Sydney Congress: white-collar voices

"At the Congress, we must emphasize the importance of integrating white-collar workers into every pillar of IndustriALL Global Union's strategy, as they are present across all areas, from just transition to equality and beyond. Their rights need to be fully recognized and we must identify concrete ways to support them. IndustriALL must adapt its strategies to reflect the diversity of the situations of white-collar workers and respond to the specific expectations of each country. It is a significant challenge, but one that I am confident the IndustriALL white-collar sector is ready to meet. In every country, the number of white-collar workers continues to grow and they all face similar challenges," Corinne Schewin, CFE-CGC, co-chair of IndustriALL white-collar workers' sector.

Organizing white-collar workers remains the top priority. Many unions, particularly those that have traditionally represented blue-collar workers, often struggle to fully understand the concerns of white-collar employees. Conversely, many white-collar workers have little knowledge of, or connection to, trade unions. An IndustriAll Europe research indicates that one of the main reasons white-collar workers do not join a union is simply that they are unfamiliar with it and have never been approached.

Constanze Kraetsch shared examples of IG Metall successful strategies for reaching out to and building trust with white-collar employees. During the COVID-19 pandemic, in a car manufacturer, the union began hosting online "coffee breaks" for white-collar workers, which proved so effective that they have continued ever since.

These bi-monthly meetings combined informal conversation, technical updates and presentations from work council representatives on industry trends and evolution of the company. The sessions were carefully prepared and well attended. Word-of-mouth helped them grow and white-collar workers soon felt they were missing out if they did not take part. Over time, white-collar workers became more comfortable engaging with the union and the work council members.

In another company, with only white-collar workers, the union and members of the work council organized short 20-minute lunchtime meetings, where they discussed workplace issues and surveyed employees about their satisfaction at work.

Patrick Tay Tack from United Workers of Electronics and Electrical Industries (UWEEI) and IndustriALL white collar workers' sector co-chair, said: "Understanding the concerns of white-collar workers before starting to organizing them is key."

In Singapore, where they make up two-thirds of the workforce, unions can represent them through collective agreements. Within the tripartite framework, a Professionals, Managers and Executives (PME) Taskforce was set up in 2020 to strengthen employment and employability. Surveying over 10,000 PMEs, employers and stakeholders, it found job insecurity to be the main concern, with calls for stronger support in employment and training.

Building on these findings NTUC has developed several targeted programmes to support white-collar workers. These include a mentorship ecosystem and the NTUC executive mentorship programme, designed to assist white-collar employees at different stages of their careers. Mentors who are industry professionals share best practice and career advice. The mentors can participate in the NTUC mentors' network keep abreast of industry trends and the evolving expectations of white-collar workers.

Agnes Ama Agamasu, from the Ghana Mine Workers Union (GMWU), stressed the need for targeted strategies to engage women in STEM and young white-collar workers. She highlighted peer-to-peer organising as the most effective way to reach young professionals, with young leaders sharing their experiences as unionists to inspire others. Social media also plays a key role in generating interest and encouraging participation.

For women in STEM, unions must provide support through initiatives like training scholarships and women's committees, which offer networking, leadership development.

IndustriALL has developed training modules to help organizers design and implement strategic organizing campaigns for white-collar workers. Supported by the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES), these training programmes have already equipped numerous organisers and leaders across South-East Asia and Latin America, with organizing campaigns in progress.

said Christine Olivier, IndustriALL assistant general secretary.

Another priority was equipping unions to address white-collar workers' mental health, especially in light of new risks from automation and AI.

Finally, participants discussed the need to strengthen unions' capacity to negotiate on industrial and skills policies and just transition plans. This involves sharing good practices and skills forecasts. The aim is to support unions on two levels of action: at the national and tripartite level (for industrial and STEM policies) and at the company level (for transition planning).

Unions attending the Congress will coordinate to raise all these issues during the sessions. A roadmap will be developed to guide white-collar work throughout the next Congress period.