Development (TUDCN)

Trade unions are development actors in their own right. Through their everyday work in upholding freedom of association and collective bargaining rights, engaging in social dialogue and promoting decent work, they are essential to achieving sustainable development.

The Trade Union Development Cooperation Network (TUDCN) is an initiative of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) that brings together national trade union organisations affiliated to the ITUC, ITUC regional organisations – TUCA, ITUC-Africa and ITUC-Asia Pacific – global union federations (GUFs), the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and the Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD (TUAC) and solidarity support organisations (SSOs).

The network’s objective is to bring the trade union perspective into international development policy debates and improve the coordination and effectiveness of trade union development cooperation activities.

To do this, the network aims to:

  • bring trade unions voice into development policymaking processes, promoting the Decent Work Agenda (social protection, social dialogue, labour rights);
  • improve the coordination and effectiveness of trade union development cooperation initiatives;
  • build the capacity of trade union organisations.

For more details on objectives, work streams content and its functioning, see the TUDCN Global Strategy 2016-2020.