Trade Unions

Trade Unions in Europe could be classified into the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) that was founded in 1973 to promote the interests of working people at the European level and to participate in the EU institutions. The ETUC speaks at a single voice on behalf of 82 trade union organizations in 36 European countries, plus 12 industry-based federations.

The ETUC`s prime objective is to work for the development of a united Europe of peace and stability and to foster European Social Model assuring full human and civil rights. This social model embodies a society that combines a sustainable economic growth with living and working standards, full employment, social inclusion and protection, equal opportunities and democratic policy-making processes. The ETUC also believes that workers’ consultation, collective bargaining, social dialogue and good working conditions are key factors to promote innovation, productivity, competitiveness and growth in Europe.

In the Latin American side there exist as well some Trade Unions that are representatives of workers in several industries tending to be concentrated in some specific areas, especially the public sector, with the purpose of improving their economic standards and working conditions through collective bargaining with employers. Despite of the objectives that are quite similar in both contexts, Labor Unions in Latin America do not work in the same way than the European Unions do. Because the State constantly figures in defining the union´s effective environment, their relationships with the state and political leaders sometimes becomes more relevant than their dealings with the employees they represent.

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Islamic Law

The Islamic Law or “Sharia” is defined as the set of laws and principles that establishes the way Muslims should live or the path they must follow. This law also emphasizes moral and ethical values in all dealings of life and covers many aspects including economics, politics, business, banking, family and social issues.

The Electronic Commerce is a matter that is also analyzed in the frame of this set of rules generating a controversial debate in turn of its legality and accomplishment of Islamic principles in conducting businesses. This new process of selling and buying goods electronically has to be examine taking into account the rights of privacy, consumer data protection, rights to know the detailed of the products and other aspects. In this order of ideas, Muslims catalogue E-commerce as a short selling business with absence of concrete delivery, uncertainty and with juridical authentication´s problems.

I consider that E-Commerce should be worldwide accepted as a new way of technology that gives the benefit of facilitating economic transactions between producers and consumers. Despite of the contradictions that could emerge in this affair, E-Commerce should be taken as a tool and not as a threat against the Islamic Law. The principles that composed this ruling could be more flexible taking into account that it is very difficult to control a strict fulfillment of all requirements. The Law can require a minimum of conditions such as clarity and continuity in the communication, clearly defined products and conformity between the contracting parties.