HARD FACTS It's the climate, stupid. And the jobs. And the economy. And justice.
Leaders of world trade unions are calling on political leaders gathered in Copenhagen to invest in jobs and develop a green economic policy to tackle climate change.
Introducing ‘Green growth for jobs and social justice’, Anita Normark, chair of the Council of Global Unions (CGU) and general secretary of the Building and Wood Workers International, stated: “The fight to reverse climate change must be fought in communities and in workplaces. Strong action by political leaders at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen is essential to set the direction, but it is not sufficient to achieve climate change goals: to respond to this challenge, we must deepen solidarity and participation by creating sustainable jobs and bolstering democracy.”
The Global Unions publication – the second in its ‘Getting the world to work’ series – combines the trade union consensus positions developed under the lead of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) with perspectives from the sector-based Global Union Federations and other key international union bodies.
Writing in the report, Guy Ryder, secretary of the CGU and general secretary of the ITUC, described how unions globally were “striving to put social justice on the climate change agenda. We have made progress, but we have a long way to go. An environmentally-engaged trade union movement is no longer a theoretical possibility. It now forms part of our collective identity. Together, we can and will make a difference.”
Unions put the case for climate justice
HARD FACTS It's the climate, stupid. And the jobs. And the economy. And justice.
Leaders of world trade unions are calling on political leaders gathered in Copenhagen to invest in jobs and develop a green economic policy to tackle climate change.
Introducing ‘Green growth for jobs and social justice’, Anita Normark, chair of the Council of Global Unions (CGU) and general secretary of the Building and Wood Workers International, stated: “The fight to reverse climate change must be fought in communities and in workplaces. Strong action by political leaders at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen is essential to set the direction, but it is not sufficient to achieve climate change goals: to respond to this challenge, we must deepen solidarity and participation by creating sustainable jobs and bolstering democracy.”
The Global Unions publication – the second in its ‘Getting the world to work’ series – combines the trade union consensus positions developed under the lead of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) with perspectives from the sector-based Global Union Federations and other key international union bodies.
Writing in the report, Guy Ryder, secretary of the CGU and general secretary of the ITUC, described how unions globally were “striving to put social justice on the climate change agenda. We have made progress, but we have a long way to go. An environmentally-engaged trade union movement is no longer a theoretical possibility. It now forms part of our collective identity. Together, we can and will make a difference.”