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UNI General Secretary Philip Jennings took workers’ issues to the OECD this week, urging new thinking in finance and economics to grow jobs and combat the threat of inequality.

Speaking at the OECD debate “Investing in the Future: People, Planet, Prosperity” in Paris, Jennings warned that austerity measures in Europe had failed.

“We have lived through a very special period of economic history and now 30 million more people are out of work and our labour markets are still struggling,” he said.

“Economic growth is flat and businesses are still pressured to make returns. They squeeze salaries and squeeze investment in skills. In the 3.2 billion workforce, one in four have a standard job. I don’t think that model is sustainable.”

In an interview with CNBC News, Jennings said that austerity has been a “damp cloth” on growth in Europe. “We have to get people back to work and this requires investment – we have 57 trillion worth of investment funds that needs to be put to work. We have to break out of this austerity mentality,” he said.

“New thinking is required in the world of finance with respect to taking a longer term perspective. It has to change its time frames – not always go for the fast buck as it’s not helping the rest of us.”

The UNI General Secretary also reiterated UNI’s support for a new deal on climate change at talks in Paris later this year.

“We need capture the possibilities of this year – climate change talks in Paris in December give everyone an opportunity to reset the business plan and investment plan to try to rethink the model that can at the same time save the planet. There are no jobs on a dead planet.”