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UNI’s General Secretary, Philip Jennings, joins calls for global governance and a jobs strategy to top G20 agenda in 2014

Jennings, commenting on the L20’s demands for the G20 to focus on a number of crucial labour issues, said, “Time is running out for the G20 to find effective strategies to combat youth unemployment, precarious work and unsafe working conditions. Witness what happened in the Bangladesh garment industry and Cambodia where people are dying because of antiquated labour standards and reactive measures against just protests. In the West too workers are suffering at the expense of a global economy which is twisted out of shape and sleep-walking into a second recession. The G20 leaders must listen to the L20 and stop the race to the bottom. Inclusive growth is the key to a fair and just recovery for all.”

As the Employment Task Force of the G20 (ETF) meets in Sydney to discuss its mandate and deliverables for 2014, the L20 has issued a concept note with key labour priorities for Australia’s presidency http://www.ituc-csi.org/l20-proposals-to-the-g20 

The meeting includes a social partners’ session, where Australian L20 representatives will outline key activities, concerns and opportunities for engagement. 

At its meeting, the ETF will set its roadmap for this year’s presidency and clarify progress of national employment plans. There is hope that this exchange will lead to the realisation that stronger coordination and commitment on employment issues is needed and that global governance is in the right position to drive this.

This should include a joint Labour and Finance Ministers meeting to set up coordinated action against inequality, which is still not decided by Australia despite multi-stakeholder calls in its favour, enhanced monitoring and strategies to combat structural and youth unemployment, informal work and unsafe working conditions amongst many pressing matters. 

The L20 key priorities to the ETF include: 

• Targeted investments in public infrastructure that create jobs in the short term but also improve long-term productive potential and support the transition to a low-carbon economy that can generate green and decent jobs;

• Support for low and middle incomes to both reduce inequality but also to inject purchasing power into the economy and trigger productive investment;

• As called for in Moscow: “Labour market and social investment policies that support aggregate demand and reduce inequality, such as broad-based increases in productivity, targeted social protection, appropriately set minimum wages with respect to national wage-setting systems, national collective bargaining arrangements, and other policies to reinforce the links between productivity, wages, and employment”;

• Strengthening workers’ rights and social protection so as to formalise informal jobs and promote inclusive labour markets;

• Fostering youth employment, by introducing youth guarantee approaches, promoting vocational training and apprenticeships;

• Action to facilitate employment, participation and equity for those groups with low activity rates – notably women and minority ethnic communities. This must include investment in childcare facilities. 

Global unions, including UNI, will be pressing for action on these points at the G20 and other forums for a in the months ahead. 

UNI Global Union is a member of the ITUC which represents 176 million workers in 161 countries and territories and has 325 national affiliates.