This policy paper highlights the relevance of the SDGs in Covid-19 recovery and resilience, and offers policy responses to accelerate the SDGs decade of action focusing on the driving role of SDG 8 within the 2030 Agenda.

As the ITUC SDG 8 Monitor shows, the world was not on track to achieve SDG 8 and the 2030 Agenda before the pandemic. Governments must now take extraordinary and radical measures to lay the groundwork for the recovery. A piecemeal approach clearly does not fit the purpose. On the contrary, systemic change based on interlinked and complementary policies at social, economic and environmental level is the way forward.

Through its targets on workers protection, decent work, social protection, inclusive growth and environmental preservation SDG 8 has the power to drive the 2030 Agenda forward and it plays a fundamental role in trade unions’ call for a New Social Contract between governments, business and workers.