Canadian Prime Minister Agrees G20 Must Measure Recovery by Jobs

In a meeting today with a Global Unions delegation,
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper agreed that economic recovery would
not be achieved until the labour market had recovered, and that measures
were needed to tackle youth unemployment given its devastating impact on the many young people who had never had a good job.

The Canadian Prime Minister, who will host the G8/G20 Summit in Canada on
25-27 June, said that there was need for the right balance between fiscal
stimulus, which was still required in the short-term, and longer-term
consolidation. He agreed with the trade union delegation that progress on
financial regulation so far had been disappointing in the countries that
required it, and that there should be no return to the financial system as
it had been before the crisis.

However, there was no agreement on the issue of a financial transactions
tax, which is opposed by the government of Canada, despite the support given
by the European Union Council Summit meeting in Brussels yesterday.

"We are pleased the Prime Minister agreed that the measure of success was
jobs," said President Ken Georgetti of the Canadian Labour Congress, who led
the trade union delegation that presented the Prime Minister with the Global
Unions Statement to the G8/G20 Summit

"Working people have paid and are paying the price of the crisis, and will
not accept to pay for the debt crisis that is developing now," said ITUC
General Secretary Guy Ryder. "That is another reason why the G20 needs to
support a financial transactions tax that would generate billions of dollars
annually for public spending, development and financing to deal with climate
change."

"There is a contradiction between the conclusions coming from the G20 Labour
Ministers and those from the G20 Finance Ministers," said TUAC General
Secretary John Evans, adding "G20 Leaders must resolve this contradiction
and send a clear message of confidence that their priority is working
people, not bond markets."