be on www.tuc.org.uk/international/ 4. Check whether your branch/region has affiliated or made a donation to the ESF – donations will help Eastern Europeans attend, including trade unionists (or send a cheque to ‘TUC Aid’, address as for TUC, and let us know it’s for the ESF, if you only want to assist trade union participants). 5. If you live within easy travelling distance of Alexandra Palace and can offer accommodation, contact the ESF office at the TGWU, Woodberry, 218 Green Lanes, London N4 2HB (020 8809 5347) or ukesfoffice@gn.apc.org