Labor & Employment Law

Brazil?s CUT, AFL-CIO Working Together to Address Global Jobs Crisis

By James Parks

CUT President Artur da Silva Santos

In a global economy, workers must come together across national borders to deal effectively with issues that affect more than one nation and to balance the power of multinational corporations.

Meeting today in Washington, D.C., AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka and Brazilian CUT President Artur Henrique da Silva Santos discussed a joint strategy for addressing the current global jobs and financial crisis and how best to support financial reforms and policies that lead to the creation of decent work. CUT is the largest labor union federation in Brazil. Read the joint statement here.

CUT, the AFL-CIO and the international trade union movement support the crucial need for coordinated government action to maintain economic stimulus, avoid a double-dip recession and create badly needed jobs for the estimated 34 million workers whose jobs have been destroyed by the crisis. 

During today?s meeting, the two federation presidents agreed on the urgent need to reform the financial system by pressuring governments and international financial institutions to support a financial speculation tax that places the burden of the crisis back on the financial institutions and creates the funds needed for eventual fiscal consolidation and sustainable development. 

Both federations will continue to coordinate efforts with the global labor movement to help establish a G-20 working group on employment and social protection so the interests of workers are discussed as a key part of the global recovery.

Getting the G-20 to focus on working people is extremely important, da Silva Santos said. At the G-20 meeting in Pittsburgh last year, the world leaders focused on work and the need for jobs. But now they seem to have shifted focus to deficits, debt and the unstable international financial system, he said.

The trade union movement must still pressure the G-20 that they need to be focused on work.

Joâo Antonio Felicio, CUT?s secretary for international affairs, said the jobs crisis affects women, young people and Afro-Brazilians hardest in his country, similar to its effects in the United States. Women, and especially Afro-Brazilian women, are stuck in low-wage jobs with little opportunity to advance. CUT has just created special offices to deal with issues relating to young workers and to combat racism in Brazil, he said.

Racism plays a big role in Brazil?s economy, da Silva Santos said, and the union is there to fight for all workers.

 I can?t conceive of doing union work without doing this.

Full post as published by AFL-CIO NOW BLOG on July 21, 2010 (boomark / email).