ETUC joins ITUC call on governments to lift expectations and get results
The ETUC General Secretary, John Monks, declared:
“The European Union must adopt a Sustainable New Deal, underpinned by a development strategy to secure Europe’s recovery from recession, to adopt a just transition, to create millions of decent, sustainable and green jobs, and to make a fair and effective contribution to the global fight against climate change and social inequalities”.
"Governments must raise their sights and as a very minimum, make specific commitments to climate financing for the most vulnerable by the end of the Cancun conference," said the ITUC General Secretary Sharan Burrow. "There must be a signal that real leadership will emerge towards the South Africa climate conference at the end of 2011 - the COP17 conference must be a destination with a binding global agreement that puts climate action and green jobs on track for a secure and sustainable future for the world."
Trade unions and civil society will debate the plan for a call to action and campaigning throughout 2011. Their mobilisation aims to ensure that every government is held to account both at home, to take identifiable measures to cut emissions and create quality green jobs, and internationally to reach a multilateral binding agreement incorporating just transition and decent work at COP17.
The ETUC exists to speak with a single voice, on behalf of the common interests of workers, at European level. Founded in 1973, it now represents 83 trade union organisations in 36 European countries, plus 12 industry-based federations.
For more information:
Patricia Grillo.
ETUC Head of Press and Communications
+ 32 (0)2 224 04 30
+ 32 (0)477 7 7 0 1 64
E-mail : Pgrillo@etuc.org
