Trade union leaders from across the globe gathered in Paris on 8 December for the annual TUAC-OECD Liaison Committee Meeting, bringing workers’ stories and priorities to the highest political level of the OECD.
TUAC President Liz Shuler opened the meeting under the banner ‘Rewiring Trade and Strengthening Labour Rights for Shared Prosperity’. Alongside speakers from Japan and Indonesia, Shuler highlighted how working people have not shared in the gains from decades of trade liberalisation – wages have stagnated while labour’s share of income has fallen across most OECD countries. Trade unions call for enforceable labour standards in trade agreements, alongside domestic policies that deliver wage-led growth through strengthened collective bargaining, quality public services and progressive taxation.
Trade unionists from Sweden, Canada and the UK championed freedom of association and collective bargaining as foundations of a fair economy. Strong bargaining systems deliver fairer wages, reduce inequality and give workers a voice in decisions that affect their lives. Recent reforms in the UK, Australia and Korea demonstrate that governments can choose to expand worker protections and bargaining frameworks. TUAC urges all OECD countries to follow this lead.
Speakers from Belgium, France and Peru defended quality regulation against the current wave of cuts sweeping OECD economies. These standards were won through struggle – often after workers paid with their lives. Trade unions call on governments to reject the false promise that slashing so-called “red tape” will deliver prosperity, and to ensure workers have a voice in regulatory decision-making.
Across all three themes, trade union leaders delivered a united message to both member country ambassadors and senior OECD officials: the path to shared prosperity runs through stronger rights and protections, not weaker ones.
We came here with a clear agenda: trade that delivers for everyone, freedom to organise and bargain collectively, and regulations that keep people safe. That's the foundation for shared prosperity – and we will keep making that case.
The Liaison Committee Meeting is a key moment in TUAC’s annual engagement with the OECD. TUAC’s work continues – championing fair trade, defending the right to organise, and resisting the deregulation agenda.
Read TUAC’s full statement to the Liaison Committee Meeting, ‘Rewiring Trade and Strengthening Labour Rights for Shared Prosperity’.
