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Around 70-strong representatives of the Global Union Federations met the new ADB President, Takehiko Nakao during the Civil Society Meeting at the 46th Asian Development Bank Annual Governors Meeting in India Expo and Mart Centre, Greater Noida, India.



The Global Unions are international trade union organisations working together with a shared commitment to the ideals and principles of the trade union movement. UNI Global Union together with the Building and Wood Workers International (BWI), the Public Service International (PSI), and the International Transport Federation (ITF) comprise the GUFs, representing about 70 million workers across the globe in the services sector, building and construction, public sector, and transport sectors, respectively.



On behalf of Global Union delegation,PSI Regional Secretary, V. Lakshmi informed the new ADB Chief about the ongoing dialogue between the Global Unions and the Bank on the number of issues related to the core labor standards (CLS) in the ADB’s lending operations.



The trade unions raised the issues of recognition, social protection strategy of ADB and precarious work. “It is our responsibility to brief you on these issues and to inform you about the gaps in the project implementations and the effects and its impact on the workers’ lives” Lakshmi said.



JICHIRO International Secretary, Mr. Katsuhiko Sato, presented a traditional handmade “fan” to the ADB Chief to remind him of the current privatization of power sector around the Asia Pacific region.



The unions are concern that the electricity will not be available to the poor and will be forced to use the traditional fan. It also symbolic of the labor movements sufferings and struggles to make things better for the workers of the world.



The Global Unions share a common determination to organize, to defend human rights and labour standards everywhere, and to promote the growth of trade unions for the benefit of all working men and women and their families.