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Labour Internationalism and the Recognition of Sexual Diversity
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To explore the extent of international labour’s engagement with sexual diversity, we draw on a survey undertaken by Hunt in 2003 of international labour’s take-up of inequities based on gender, race/ethnicity, and sexuality (using union web sites, publications, and interviews). The ILO, the ETUC, the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, and all but one of its ten affiliated federations agreed to participate. Each was probed for the inclusion of sexual orientation in non-discrimination policy, the existence of an official committee or caucus for gays and lesbians, the designation of an executive position for sexual minorities, and the mounting of one or more campaigns or educational programs geared to sexual diversity. Representatives were also asked to assess the overall priority given to issues related to sexual orientation. We acknowledge that apart from the last question, most of these tap into changes that might be largely formalistic or rhetorical. But these are important measures for highly structured and rule bound organizations like these, and shifts in language or in formal policy pronouncements should not be taken lightly.
The finding of the overall study display patterns that are widespread at the national level. Gender has received the longest-standing and more elaborated response, with all of the responding organization able to respond affirmatively to most of the questions posed. On racial discrimination, all had formal prohibitions, but progress on other fronts was less thorough and widespread.
Movement on sexual diversity was even more tentative and uneven. If we use a five point score to calibrate union responses to the equity questions posed to them, only Education International and Public Service International receive 5 (both also having good records on race and gender) – unsurprising given the patterns regularly found at the national level. The ICFTU to which they are affiliated is the only organization to receive 3, and the rest get either 1 or 0. The average score across all organizations is 1.6 for sexual orientation, as compared to 3.7 for race and 4.3 for gender. Most have not moved beyond the inclusion of sexual orientation in non-discrimination policies, and a few have failed to do even that. Sexual orientation was regularly reported as a contentious issue – more so than other diversity issues. As a recent ILO report on equality has noted, “resistance to recognition of the existence of the problem [of sexual orientation discrimination] still remains fierce in most parts of the world” (2003: 29).
Table 1International Labour Responses to Equity Questions
, 2003
Score /5
Campaigns
Caucus/
Priority - S.O.
S.O
Race
Gender on S.O.
Comm.
(High/Medium)
Education Int.
5
5
5
✔
✔
H
Public Service Int.
5
5
5
✔
✔
H
ICFTU
3
5
5
✔
M
ILO
1
5
5
✔
M
ETUC
1
3
4
Journalists Fed.
1
3
4
UNI
1
3
4
Transportation
1
3
4
Metal
1
3
4
Building/wood
0
3
4
Chemical/energy
0
3
4
Food/agriculture
0
3
4
Note on scoring: 1 = 1 initiative; 2 = 2 initiatives; 3 = 3-4 initiatives; 4 = 5-6 initiatives; 5 = positive
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| | Authors: Hunt, Gerald. and Rayside, David. |
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To explore the extent of international labour’s engagement with sexual diversity, we draw on a
survey undertaken by Hunt in 2003 of international labour’s take-up of inequities based on
gender, race/ethnicity, and sexuality (using union web sites, publications, and interviews). The
ILO, the ETUC, the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, and all but one of its ten
affiliated federations agreed to participate. Each was probed for the inclusion of sexual
orientation in non-discrimination policy, the existence of an official committee or caucus for
gays and lesbians, the designation of an executive position for sexual minorities, and the
mounting of one or more campaigns or educational programs geared to sexual diversity.
Representatives were also asked to assess the overall priority given to issues related to sexual
orientation. We acknowledge that apart from the last question, most of these tap into changes
that might be largely formalistic or rhetorical. But these are important measures for highly
structured and rule bound organizations like these, and shifts in language or in formal policy
pronouncements should not be taken lightly.
The finding of the overall study display patterns that are widespread at the national level.
Gender has received the longest-standing and more elaborated response, with all of the
responding organization able to respond affirmatively to most of the questions posed. On racial
discrimination, all had formal prohibitions, but progress on other fronts was less thorough and
widespread.
Movement on sexual diversity was even more tentative and uneven. If we use a five point score
to calibrate union responses to the equity questions posed to them, only Education International
and Public Service International receive 5 (both also having good records on race and gender) –
unsurprising given the patterns regularly found at the national level. The ICFTU to which they
are affiliated is the only organization to receive 3, and the rest get either 1 or 0. The average
score across all organizations is 1.6 for sexual orientation, as compared to 3.7 for race and 4.3 for
gender. Most have not moved beyond the inclusion of sexual orientation in non-discrimination
policies, and a few have failed to do even that. Sexual orientation was regularly reported as a
contentious issue – more so than other diversity issues. As a recent ILO report on equality has
noted, “resistance to recognition of the existence of the problem [of sexual orientation
discrimination] still remains fierce in most parts of the world” (2003: 29).
Table 1International Labour Responses to Equity Questions
, 2003
Score /5
Campaigns
Caucus/
Priority - S.O.
S.O
Race
Gender on S.O.
Comm.
(High/Medium)
Education Int.
5
5
5
✔
✔
H
Public Service Int.
5
5
5
✔
✔
H
ICFTU
3
5
5
✔
M
ILO
1
5
5
✔
M
ETUC
1
3
4
Journalists Fed.
1
3
4
UNI
1
3
4
Transportation
1
3
4
Metal
1
3
4
Building/wood
0
3
4
Chemical/energy
0
3
4
Food/agriculture
0
3
4
Note on scoring: 1 = 1 initiative; 2 = 2 initiatives; 3 = 3-4 initiatives; 4 = 5-6 initiatives; 5 = positive
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