Unions to G20: "Multilateralism is in crisis and globalisation is raising more and more concerns"

The Secretary General of ITUC-Asia Pacific, Shoya Yoshida, participated in the Labour 20 Summit and called for a New Social Contract in a message that was directly meant for the Ministers of labour and employment of the G20

First published on ITUC-AP.org

ITUC-Asia Pacific Secretary General, Shoya Yoshida called for a New Social Contract in a message directly to the G20 Labor and Employment Ministers. Mr. Yoshida was participating in the Labour 20 Summit (L20), which was held on the theme "Achieving the New Social Contract" from 29-30 August 2019 in Tokyo before the G20 Labor and Employment Ministers’ Meeting (1-2 September 2019, Ehime, Japan).

Mr. Yoshida denounced that the economic dimension - focused on trade, investment and financial liberalisation - dominates global policymaking and forsters a growth model that has led to greater inequality and, in turn, a popular backlash reaction against globalisation and the current multilateral institutions.

“There is an urgent need to rebuild multilateralism so that the benefits of the global economy are equitably distributed and income inequalities are minimised.

- Shoya Yoshida, ITUC AP Secretary General


 

Mr. Yoshida called on trade unions to "play a central role as communities of workers and their families in order for democracy to better control the market. To this end, they must be fully prepared to participate as effective and responsible actors in the process of developing a new social contract based on a fair labor market policy and changing rules for sustainable and inclusive growth. "

What is the L20?

The Labour 20 (L20) is one of the 6 outreach groups within G20 - group of the 20 countries with the most developped economies - and represents the interests of workers at the G20 level.

Convened by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD (TUAC), the L20 provides input to the G20 Summits by voicing the demands of the trade unions through frequent exchanges with the Employment Working Group and Labour and Finance Ministers. In doing so, the L20 communicates the messages of the international labour movement on global policies to the G20 meetings.