ITUC, the International Trade Union Confederation, holds its 5^th Congress in Australia this week. ITUC represents over 200 million workers in over 1230 countries. This congress can be seen as the workers’ parliament.

The role of trade unions for avoiding and solving conflicts is put into focus, as well as the need for a new social contract.

Said Sharan Burrow, ITUC General Secretary: “Right now, too many political leaders and institutions just don’t seem to get it. The vulnerability of many economies has never been greater. But again, they’re letting working people down and lurching to their ‘orthodox’ macroeconomic responses, proven time and time again to only deepen global inequalities and destroy lives and prospects all over the world.

“We need a new economic model with new business models that are based on full employment, decent work and shared prosperity. That means a new social contract with shared prosperity and just transitions that will help stabilise communities and economies, generating a common security of peaceful coexistence that simultaneously addresses poverty and exclusion, creating the opportunity for investing in the care economy to create high quality jobs that support societies. This is about nothing less than creating the conditions for peace, social justice and survival.”

ITUC 5th World Congress opens in Melbourne, Australia – International Trade Union Confederation (ituc-csi.org)