Labour movement gets recognition at UN climate change conference

The United Nations (UN) body on climate change has formally acknowledged the contribution of the labour movement to the debate on green issues.

The UN body dealing with climate change, under the auspices of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, granted the International Trade Union Confederation the select formal status of “official constituency” in the climate change process. The ITUC was conferred this status during the UN climate change conference in Poznan, Poland, which began on 1 December and ends on 12 December.

ITUC General Secretary Guy Ryder said: “Trade unions believe climate change is not only an environmental issue, but also is about social rights and rights to development, and that is the contribution we bring to the UN process.”

He said that combating climate change would result in huge transformations in production and that whether new jobs were created or how the labour movement responded would depend on how these were managed.

Trade unions are specifically calling for a “just transition framework” to be introduced into the negotiations to promote opportunities offered by the "green economy" – including green and decent jobs.

“The UN must place workers and workplaces at the core of its strategy to tackle climate change,” said Ryder. “Unions are calling for innovative multilateral solutions, without which the main victims of climate change will be the workers, in particular in developing countries.”

Alana Dave, ITF Education Officer who is also working on climate change said: “Transport workers will feel the impact of climate change policies. That’s why it’s crucial that trade unionists who represent them can give their concerns a voice in the climate change discussions and present alternatives.”

Read the full trade union statement on climate change at: http://www.ituc-csi.org/IMG/pdf/No_45__TradeUnions_ClimateChange_COP14.pdf
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