Building Workers' Power
ITUC Newsletter September 2019

Coming up this month – Sharan Burrow, ITUC General Secretary


With the global week of climate action, the solidarity actions ahead of the Argentina election and the World Day for Decent Work all fast approaching, the global labour movement is preparing for a strong month of action. On the policy front, we will carry the voice of working people to the UN Climate Summit and to the UN SDG Summit.

While Bolsonaro’s deregulation sees the Amazon burn, working people around the world are set to take to the streets during the global week of climate action on 20-27 September 2019. Countries are currently revising their emissions targets and we know that Just Transitions need to be part of their plans. Governments are feeling the pressure and now is the time to make our voices heard and make a strong case for real climate solutions that bring everybody along.

Our recent win at the ILO, with the adoption of the international Convention to tackle violence and harassment at work is fresh in our minds. It is with renewed fervour that we must push on with our efforts to overcome gender discrimination. That’s why the theme for this year’s World Day for Decent Work  is “invest in care for gender equality”. We know investing in the care sector boosts employment for women and men, strengthens the real economy and is essential to overcoming entrenched discrimination against women at work and in society. This is the message we will bring to the streets on 8 October because only workers’ power will see this through to real policy action.

Workers’ capital, in the form of retirement savings, is a major component of workers’ power. We are working towards new ways to use this asset to hold international finance accountable, to shape investment in the future of work, in Just Transition initiatives and to challenge tax avoidance. Through the Global Unions Committee on Workers’ Capital (CWC), we are driving this strategic approach to maximise the benefit of this vital asset to the advantage of all working people. We will be joining colleagues at the 2019 CWC Conference in Paris later this month.
Call to Action - Just Transition for Climate Ambition
This month, major mobilisations will be held during the 20-27 September Global Climate Week of Action. The youth mobilisations have transformed the conversation and the momentum for real policy measures is with us.

All the information is available here.
Tweet Tweet
Share Share

ITUC News

Increased repression in Hong Kong: now is the time to act!
After another weekend of escalating police violence in Hong Kong, the ITUC has been asked to mobilise the global trade union movement in solidarity with trade union demands for freedom of assembly and free speech; the release of arrested protestors and an independent inquiry into human rights abuses by police.
Amazon: global resistance to Bolsonaro’s destruction
The ITUC has expressed its full solidarity with the indigenous peoples of the Amazon who have seen vast swathes of their homeland go up in smoke. The policies and environmental denialism of Brazil’s president Jair Bolsonaro have been heavily criticised by the international community as contributing to the devastation.
Solidarity works: jailed union leader freed in Kazakhstan
The ITUC welcomes the release of Erlan Baltabay, leader of the Independent Oil and Energy Workers’ Union by special decree of the new President of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Monthly Highlights

Reports, briefings, photos and videos from the world of work.
Looking back at #CPOW
On the 26th of June, thousands of workers and unions around the world got involved in the Global Day of Workplace Action to Climate-Proof Our Work.

More here
Argentina: The Macri Years
Ahead of Argentina’s 2019 election, the ITUC sheds light on the scale of the destruction and suffering inflicted on the working people of Argentina.
More here
The World Bank needs to understand poverty
Sharan Burrow exposes the World Bank's arbitrary approach and stubborn efforts at keeping its rose-tinted glasses on.

 
Retraining and upskilling
In three years’ time, 42 per cent of task hours will be performed by machines or algorithms and humans will take care of the remaining 58 per cent.
Global Week of Climate Action
The week takes place 20-27 September worldwide. Let us know how unions are getting involved in your country.


 
Letter to Hong Kong
ITUC letter to the Special Representative for Hong Kong Economic and Trade Affairs to the European Union.



 

Key Dates

 
Committee on Workers Capital: Meeting
8-9 September 2019 – Paris, France

 Macri must go global action day
 12 September – Worldwide

Global Week of Climate Action
20-27 September – Worldwide

UN Climate Summit

 23 September – New York, USA

UN SDG Summit
24 September – New York, USA

International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons

 26 September – Worldwide

World Day for Decent Work
7 October 2019 – Worldwide
Sign up to this newsletter here