ITUC / TUAC Assessment of the G20 Summit in Osaka

When the G20 Leaders met in Osaka on 28-29 June, most of the G20 Ministerial Meetings under the Japanese presidency had taken place, with the notable exception of the Labour and Employment Ministerial Meeting (LEMM) scheduled on 1-2 September. The Osaka Declarationi shows that gap. While the deliverables on infrastructure, trade, digitalisation, finance and health are highlighted through over a dozen of new declarations and action plans, labour and employment issues take a back seat and are reduced to the core topics of the Presidency (demographic change and gender equality).

In particular, the outcome does not provide a stronger stance on Future of Work and labour market challenges, lacks references to past commitments made on the labour income share and omits social dialogue or collective bargaining as key mechanisms. Critical notions on non-standard forms of work are not sufficiently far-reaching or concrete, whilst a strong labour market dimension remains hidden, as does a reference to fair transitions regarding the deployment of Artificial Intelligence – endorsed by the G20 AI Principles. These Principles are important to flag for future industrial and employment frameworks.