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Between the 5th and 6th of July, Montevideo was once more the meeting place of trade union leaders of the Americas to discuss, at their Executive Committee, the changes in the new world of labour, the impact of technology on labour relations, in addition to how to resist the neoliberal policies of governments that strongly attack the rights of workers from north to south of the continent.

The participants expressed that work is the key to the development of today’s world and that as a trade union movement we need a new paradigm to achieve social justice in the 21st century. In this new context, we must insist so that technological changes do not mean the loss of job opportunities but development for all. Many of these changes are taking place in sectors with a great presence of young people and from the trade union movement their role is essential to change the rules of the game of a continent with increasingly more CEOs than politicians, with more slogans than ideas.

Another relevant point discussed at the meeting was about how to organize migrant workers, as some governments spend more time forcing immigration laws than on social policies, ensuring that migrants stay in the most vulnerable place in society. Marcio Monzane, Regional Secretary of UNI Americas, placed especial emphasis on this point.

 “At a time when the creation of walls instead of bridges is discussed, globalization has to happen in all its aspects, including people, workers, not just companies, to try to build a better world.” he expressed.

Rubén Cortina, President of UNI Americas also expressed his concerns about the future of labour. “In areas of our America there still exist labour relations strongly exclusive and precarious; areas where the indexes of informal, child and slave labour are manifested on a daily basis as the border areas of our MERCOSUR,” he noted.

 “UNI should also be there defending the integration process with inclusion and decent work,” he concluded.