Prepared and protected workers at core of global climate justice
Fighting climate change will fail to receive public support if there are no measures ensuring social justice. Long-term employment policies and sufficient investment are necessary to ensure a smooth transition to a low carbon economy.
This was the clear joint message today from trade unions representing workers in the metal, chemical, energy and mining sectors together with the Party of European Socialists.
Speaking at the event, Poul Nyrup Rasmussen (President of the PES) emphasised, “We need to ensure sufficient financial means for the transformation of our economies. New and alternative financial tools, such as a financial transaction tax, green and carbon taxes and Euro-bonds, are needed.”
“To move towards a low carbon economy, improving industrial training and education is crucial. Many of our jobs will transform and workers must be prepared and protected” said Peter Scherrer (EMF General Secretary).
“We need a fair global carbon regime to embed innovation to develop new technologies and prevent carbon leakage” stated Reinhard Reibsch (EMCEF General Secretary).
“We were the first to understand the link between occupational health and the environment” recalled IMF General Secretary, Jyrki Raina. “Industrial workers must be part of the solution”.
"A plan to take us to a sustainable future must include a forward-looking industrial strategy and first-class social programmes. It cannot be jobs versus the environment. We will have both, or we will have neither" ended Manfred Warda (ICEM General Secretary)
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PRESS 48/2009
The EMF is the representative body defending the interests of workers in the European metal industry. The EMF has a mandate for the external representation and coordination of the metalworkers' unions and a mandate to engage in bargaining at European level.
