Unions Worldwide Mobilise for Decent Work

For the fourth year in a row, trade unions and labour rights organisations across the world will mobilise on 7 October in favour of Decent Work.

Last year saw 430 actions in 98 countries, and expectations for this year are just as high. While actions in different countries will cover a wide variety of issues, the primary focus this year is on tackling precarious work and promoting global regulation of the finance sector.

"Working people, having already bailed out the banks, are now paying for the crisis again as public sector cuts reduce or eliminate crucial services and benefits. Business, supported by some governments, has also launched a relentless attack on wages and job security," said ITUC General Secretary Sharan Burrow.

With unemployment being the highest ever reported with as many as 205 million people out of a job, support for sustainable solutions including social protection is more important than ever. On current predictions, a further 45 million young people will join the ranks of the unemployed in the coming decade. Failure of governments to transform economic policy so that decent, sustainable jobs are generated would have catastrophic social and economic consequences.

Precarious work refers to forms of work characterised by atypical employment contracts, limited or no social benefits and statutory entitlements, high degrees of job insecurity, low job tenure, low wages and high risks of occupational injury and disease. Young people and women are disproportionately represented amongst those who only have access to such uncertain and unpredictable forms of employment.

The special website for the 2011 World Day for Decent Work is now online, and the ITUC urges all those who plan to participate in the day to sign up their actions on: www.wddw.org

The ITUC represents 175 million workers in 151 countries and territories and has 305 national affiliates. http://www.ituc-csi.org and http://www.youtube.com/ITUCCSI

For more information, please contact the ITUC Press Department on: +32 2 224 02 04 or +32 476 621 018

© Union Aid Abroad - APHEDA 2003.

Last Modified: Thursday, 16-Jun-2011 10:28:39 EST
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