Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

World Video | Defence | Foreign Affairs | Natural Events | Trade | NZ in World News | NZ National News Video | NZ Regional News | Search

 

Union Delegation to Meet French President Sarkozy

INTERNATIONAL TRADE UNION CONFEDERATION (ITUC)

ITUC Online
192/101210

G20: International Union Delegation to Meet French President Sarkozy

Brussels, 10 December 2010 (ITUC OnLine): An international delegation of trade union leaders will meet French President Nicolas Sarkozy on 13 December to press for global action on jobs, financial reform, development and action on climate change. As host of the G20 2011 Summit in France, President Sarkozy and his Ministers will have a key role in setting the G20 agenda for the next year.

“The earlier G20 meetings in London and Pittsburgh took crucial decisions to stave off an even deeper global recession; however, progress stalled at the Toronto Summit in June, and while the Seoul Summit in November did include commitments on jobs, the underlying causes of the crisis have not been properly tackled. Unless real action is taken on financial regulation, and governments stop seeking to ensure recovery by simply cutting public expenditure and holding down or even reducing wages, the risk of further crises or a double-dip recession will increase,” said ITUC General Secretary Sharan Burrow.

“With public anger mounting over government decisions to reduce social spending, cut public services and in some cases even reduce minimum wages, the international trade union movement is calling on governments to focus on the underlying fault lines in the world economy and to implement policies which will generate decent jobs,” said John Evans, general secretary of the OECD Trade Union Advisory Committee.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

“A financial transactions tax, to reduce speculation and generate revenues for employment growth, climate action and tackling poverty, is central to our proposals. Governments need to stand up to the financial markets and not allow unelected bankers to dictate policy. Cutting back on vital public investment, including for infrastructure, education and skills development, weakens the capacity for economies to move onto a sustainable growth path. Governments should listen to Gordon Brown’s call for investment in jobs and lifting people out of poverty,” said Burrow.

Former UK Prime Brown has issued an urgent plea for governments to create jobs and tackle global poverty, in support of a petition for jobs and justice by online campaigning group Avaaz: see http://www.avaaz.org/en/global_economy_gb_video_2/?cl=843684922&v=7647

The ITUC represents 176 million workers in 151 countries and territories and has 301 national affiliates. http://www.ituc-csi.org and http://wwwyoutube.com/ITUCCSI


© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
World Headlines

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.