SOCIAL SECURITY FOR TRADE UNION ORGANIZATIONS

HISTORICAL AND CONCEPTUAL ORIGINS OF SOCIAL SECURITY Social Security and the Social State The Logic of Solidarity as a necessary condition for the success of a Social Security System. Reciprocity Rawls’ “veil of ignorance” Kropotkin’s empathy Concepts of class and risk

CONCEPT OF THE SOCIAL STATE Franz-Xaver Kautmann describes the duties of State: Legal action to improve the legal status of individuals (e.g. in Labour Law). Economic action to improve the income of individuals. Ecological action to improve the environment and social medium of individuals. Educational action to improve the capacity for action of individuals through training and advisory activities.

CONCEPT OF THE SOCIAL STATE Hanz F. Zacher, distinguishes four basic social purposes of the State: Aid against poverty and need and a minimally decent existence for all. Greater equality by eliminating differences in well-being and control of situations of dependency. Greater security when faced with life-changing situations. Promotion and extension of well-being.

HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT Flora and Alber: four historical periods Introductory period up to World War I. Extension between the two world wars. Complementation after World War II. Stage of consolidation and reorganisation from 1950. And a stage of crisis, particularly from the beginning of the 1980s.

INITIAL INTRODUCTORY OR EXPERIMENTAL STAGE The French Revolution of 1848 “Where there was no equality, freedom is a lie”. Society was partly responsible for poverty. There was no identity between the responsibility of society and State responsibility. The insurance schemes that arose were mainly voluntary. The cover was applied to workers who did not earn more than a predetermined level of income.

INITIAL INTRODUCTORY OR EXPERIMENTAL STAGE Bismarck's German policy Sickness insurance: funded 2/3 by the worker and 1/3 by the employer. 1883 It was obligatory to insure against accidents at work, for permanent incapacity. 1884 First obligatory pension system for workers whose salary did not exceed 2000 Deutschmarks per year: 1889

FROM SOCIAL INSURANCE TO SOCIAL SECURITY THE BEVERIDGE REPORT Shortcomings of British social insurance in 1941 Excluded wide sectors of the population from benefits. Benefits were insufficient. Lack of a comprehensive model and risks not covered. Lack of administrative coordination preventing the optimisation of resources. The family situation of insurance beneficiaries was not taken into account.

THE BEVERIDGE REPORT: tackling poverty and homelessness through Social Security Origin of the three levels of provision National welfare – universal non-contributory level Social security in the real sense – contributory and obligatory level Complimentary insurance schemes – private and voluntary level

THE BEVERIDGE REPORT: 7 Fundamental principles Uniform benefits and uniformity in conditions of access. Uniform contributions. Tripartite funding. Funding through taxation and contributions. Adequacy of benefits with regard to quantity and duration: minimum basic yet sufficient benefits. Extension of scope with regard to both individuals and risks. Standardised administrative management and a single weekly contribution: principle of unity.

After World War II, social insurance schemes changed in nature: from a faculty of State to a right of the individual, who claimed an action to make the right effective.

BEVERIDGE MODEL vs BISMARCKIAN MODEL The Beveridge model tended to be a universal model rather than a labour model. The Bismarckian model gives rise to a multiple system of insurance; the British model was based on the unification of risks, the protection arose out of the situation of need. The British system was mainly funded from the State budget. In the German case, the funding basically depended on the contributions paid by the beneficiary based on income level. From an organizational viewpoint, the first model tended towards the differential administration of each risk, and also insured collectives. The second model proposed unified and public administrative management.

Activity: In four groups,stage a “war of words” between defenders of the Bismarck Model and defenders of the Beveridge model. And links to the current Social Security situation in Latin America.

UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS 1945 Article 22 1) Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization .... of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality. 2) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control. Other rights enshrined in the declaration are: Right to equal pay for equal work (Article 23.2), Right to just and favourable remuneration (Article 23.3), Right to rest and leisure, (Article 24), Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance (Article 25.2), Right to education (Article 26).

DECLARATION OF PHILADELPHIA - 1944 “Labour is not a commodity. Poverty anywhere constitutes a danger to prosperity everywhere…”. Tripartism was defined as a necessary working method. “….all human beings, irrespective of race, creed or sex, have the right to pursue both their material well-being and their spiritual development in conditions of freedom and dignity, of economic security and equal opportunity…”. “the attainment of the conditions in which this shall be possible must constitute the central aim of national and international policy”.

Dates of the first laws on Social Security in Latin America for disability, old age and death and health risks (a) Voluntary continuation when switching from waged employment to self-employment. Source: ll Congreso Interamericano Jurídico de la Seguridad Social – “Aspectos Económicos - Financieros de la Seguridad Social en Latino América y Cáribe” [2nd American Congress on Social Security Law – “Economic - Financial Aspects of Social Security in Latin America and the Caribbean”]. Mesa Lago, Carmelo - Montevideo (Uruguay), October 1990.