IUF Global Sugar

Sugar (sucrose)• from cane and beet: two different crops, different

climate/environment• around 120 countries manufacturing sugar

domestically• estimates of about 1.5-2 million factory workers (beet

& cane); • agricultural jobs: difficult to estimate, due to seasonal

nature (harvest time) 6-7 million "full-time" jobs (cane)

• 2/3 to 3/4 of world's cane is manually harvested• world production of about 145 million tonnes of sugar

Restructuring1. “Centre of gravity” from North America

(inc. Caribbean) & Western Europe to Brazil and Asia (1970-2005)

2. Consolidation of production (larger factories) and concentration of ownership (larger companies)

3. Technological advances4. 1990s: liberalisation programs and

market reforms, trade issues (WTO, etc.)

Areas of Work

• Attached to the Geneva Secretariat (AWTG)– Support to unions to face restructuring– Strengthening unions– Solidarity

• Geographical areas– English-speaking Caribbean (also bananas)– East/Southern Africa (+ Mauritius) – Asia/Pacific: Indonesia, India– Central/Eastern Europe: Ukraine: 2004

• Initiatives by regional offices

Solidarity and Networking• Regional networks: e.g. English-speaking

Caribbean• Company lines: e.g. Illovo network in

Southern Africa• International: global conference 2004• Interregional contacts: UK/Guyana• Field visits to 18-20 countries: meeting

with grass-root members; first-hand knowledge of local situations

Seminars, Workshops• E/S Caribbean: 1,450 participants in

1999-2006 activities – about 350 women participants (2001-

2006)

• Asia/Pacific: India (Karnataka, Maharasthra) 2004, 2005; Indonesia 2004, 2006

• African regional project: 2002; regional meeting in June 2004

Research and exchange of information

• Decent job framework– social protection– social dialogue– employment opportunities– workers' rights

• Trade – EU/ACP– African integration processes: SADC, Comesa

Dissemination of information• The Sugar Worker (1999), Trabajador Azucarero (2001)

– vehicle for creating & maintaining network– common understanding of basic developments in the sector– further union solidarity– 11 times/year– support by CAW (2004), 3F/SiD (2005-2006)

• Web site: www.iuf.org/sugar– English: being "revamped", work in progress– Spanish/Portuguese: www.iuf.org/azucar/

• Research documents – Women in the Caribbean sugar industries– Trade agreements in Africa– Restructuring in Asia/Pacific– Restructuring in the English-speaking Caribbean– Decent Jobs in the international sugar sector (in progress)

Impact of IUF Global Sugar

• Strengthening sugar union structures in the face of changes of trade arrangements, corporate developments, restructuring

• Advanced union links and solidarity

• IUF presence in international sugar forums (ISO)

IUF Global Sugar: Perspectivesto 2010

Trends in the sector

(1) 2006-2010: Main aspects of EU sugar reform expected to be in place– expected fall in production: 6 million tonnes of sugar

(?)– EFFAT: closure of about 100 factories, loss of

150,000 direct + indirect jobs– 36% reduction in preferential prices direct "negative"

impact on traditional ACPs exporters (e.g. Caribbean)• “Sugar Action Plans” ACP sugar to adjust to new conditions

– LDCs (Africa) + Everything but Arms (EBA) = duty-free access in 2009

– configuration of international sugar trade• quality of sugar: refined, VHP, VVHP, raws, • EU: largest exporter of high quality refined sugar• new refining facilities (e.g. Middle East)

Trends in the sector(2) Shaping sector's new configuration: fuel

vs food– bio-fuels (ethanol - cane == other crops - bio-

diesel), Kyoto Protocol, environmental considerations (?)

– increasing correlation of international oil and sugar prices (Brazil)

– increasing interdependence with other crops: corn (HFCS in the US in 1980s), soy, palm oil, cereals, etc.

Some lines of work• Networking: stress interregional contacts

– EU/ACP: depth of IUF affiliation: EU unions + 12/13 unions in ACP sugar exporting countries

– India, Brazil

• Women: encourage their participation in unions– 5-30% of total labour force (e.g. Latin America, Caribbean, Africa) – seen from the categories of workers: the unskilled jobs are usually taken by

women workers: agriculture (planting, weeding, fertilizer application); service (cleaning); administration (secretarial jobs)

• Decent job framework as benchmark for national development in context of trade negotiations (EU/ACP Sugar Action Plans)

– Social aspects: pension plans for agricultural workers in cane– Child Labour – Caribbean campaign ratification of ILO C-184: 2006 regional conference,

Guyana, Jamaica – OSH, PPE, drinking water.