TUAC - TRADE UNION ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO THE OECD

25/02/2015

The G20 Employment Working Group (EWG) meets in Antalya on February 26-27 to discuss the next steps on the Growth Plans submitted by governments following the G20 Brisbane Summit. Similar to previous meetings, the L20 has been invited to a couple of sessions to share its perspectives on the way forward. Turkish L20 Steering Committee members from TÜRK-İŞ, HAK-İŞ and DİSK will be joined by ITUC and TUAC representatives. Many issues on the agenda are of great importance to the international labour movement, therefore engagement at this stage will be crucial.

This has been confirmed in the L20 opening intervention (see PDF on the right hand side), which at the same time also pointed to the urgent need for further actions on supply chains issues, youth unemployment and income inequality amongst others.

To convey the L20’s key priorities on the EWG’s activities but also in light of the Joint Finance and Labour Ministerial in September, a Room Document has been circulated prior to the meeting (see PDF on the right hand side). It is calling for comprehensive measures to boost aggregate demand and reduce inequality. The Turkish Presidency by putting inclusiveness high on this year’s agenda raises expectations that policy proposals on fighting income inequality and promoting the integration of vulnerable groups into labour markets will be developed in the coming months with concrete benchmark targets.

A fresh approach is clearly needed. Raising wages of those on low and middle incomes together with expanded public investment is necessary to kick-start growth and to ensure that it is job-rich, inclusive and sustainable.

Besides the general demands on raising ambition and strengthening policy coherence and inclusiveness, the L20 proposes the following policy actions for the G20 EWG in 2015:

• Review the G20 Growth and Employment Plans in regard to urgent measures necessary to enhance aggregate demand to lift growth, including investment targets in national growth and jobs plans and assess the long-term impact of such strategies on living standards;
• Take action to reverse the decline of the share of wages in national income across G20 countries by strengthening  collective  bargaining  systems,  minimum  living  wage  and  supporting  the  enforcement  of fundamental rights at work as defined by the ILO;
• Commit to raising low and middle incomes to reduce inequality and to inject purchasing power into the real economy;
• Bring forward public investments in infrastructure that create jobs and improve long-term productive potential by supporting the transition to a low-carbon economy that can generate green and decent jobs;
• Shift to targeted structural policies that lead to skills development and innovation, while ensuring social protection and public services;
• Reduce precarious employment and promote inclusive labour markets by boosting activity rates of vulnerable groups, notably women, young people and minority ethnic communities, including through investment in the care economy enabling child care, aged care, health and education support;
• Support youth employment by introducing youth guarantees and comprehensive youth strategies, including quality  vocational  training  and  apprenticeships,  as  called  for  by  the  L20 and  B20,  and  by  increasing investments in quality public education.
• Follow up the Melbourne declaration on safe work places with action to both tackle the risks in global supply chains and in domestic occupational health and safety (OHS) policies.