World Day for Decent Work 2010

7 October 2010: Trade unions across the world are mobilising on 7 October to tackle the global economic and employment crisis and demand fundamental reform of the world economy. The organisers of more than 285 activities have already posted information on their events onto the special website

This year’s actions will be promoting three central demands for economic recovery:

‐ Growth and decent jobs, not austerity, are essential to beating the crisis and ending poverty.

‐ Quality public services must not be slashed.

and,

‐ The financial sector must pay for the damage it has caused.

The 7 October events include some 50 activities across Japan; marches, conferences and youth meetings in several African countries; and meetings and mobilisations throughout Russia and Ukraine. A series of activities in Latin America includes initiatives by trade unions in Peru and Chile to get official government recognition of the World Day for Decent Work. These events follow massive demonstrations in Europe last week, a major march in the US involving unions and civil and human rights groups on 2 October, and activities by education unions worldwide on 5 October, World Teachers’ Day.

With young workers particularly hard-hit by the turmoil in labour markets and looming cuts to education and training, trade union youth groups will be leading many events, including using “flash mobs” and social networking to put their own stamp on union plans for economic recovery. Similarly, networks of women trade unionists will be calling attention to the worldwide trend to precarious, short-term and casual employment, all of which is severely undermining women’s living standards across the world.

“This third annual Decent Work Day is the culmination of 10 days of union mobilisation covering all the continents. It will increase pressure on governments to put in place positive solutions to the crisis, instead of simply slashing government spending to satisfy money markets. Good jobs and social protection are needed to get people back into work, support families in their time of greatest need and lay the foundations for sustainable growth to restore government finances,” said ITUC General Secretary Sharan Burrow, who is addressing a special conference in Berlin, along with ITUC President Michael Sommer. The conference, organised by the ITUC German affiliate the DGB, is entitled "Re-think - Change Direction - Overcoming the Crisis"