Workers' Capital Conference 2015

Dear Colleague
We would like to invite you to participate in the 2015 Workers’ Capital Conference organised by the Committee for Workers’ Capital and being hosted by the International Transport Workers’ Federation in London.

The Conference is taking place on the afternoon of Monday 7th September and on Tuesday 8th September.

There will sessions on trustee leadership, pension fund fees and transaction costs, embedding responsible labour practices in investment strategies, Qatar, infrastructure investments, the role of investors in ensuring a just transition to a low carbon economy and more.

The agenda and conference flyer are attached.

If you would like to attend, please register using this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CWC2015London

The Committee for Workers’ Capital (CWC) is a network of union representatives working to promote the responsible investment of workers’ pensions and investments through information sharing and join action. It is a joint initiative of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), the Global Unions Federations (GUFs) and the Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD (TUAC). For more information, please see http://www.workerscapital.org/

Hat tip TUC  - click flyer to bring up detail.

Committee on Workers Capital - Global Proxy Review 2014

Check out this report published last week by the Committee on Workers Capital (CWC). 

The CWC has "over 200 members from 25 different countries, the CWC connects labour union organizations around the world to advance the responsible investment agenda on the global stage". 

The Global Proxy Review  takes an international view on the way fund managers vote the shares they hold and manage on behalf of workers pensions funds at Company AGMs. Use this information to hold fund managers to account for the way they vote on important environmental, social and governance issues (ESG).

Trade Unions and Workers’ Capital Stewardship

On Thursday I went to Congress House for an informal meeting of National trade union pension/Capital Stewardship officers, trade union staff pension trustees and lay pension trustees and nominated representatives.

The TUC pension policy officers organise these meetings and the aim is to try and establish a forum for trade unionists who are interested in the investment of workers capital.

We discussed the possible co-ordination of union staff pension funds, the implications for capital stewardship of the financial crisis (very interesting!), other campaigning activities, report on the Committee for Workers Capital (CWC) AGM and future framework for the forum.

There was broad agreement from those present that it would be a good idea to work together on particular issues. Of course, this is an informal forum with no decision making function but I felt that we were making real progress and that there is the opportunity for greater co-ordination and co-operation in the future between affiliates. Which I think would be great but will obvious depend on affiliates being persuaded that this is something that will be in the interests of their members.

With the current financial “crisis”, there has never been in my view a more favourable environment for Union capital stewardship activists to try and persuade their unions that this is in their membership’s interests to get on board. We need in my view to stop the financial services industry in the future using our money to enrich themselves and rip us off. The best way of doing this is enable the real owners of capital to make sure that the companies they own are run in the interests of its owners and stakeholders not its the financial interests of its transient management.

It won’t be easy and we need to organise to win, to change things, not just to protest, but this s a “Seize the moment” comrades. So go for it!

Committee on Workers Capital

Today is the start of the 4th International Meeting of trade union pension trustees. This is organised by the Committee on Workers Capital (CWC)

The meeting last two days and is being held this year in London at the TUC, Congress House.

Last year in was held in Switzerland. Picture is from the informal dinner held last night. There are union trustees present from all over the world – USA, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Holland, Denmark, France, Germany, Spain.

It is an incrediblely useful opportunity to discuss common issues and exchange ideas. Due to other commitments I will not this year be able to attend all the meeting.

The agenda for today includes Burma – engaging Chinese companies; Labour as an Investment Issue; Green Jobs; PRI / Private equity / Infrastructure; Capital strategies.