Report on the Contributions of Dan Gallin to Global Sustainable Development

Executive Summary

This report details the career of Dan Gallin (1931-2025), former General Secretary of the International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations (IUF). It analyzes his contributions to the international trade union movement through the framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Gallin’s work from 1968 to 1997, and his subsequent activities, demonstrate a profound and lasting impact on advancing decent work, reducing inequality, promoting justice, and fostering global partnerships.

Alignment of Core Activities with Sustainable Development Goals

Dan Gallin’s leadership at the IUF was instrumental in advancing several key SDGs. His strategic focus on workers’ rights, corporate accountability, and inclusivity directly corresponds with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth: Gallin’s entire career was dedicated to protecting labour rights and promoting safe and secure working environments for all workers (Target 8.8). This was achieved through direct action, negotiation, and policy advocacy.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: By strengthening trade unions globally and championing the rights of marginalized workers, including those in the informal economy, his work directly addressed inequality within and among countries.
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions: Gallin worked to build the IUF into a strong, accountable global institution. His campaigns against violence targeting union members upheld the principles of justice and the rule of law.
• SDG 5: Gender Equality: A key initiative was the integration of women-led organizations into the global labour movement, promoting women’s full participation and leadership in economic life (Target 5.5).
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals: Gallin pioneered multi-stakeholder partnerships, negotiating with transnational corporations and building coalitions to achieve labour rights objectives.

Analysis of Key Initiatives and SDG Impact

Campaign for Corporate Accountability in Guatemala

From 1979 to 1984, the IUF, under Gallin’s direction, organized a global campaign against the Coca-Cola company in response to the systematic murder of workers attempting to unionize at its franchise in Guatemala City. The campaign’s success had a direct impact on multiple SDGs:

1. SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions): The campaign successfully pressured the corporation to address the extreme violence, contributing to a reduction in violence (Target 16.1) and ensuring access to justice for victims through indemnification for their families (Target 16.3).
2. SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth): The outcome secured fundamental rights at work, including the right to organize and bargain collectively, and created a safer working environment (Target 8.8).
3. SDG 1 (No Poverty): By securing union recognition and bargaining rights, the initiative provided a pathway to better wages and job security, contributing to poverty reduction for workers and their families.

Pioneering International Framework Agreements

Gallin’s leadership was crucial in negotiating the first international agreements between global union federations and transnational companies, beginning with the French-based BSN (Danone) in 1988. This initiative set a precedent for global industrial relations.

• SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals): These agreements represent a model for multi-stakeholder partnerships (Target 17.17) that use dialogue and cooperation to advance sustainable development objectives.
• SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth): The agreements institutionalized the protection of trade union rights across a company’s global operations, directly supporting the goal of decent work for all.

Inclusion of Informal Economy Workers

Gallin recognized the necessity of expanding the trade union movement to include workers in the informal economy. A landmark achievement was bringing India’s Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) into the IUF in the 1980s.

• SDG 5 (Gender Equality): This affiliation empowered a significant organization of women workers, enhancing their voice and representation in the international arena and promoting equal opportunities for leadership (Target 5.5).
• SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities): By formally recognizing and integrating informal workers, the IUF under Gallin worked to reduce the inequalities faced by a vast and often marginalized segment of the global workforce.

Legacy and Continued Contribution to Sustainable Development

Following his retirement, Dan Gallin founded the Global Labour Institute (GLI) in 1997. This extended his impact by focusing on education and capacity building within the labour movement.

• SDG 4 (Quality Education): The GLI and its associated international summer schools provide critical, lifelong learning opportunities for trade unionists, equipping them with the skills to advocate for workers’ rights and contribute to sustainable development (Target 4.4).
• SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals): The GLI continues to foster a global network of labour advocates, strengthening the global partnership for sustainable development (Target 17.16).

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

• The article focuses on the work of Dan Gallin and the International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations (IUF) to protect labor rights, promote safe working environments, and ensure fair treatment for workers. This directly relates to the goal of promoting sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all. The campaign for Coca-Cola workers in Guatemala and the inclusion of informal workers are prime examples.

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

• The article highlights the fight against violence and injustice faced by trade unionists. The campaign in Guatemala was a response to the systematic murder of workers seeking to form a union. The efforts to hold a transnational company accountable and secure justice for the victims and their families align with the goal of promoting peaceful and inclusive societies, providing access to justice for all, and building effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions.

SDG 5: Gender Equality

• The specific action of bringing India’s Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) into the international labor movement demonstrates a commitment to empowering women. This connects to the goal of achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls by ensuring their participation in economic and public life.

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

• The article mentions Dan Gallin’s understanding that the trade union movement needed to include millions of workers in the informal economy who were “excluded from legal recognition.” This effort to empower and include marginalized workers directly addresses the goal of reducing inequality within and among countries.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

• The entire narrative is built on the concept of partnerships. The IUF, as an international body, partnered with local unions (like the one in Guatemala) and civil society to launch global campaigns (boycotts, work stoppages) to influence transnational corporations. This multi-stakeholder approach is the essence of strengthening the means of implementation and revitalizing the global partnership for sustainable development.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

• Target 8.8: Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers, including migrant workers, in particular women migrants, and those in precarious employment. The IUF’s campaigns, such as the one in Guatemala against the murder of union organizers and the negotiation of agreements with companies like Danone to secure trade union rights, are direct actions towards this target.

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

• Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere. The campaign against the “systematically murdered” Coca-Cola workers in Guatemala is a direct effort to combat this type of violence.
• Target 16.3: Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all. The successful campaign resulted in the company agreeing to “indemnify families of the murdered workers,” which represents a form of justice and remedy.

SDG 5: Gender Equality

• Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life. The affiliation of India’s Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) with the IUF is a concrete example of promoting women’s inclusion and voice within the international labor movement.

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

• Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status. The article explicitly states the IUF’s work to “encompass the millions of workers active in the informal economy, but who were excluded from legal recognition,” which directly aligns with this target.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

• Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships. The IUF’s model of organizing international campaigns, involving boycotts and work stoppages, represents a civil society partnership aimed at holding the private sector (transnational companies) accountable. The agreement with Danone is a specific example of a partnership between a union organization and a transnational company.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

For SDG 8 (Target 8.8)

• Implied Indicator: Number of collective bargaining agreements secured with transnational companies. The article cites the pioneering agreement with “the French-based BSN (later to become Danone) in 1988” as a key achievement.
• Implied Indicator: Frequency of violations of workers’ rights to organize. The article mentions workers being “systematically murdered” for “seeking to form a union,” implying that a reduction in such events would be a measure of progress.

For SDG 16 (Targets 16.1 & 16.3)

• Implied Indicator: Number of unsolved deaths of trade unionists. The campaign was a response to these murders, and achieving justice for them was a key goal.
• Implied Indicator: Provision of remedy or compensation to victims of violence. The article explicitly states that the company agreed to “indemnify families of the murdered workers,” which serves as a concrete indicator of justice being served.

For SDG 5 & 10 (Targets 5.5 & 10.2)

• Implied Indicator: Number of informal worker associations (particularly women’s associations) affiliated with formal international labor structures. The article provides a specific example: “The IUF brought India’s Self Employed Women’s Association into the international labour movement through affiliation.”

For SDG 17 (Target 17.17)

• Implied Indicator: Number of international multi-stakeholder campaigns organized. The campaign against Coca-Cola from 1979 to 1984, involving “boycotts and work stoppages,” is a specific instance that could be tracked.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: theguardian.com