“Workers of the world, unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains”. These are the famous words of Karl Marx in his book The Communist Manifesto, and they ring true today as they did in the nearly two centuries since it was first published.
In today’s world, one where we are interlinked, even as we begin to resurrect the idea of spheres of influence, we are witnessing an assault on workers’ rights.
The decimation of OSHA standards, the forced stifling of wages, the pitting of workers against themselves by bringing in cheap labour, etc., all are signs that the rights and privileges workers won and were granted over the last 80 years, are in danger of being taken back as the bosses try to squeeze every cent out of a system which has been buckling since 2008.
We have seen some workers respond to this by looking inwards. These workers, led by union bosses, believe that if they side with the growing nativist right wing in their countries then they will receive the benefits. It is a beggar thy neighbour strategy. It is one which will result in the decimation of the unionised workers if it is allowed to continue, as non-unionised workers are the majority and oppressive tools will be tested on them before being foisted upon unionised workers as history has shown us.
This trend of lifting the moat bridge was recently bucked by the United Farm Workers (UFW), and as a result of their negotiations have landed a better deal for Jamaican farm workers who travel to the US to engage in seasonal farm work. According to the Gleaner, “…workers will earn US$19.39 per hour, with a scheduled increase to US$19.97 next year.” Elsewhere, the article reports that the deal is far better than what non-unionised farms offer, where workers will face salary cuts as farms begin to adjust to the new wage system, which covers farm workers.
This is what solidarity looks like, and it must be commended. They could have chosen the short-term nativist view, demanded better wages for themselves and the crushing of the non-native farm workers. They instead took the view that solidarity made the most sense; it may have been for the altruistic reason that all workers must band together, or it may be for the self-preservation reason, knowing that the same ill treatment would soon be meted out to them by the bosses if it was allowed to happen to non-native workers.
Whatever the reason, they chose correctly and chose to strike a deal that benefits all workers on their farms. Solidarity isn’t merely words; it is action, and they have shown true solidarity and what unions in an ideal world would look like. They will now not face the suppression of wages or the fear of being replaced by cheaper workers, which in turn leads to a suppression of wages.
As Jamaica seriously ponders importing labour to meet our labour demands, this is something our local unions must look at. It is not enough to ensure that you are not undercut in terms of wages or placement in jobs; you must ensure that the foreign workers are on equal footing to local workers. If we allow foreign workers to be exploited in the belief that it will be relegated to them alone, we are mistaken. So, if not for altruistic reasons, for selfish reasons, we must ensure that all workers, whatever their origin, are on equal footing.
We need greater solidarity between unions in this country, as well as international solidarity. Workers do not operate in a vacuum; we are all connected, and more so in a world of offshoring and nearshoring. In a world where supply chains span different countries, it is silly to think that what happens at home stays at home.
If workers anywhere are threatened, then all workers are threatened, and it is incumbent on unions to show solidarity. The Greek, South African, and Italian dockworkers who refused to load and unload ships transporting weapons to Israel are another example of the solidarity that is needed.
Workers, those who produce the wealth, have the power; we can be masters of our own destiny, and the first step in doing that is joining with other workers across the world. We must not be put off by petty issues like xenophobia, sexism, and racism; we must focus on the true enemy, those who wish to see us without. In this world, which is currently in flux, solidarity is the only way to ensure that we are not exploited.
I hope our workers do not look inwards but instead extend solidarity both locally and abroad.
