Now in its fourteenth year, the school has reached over 500 participants from all transport sectors since it began. It’s the second time the school has been run specifically for young transport workers. This year, 40 participants from 24 different countries were hosted by ITF affiliate International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) at the William W. Winpisinger Education and Technology Center, Maryland, USA.
The programme was intensive and focused on a wide range of issues relevant to building and strengthening unions. Each day offered participants the change to learn more about and discuss vital issues - the causes of the international financial crisis, power relationships in the global economy, and building alliances beyond the workplace, among other topics.
Delegates agreed that overcoming fear is globally a major challenge when trying to organise and recruit young workers. All the delegates took a commitment to increasing youth participation in their unions away from the summer school,with the support of the ITF. Ingo Marowsky, ITF youth officer, said: "We will strengthen our young workers' programme and network to build the space for young trade unionists to continue to share issues and build an active international response to the problems of austerity, youth employment, precarious work and the growing environmental crisis."
Delegates said that the summer school gave them an invaluable opportunity to learn from colleagues in other countries, and that building a direct relationship with other young activists was a strong basis for future international solidarity and action. Alana Dave, ITF education officer, made a commitment that ITF education will work closely with young workers to build capacity and strengthen activism on all those issues important to young workers. She added that the critical awareness and confidence of these young activists will feed new life into their unions and the ITF's industrial work.
For more information on what went on, you can read the ITF Young Workers’ Blog at http://www.itfglobal.org/youngworkersblog/ and check out video reports through the ITF YouTube channel
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