By Gustavo Capdevila
LISBON, Nov 1 2007 (IPS)

Works of art with a powerful social message, donated by trade unions in the first half of the 20th century, will again be displayed at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) headquarters after being deliberately hidden for the past 30 years.

Paintings and pottery representing the school of socialist realism predominant in those decades in leftwing intellectual circles all over the world, and particularly in the Soviet Union, were covered up when the recipient of the artworks, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in Geneva, ceded its building to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT).

The ILO, the only tripartite (governments, trade unions and employers) agency of the United Nations, first occupied a majestic building on the shores of Lake Leman in Geneva, but transferred to larger premises in the city in the 1970s.

The former ILO headquarters was taken over by the GATT, which had the reputation of being an “exclusive country club”, and conducted itself accordingly to the end of its days, in 1994.

Proletarian art was felt to be out of place in that ambience, and it was hidden behind mirrors or layers of plaster. The artworks were covered up because “they addressed the issues of work, social justice, justice in the workplace, and the socialist realism of the 1930s,” the deputy Chief of Staff at the WTO, Víctor do Prado, told IPS.

The WTO succeeded the GATT in 1995.

John J. Sweeney, the head of the AFL-CIO, told IPS he was not aware of the existence of this painting. “It must date back to the time before the CIO merged with the AFL,” he said. “I’m looking forward to having an opportunity to see it. I gather that it’s a very challenging depiction of U.S. workers.”

Do Prado said that the WTO secretariat has directed “all the coverings” to be removed, in order to display the works of art. “Basically, the WTO got over its complex about occupying a building that wasn’t its own. Now, in contrast, the secretariat is immensely proud to have its seat in a place with so many symbols of working people,” he said.

ILO Director General Juan Somavía told IPS that the building was recovering its original meaning. “The ILO was there during its early days, and I agree with the decision to restore its art collection, as work is an essential part of trade,” he said.

The announcement was made in Lisbon on Wednesday, at a conference on “Putting the Puzzle Together: Policy Coherence for Decent Work”, organised by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), Solidar, the Global Progressive Forum, and Social Alert International, which are leading the “Decent Work, Decent Life” campaign.

Do Prado said there had never been so many meetings between the heads of the two institutions as have been held recently between the ILO’s Somavía and WTO Director General Pascal Lamy. “Nor has the dialogue between them ever been so intense as it is now,” said the Brazilian diplomat.

In the past, working together on issues of trade and employment was “such an electric subject that it seemed that it was not possible,” Somavía said.

“When Pascal (Lamy) became director general of the WTO, since we are good friends, we said, ‘look, this is absurd. There are obvious linkages, and both trade and labour standards are on the decent work agenda,’” the motive force behind the ILO’s current activities, Somavía said.

As a result of this new climate of cooperation, “we produced a study on trade and employment, which reached a conclusion that we all knew about already, but it was good that the WTO and the ILO said it together,” he said.

“The study says that trade produces more employment. On the whole it probably produces more employment than it destroys, but it does destroy employment, too,” Somavía said.

“Consequently, when you think in terms of trade negotiations, you have to think at the same time about the social policies that must be put in place in order to deal with the loss of jobs. This is absolutely obvious,” he said.

“But in practice we have put all the emphasis on the benefits of trade, and very little on the down side, and on the policies that are needed to deal with it,” the ILO leader said. “That is what people have reacted against.”

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