LO-TCO Biståndsnämnd

The LO-TCO Secretariat sponsors approximately 180 projects in some 70 countries.

Our projects aim to promote the development of free, democratic trade unions. Support is therefore usually given to basic trade union training, education in human rights, leadership, the work environment, equal opportunities and the effects of globalization or HIV/Aids. Project may also include support for the development of administrative capacities and networks connecting different unions or sectors. We do not, however, provide support for congresses or for renting premises.

Trade unions must work together on a global scale to counterbalance the pressure of multinational corporations which dominate international trade. For this reason support for projects in a number of geographically-related countries (regional projects) or in more than one continent (global projects) may be co-ordinated to take advantage of the experience, material and educators that already exist in participating countries. The common denominator might be, for example, a multinational corporation or the creation of a union network.

LO, TCO or one or several Swedish unions often work on projects with the Global Union Federations and a union in the country receiving support, but it is the receiving organization that specifies its needs and priorities and carries out the project.

The Global Union Federations support weak unions throughout the world and help them to become stronger; they assist union members subjected to persecution and fight to wrest global agreements from multinational companies – a crucial factor in achieving acceptable working conditions - and are actively engaged in international institutions like the ILO, the World Bank or the International Monetary Fund, defending workers’ interests, to mention only some of their activities.

Links to international Trade Union Organisations can be checked on the right.