WTO Public Forum: Unions insist on labour rights in international trade

photo: Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

At the WTO Public Forum, trade unions demanded an end to the race to the bottom between countries that degrade labour rights and working conditions due to current international trade rules.

During the forum, the ITUC met with the WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as part of her Civil Society Advisory Group, and emphasised the importance of ensuring respect for labour rights in international trade. The ITUC stressed that working conditions and wages must not be sacrificed to attract investments or strengthen trade relations.

The ITUC further emphasised that:

  • Trade must occur within a regulatory environment that promotes decent working conditions and living wages.
  • Social justice and a just development model are essential to give countries the policy space needed to advance industrial policies and create more and better jobs.
  • Trade responses to the climate crisis require a Just Transition. This means including workers and their communities, increasing climate finance, and incorporating provisions for technology transfers, special and differential treatment and capacity building to ensure developing countries can benefit from the climate transition.

In a session at the Public Forum organised by the ITUC, trade unions underscored the importance of implementing fundamental labour standards within the WTO in international trade. To advance this important work, they engaged with governments and civil society groups to discuss the opportunities and challenges for the incorporation of implementing of labour rights in trade agreements and in the WTO rulebook.

During the forum, the WTO published its 2024 World Trade Report, which includes a chapter on trade and inclusiveness, examining the impact of trade on workers, jobs and wages.

In a context where the WTO is increasingly focused on inclusiveness and re-globalisation, and with more trade agreements incorporating labour clauses, the ITUC aims to build momentum towards the inclusion of labour standards in the WTO’s rulebook by consolidating support from governments worldwide.