27/04/2001 (Agence Europe) - On the eve of the spring meeting of the World Bank and the IMF, the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), the International Professional Secretariats (IPS) and the trade union advisory committee with the OECD (TUAC) informed the international financial institutions (IFI) in a joint declaration of their concerns about economic slowdown. The declaration, on combating the growing inequalities at global level and the new threats of instability on financial markets, mainly urges for the establishment of a Tobin tax and radical debt relief. In addition, the world trade union movement calls on the international financial institutions to show proof of greater consistency in consultation with the civil society. Thus, IMF and the World Bank are not expected to endorse a strategic framework for fighting poverty for countries where trade unions have not been consulted. (For further details, Internet: http://www.icftu.org ).