The UNI Apro Commerce sector successfully held its 6th Sector Conference on 27 and 28 October 2021 virtually.
The conference saw the strong participation of more than 100 delegates, guests, observers, and UNI and UNI Apro staff.
Gerard Dwyer, SDA, Australia, chaired the proceedings as President of UNI Apro Commerce. He was joined in the opening by Stuart Appelbaum, President of UNI Global Commerce (RWDSU, USA), Mathias Bolton, Head of Department UNI Global Commerce, and Christy Hoffman, UNI Global Union General Secretary, who conveyed solidarity greetings to the commerce affiliates in the Asia and Pacific region.
The speakers praised the hard-earned recognition of all commerce workers during the pandemic for ensuring people remained served and obtained necessities. They also emphasized the need to step up efforts to protect all commerce workers from the pandemic of violence and harassment exacerbated during the COVID pandemic.
Akihiro Kaneko gave a special farewell remark as outgoing Vice President of UNI Apro Commerce. In his address, he thanked all affiliates for their support during his tenure and UNI’s role in enabling the successful launch of the car dealer’s network, an initiative spearheaded by JAW Japan.
The conference adopted the following major policy decisions:
“Building Forward: Towards an Inclusive, Equitable and Sustainable Future,” UNI Apro’s agenda for an inclusive, equitable, and sustainable future driven by a human-centred approach to recovery.
The UNI Apro Commerce Strategic Action Plan 2021 – 2025
UNI Apro Regional Secretary Rajendra Acharya delivered the presentation on UNI Apro’s “Building Forward” vision of an inclusive, equitable, and sustainable future driven by a human-centred approach to recovery from the pandemic.
Significant elements of the plan are incorporated into the three strategic priorities of the UNI Apro Commerce Action Plan 2021-2025. The plan stresses building trade union power in multinational companies, advocating respect for workers and trade union rights, and promoting fairness and justice in the future world of work.
The Action Plan’s strategies formed the framework for the conference session discussions, which featured three discussion panels and a presentation of specially commissioned research on the impact of online retail, automation, and digitalization
in the Asia and Pacific region. The fruitful discussions drive home the critical points of the need to use partnership industrial relations, organising of workers and unions, as the key to solving problems coming from the post-pandemic new normal.
The delegates voted resoundingly for the four resolutions on the actions needed to address the concerns raised in the panel sessions. They also adopted two additional statements supporting the ongoing struggles of the Korean affiliates in Chanel and Home plus.
The conference finally confirmed the re-election of Mr. Gerard Dwyer, SDA Australia, as the new President of the UNI Apro Commerce sector and Mr. Shoichi Hachino, UA ZENSEN Japan, as the Vice President of the UNI Commerce Global Steering Committee.
