Trade unions call on OECD Development Committee to back action on social protection and just transition

Social protection and creating decent jobs through climate action were the focus of the TUAC and ITUC led annual Forum of trade unions with the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC).

At the halfway point of Agenda 2030, Trade unions from all continents asked the DAC chair Carsten Staur and Government delegates to
• Urgently increase financial efforts to reach the UN target of allocating 0.7% of their GNI to development assistance to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a particular emphasis on SDG 8 on decent work and SDG 10 on tackling inequality.
• Adopt a DAC recommendation on social protection and commit to an increase in the share Official Development Assistance (ODA) for social protection to at least 7% of all ODA by 2030.
• provide political and financial support to the UN Global Accelerator on Jobs and social protection for just transitions, back a Global Fund for Social Protection.
• champion a socially just transition to climate neutrality at COP28 in Dubai, especially in the first-ever COP discussions on a Just Transition Work Programme.
• support collective bargaining and freedom of association, as pillars of democracy and social cohesion, through development cooperation, noting that social dialogue only represents 0.01% of total ODA.

“Governments need to do a lot more to meet climate targets, deliver on climate finance commitments, and to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Trade unions believe the OECD Development Assistance Committee has an important role to play” said Veronica Nilsson, General Secretary of TUAC. “Social protection is not a drain on public resources, it is an indispensable investment. There is strong potential for joint work between trade unions and the DAC to generate political support for social protection and to mobilise external and domestic resources to fund it.”

“There needs to be much more emphasis on achieving a socially just transition to a climate-friendly world, and on creating decent jobs and access to social protection. Social dialogue must be at the heart of development policies to promote ambitious climate action in all countries.”