Jenning's call for new Magna Carta makes waves at Davos
UNI Global Union’s General Secretary Philip Jennings told CNN’s Richard Quest at Davos that staggering levels of inequality required an innovative solution: a new Magna Carta, or charter for working people to tackle the jobs crisis, end austerity and create a fair share of profits and sustainable growth.
Jennings message has been picked up widely by the media attending Davos, including a front page story on the Guardian which led with a new Magna Carta for inclusivity or “Including You”. 2015 is the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta, a cornerstone of democratic rights.
In the article, which is one of the most viewed on the Guardian website, Jennings is quoted in detail: “Politicians and business leaders at Davos are sitting on a volcano of legitimate discontent fuelled by unemployment, inequality and austerity. Collectively we have a responsibility to face up to the need to change course.
“‘Keeping Calm and Carrying On’ is no answer to the urgency and anxiety of the times. The labour movement has constructive solutions to offer: A future built on a living wage, decent jobs and collective bargaining where workers have a seat at the table.”
See full Guardian article here
Jenning's call for a new "Including You" Magna Carta was also carried as an op-ed in the Huffington Post. Read it here
On CNBC, Jennings took on EU Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis over Europe’s misguided austerity measures. Watch the full video here and read the related article here
Jennings' message was simple: austerity does not work and Europe must change direction and he called on Davos participants to look at the humanitarian consequences of what is happening in countries such as Spain and Greece with high unemployment. He demanded that policymakers "go for growth" and create opportunities for youth, better infrastructure and more investment.
Condemning austerity measures, Jennings said that Europe was a like a car "stuck in neutral".
Jennings is one of a group of labour leaders who's collective voice is being heard louder than ever at this year's Davos.