How we work
Trade union rights are human rights, and are necessary to get people out of poverty. For this reason, Union to Union supports the development of free, democratic unions with equal rights throughout the world.
Union to Union co-ordinates the international trade union development work carried out by LO, TCO, Saco, and their Swedish affiliated unions. Most of our 99 development projects initiate advocacy activities or provide exchange of experiences and education aiming to increase the awareness of labour rights and organizational capacity to claim better living and working conditions for workers.
We support local unions to recruit more members and to negotiate for better conditions. For this to happen, training is imperative, both for trade union representatives and members.
Union to Union has no offices in countries where projects are located. Projects are carried out by existing trade union organizations at national, regional or global levels.
The work is made possible by an extensive international network consisting of sister organizations of the Swedish unions in other countries, the Global Union Federations and the International Trade Union Confederation, ITUC. In total, the network includes 325 national unions, which represent 207 million members.
Union to Union also supports and initiates awareness-raising activities in Sweden, to strengthen knowledge of international trade union development co-operation and its relevance for development.
Films in English:
Trade unions have the power to make a real difference
This short movie gives you an introduction of how Swedish trade union members contributes to global justice and decent work all over the world. The Swedish unions are part of the largest social movement in the world. The democratic global trade union movement has over 181 million members and through a global network it works with ILO, Agenda 2030, global solidarity campaigns and union solidarity projects to protect workers’ rights.
Film and brochure: The road to decent work
This movie gives you a crash course in the history of the Swedish trade union movement and show why it is important with global solidarity between workers today. By knowing the past it is easier to understand the present.
