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Argentine Minister of Labour Carlos Tomada spoke at the opening of UNI Global Union’s first ever UNICARE World Meeting in Buenos Aires. Tomada told a packed conference hall, “We must celebrate and encourage this kind of meeting, the kind of meeting that defends workers rights!”

He also underlined the importance of defending workers’ rights both in terms of purchasing power and in improving conditions, and aspiring towards creating the kind of global society the world needs.

Over 100 people from 29 different countries came together at the first ever UNICARE World Conference today hosted by Argentinian affiliate FATSA in Buenos Aires. The meeting featured presentations from UNI affiliates from all around the world. Delegates conveyed the domestic state of the care system in their countries, and placed their local struggles in the wider context of an increasingly globalized sector.

On day one of the UNICARE World Meeting, Director of UNICARE, Kirsty McCully gave an overview of the challenges, changes and opportunities in the sector saying, “UNICARE and its affiliates around the world have a global challenge, a global responsibility and a global opportunity to create a more equal, sustainable and fair system of care.”

President of UNI Americas Ruben Cortina opened the conference declaring: "We are incredibly proud to hold the first ever UNICARE World Conference here in Buenos Aires!”

Regional Secretary of UNI Americas, Adriana Rosenzvaig and Deputy General Secretary Christy Hoffman praised the potential of the UNICARE sector, telling affiliates, "Organising workers in this sector has an immediate, positive effect on the rest of society and has the potential to be one of UNI's most dynamic sectors."

Director of SEIU Healthcare Leslie Frane paid tribute to the dramatic gains achieved by 500,000 homecare workers standing together for change.

President of NCCU Kozo Suyama detailed the challenges an ageing population poses to the care sector in Japan.

Assistant Secretary of the New South Wales Branch of United Voice, Mel Gatfield, presented United Voice's "It's time to care" campaign. Find out more about the campaign here: www.itstimetocare.org.au

Highlighting the importance of defending labour rights and campaigning for equality Deb Tveit, Assistant to the President of Canadian union Unifor Canada, said: "Care is a very important industry because it allows people to have a good quality of life, but as a sector is under threat because it doesn’t make money."

International Secretary of Spanish union CCOO, Jesús Fernández Béjar paid tribute to the women fighting for justice all over the world in the care sector, as well as sending a message of solidarity to striking Prosegur workers in Chile experiencing brutality at the hands of the police.

Pierangelo Raineri, General Secretary of Fisascat Cisl told the conference that the care sector is a sector that unions need to get ahead of in order to achieve positive and meaningful change.

FATSA General Secretary Carlos Ocampos West rounded off day one by explaining the importance of providing professional training for care workers in order to create a sustainable and equitable sector. ‪

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UNICARE is the Global Union for the private care sector and social insurance industry, representing 480,000 workers in 78 unions worldwide.