date: 27 June 2005

embargo: 00.01 hrs Tuesday, 28 June 2005

global union leaders tell Blair decent work is only way out of world poverty

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber will today (Tuesday) lead a delegation of world trade union leaders representing 170 million workers to Downing Street to press their demand of decent work for all to Prime Minister Tony Blair MP.

At the meeting, taking place ahead of next week’s G8 summit in Gleneagles, the union leaders will tell the Prime Minister that his efforts on poverty in Africa and climate change have the support of working people worldwide. But they will reiterate that quality work - with decent wages, proper rights and skills development - is needed for lasting solutions to global poverty and a better environment. Over 550 million adults worldwide are trapped in a cycle of poor work and poverty, earning less than $1 (US) a day, the unions will tell Mr Blair.

The delegation will include President of the US union body (AFL-CIO) John Sweeney and union leaders from Europe, Russia, Japan and Nigeria, who are all key members of the Global Call to Action on Poverty (the worldwide movement which in Britain is Make Poverty History). Union leaders from the G8 countries will assure Mr Blair that in the run up to the summit they will continue to pressure their own governments to back the UK and commit next week to Make Poverty History.

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said:

'Decent work is the only sustainable route out of poverty, and the only way to protect the environment and create growth at the same time. Decent work in the developed world did not appear out of thin air. Unions fought for governments and far-sighted employers to agree to protect workers, raise standards and make work pay.

'Working people around the world are backing Tony Blair's efforts to make poverty history in Africa and protect the planet, but trade unions will be pressing all governments to recognise that decent work is key to achieving those goals. We will be holding world leaders to account.

'Thousands of UK trade union members will be making their voices heard at the Make Poverty History demonstration in Edinburgh this Saturday.'

The trade union delegation from the G8 nations will be joined by Adams Oshiomhole, the General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress, one of the leading trade union movements in Africa, as well as representatives of the European TUC, the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions and the World Confederation of Labour (see full list below).

The world’s unions (representing over 170 million trade unionists in 154 countries) have made a submission to the G8 setting out what the world’s workers want, the key demands are:

• decent work must be placed at the core of socio-economic policy in Africa, and national employment and poverty reduction strategies, taking into account age, gender equality and equity. Informal work must be brought into the legal economy.

• developed countries to meet the UN target for allocating 0.7 per cent of GNP as official development assistance and join the proposed International Financial Facility, with 100 per cent debt relief for the poorest indebted countries that respect human rights.

• investment in people - in their education, their health and their access to clean water.

• the worst forms of child labour must be eliminated and all children be in school instead of work.

• a permanent G8 working group on AIDS should be created to make sure that adequate resources and policies (e.g. on drug availability) are implemented.

• trade negotiations must be accompanied by an ongoing assessment of their impact on employment, with international funding and short-term safeguard measures where necessary to address the disarray following, for example, the end of the textile quotas.

• there must be effective plans of action for sustainable energy use including a mix of clean and green energy sources.

• creation of new jobs in clean energy technologies, such as renewables, clean coal, advanced technology vehicles, nuclear power, natural gas, and conservation.

• economic adjustment programmes to help affected workers and communities make the transition to good, new jobs and sustainable economic growth (to mitigate the short-term economic dislocations that will result from climate policies, especially in the developed economies).

The full trade union submission to the G8 summit, which was drawn up by the Paris-based Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD, is available at www.tuac.org/statemen/communiq/StG8Gleneagles2005_E_Whp.pdf

NOTES TO EDITORS:

- The delegation will meet the Prime Minister at Number 10 Downing Street at 11.30am, Tuesday 28 June, and will be available for broadcast interviews following the meeting (from approx 12.30pm).

- The whole delegation will be wearing special trade union white wristbands saying ‘Make Poverty History: respect workers rights’.

- Thousands of trade union members will join the Make Poverty History demonstration in Edinburgh on Saturday 2 July and TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber is a key speaker at the rally.

Contacts:

Media enquiries: Ben Hurley T: 020 7467 1248; M: 07881 622416 ; E: bhurley@tuc.org.uk

Selected delegation list

Brendan BARBER General Secretary TUC Britain
John J SWEENEY President AFL-CIO USA
Adams OSHIOMHOLE President NLC Nigeria
Mikhail SHMAKOV President FNPR Russia
Kiyoshi SASAMORI President Rengo Japan
Jean Claude MAILLY General Secretary CGT FO France
Guy RYDER General Secretary ICFTU Brussels based
Willy THYS Secrétaire général WCL Brussels based
John MONKS General Secretary ETUC Brussels based
Maria Helena ANDRÉ Deputy General Secretary ETUC Brussels based
Candido MENDEZ Gen Sec UGT-E and President of ETUC UGT-E/ETUC Spain
Fred VAN LEEUWEN General Secretary EI-IE (Education International) Brussels based

Luigi CAL Director, International Affairs CISL Italy
Marika BRIEDRIGKEIT Political Assistant to the President DGB Germany

Ends

Press release (1,000 words) issued 28 Jun 2005