ITUC Challenges G20 Labour Ministers on Jobs – ITUC OnLine

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Brussels, 26 September 2011 (ITUC OnLine):  The ITUC has challenged Labour Ministers of the G20 countries, meeting in Paris this week, to push hard for job creation as the world economic and employment crisis worsens.

“The G20 should start immediately to make up for its lack of action on the employment front.  Twenty-one million additional jobs are needed in the G20 countries alone just to get back to the pre-crisis employment level.  If the world’s biggest economies can’t even meet this challenge, there is little hope for the more than 200 million people unemployed according to official figures,” said ITUC General Secretary Sharan Burrow.

“The world economy cannot rebound without millions more people in work.  Trade unions are calling for coherent growth and employment policies nationally and internationally.  A G20 Working Group on employment is needed to get things moving on the jobs front, to build the green economy, tackle the severe crisis in youth employment, formalise informal economic activity and create sustainable businesses,” added Burrow.

To read Sharan Burrow’s statement to the G20 Labour Ministers today: http://www.ituc-csi.org/comments-by-sharan-burrow-to-g20.html

To read the Global Unions statement to the Paris Meeting: http://www.ituc-csi.org/IMG/pdf/Global_Union_statement__G20_Labour_meetings.pdf

To read today’s ILO press statement:  http://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/press-and-media-centre/news/WCMS_163835/lang–en/index.htm

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 any further information, please contact the ITUC press department on: +32 2 224 02 04 or +32 476 62 10 18