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UNI Apro Regional Secretary, Bro. Christopher Ng, was invited to speak about the Global Deal and how unions could play a part in implementing it at the annual Handelsanställdas förbunds Executive Boards Annual Meeting held in Stockholm, Sweden on May 15. UNI Global Union declared its support for the Global Deal initiative in New York in last September 2016. The vision and objectives of the Global Deal is closely aligned with UNI’s Breaking Through strategy to change the rules of the game in the global labour market and ensuring justice and equality for all workers.
 
The Global Deal is an initiative by the Swedish Prime Minister, Mr. Stefan Löfven. It envisions a re-invigorated commitment to social dialogue between key social stakeholders, where actors and social partners on the labour markets take on their responsibilities, while at the same time recognizing what is best for the common interest.
 
Bro. Christopher spoke on how UNI Apro strongly believes that social dialogue and partnership industrial relations are an integral part of our strategy to empower workers, grow trade unions, expand trade union influences, and to contribute to developing policies of interest to the trade union movement. He cited the example of ASEAN Services Trade Union Council (ASETUC) as a concrete manifestation of UNI Apro’s long term strategy to engage the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

UNI Apro is a key founding member of ASETUC which holds social dialogue with ASEAN and all stakeholders in promoting a Social ASEAN. Its key initiative, the Regional Tripartite Social Dialogue has been accepted as a program in the Senior Labour Officials Work Program for 2016-2025.  The Global Deal comes at a critical time that will strengthen and complement our resolve to promote inclusive growth to close the wealth gap and income inequalities.