Trade and investment
Free trade and investment can drive growth and development but should not come at the expense of domestic jobs and labour rights. Governments should ensure that open markets contribute to the creation of quality jobs and do not undermine workers’ bargaining power and fundamental rights.
TUAC is engaging with the OECD Investment, Steel and Trade Committees to achieve enforceable labour clauses in international trade and investment agreements, quality investment that contributes to local development, and adequate social and employment protection.
This work is led by Filip Stefanovic. For more information, please contact stefanovic@tuac.org.
Strong unions key to combating forced labour and counterfeit trade, OECD report confirms
TUAC welcomes new evidence from the OECD confirming that strong trade unions and extensive collective bargaining coverage are linked to lower levels of illicit trade in counterfeit goods. The new report, “From Fakes to Forced Labour”, reinforces trade unions’ long-standing ...
Unions demand urgent action as global steel crisis worsens
Unions have issued an urgent call for action on the global steel crisis as the OECD Steel Committee gathers on 4-5 November in Paris. Any solution to the crisis must give workers a seat at the table, hold companies accountable, and guarantee social protections to drive a just transition, unions say. ...
Trade unions press OECD to address trade policy’s impact on workers’ rights and bargaining power
Trade unions engaged with policymakers on the unequal distribution of trade benefits at the OECD workshop on trade and jobs, held on 15th October. TUAC representatives called for stronger protections for workers during the event, which explored the critical relationship between trade policies, ...
Trade Unions Call for Worker-Focused Economic Reform at OECD Ministerial Council Meeting
Trade unions engaged directly with OECD governments at the 2025 Ministerial Council Meeting (MCM) in Paris this week, advocating for worker-centered approaches to trade, technology, and climate policies amid persistent inequality concerns. TUAC delivered a comprehensive alternative vision in its ...
TUAC Urges the OECD to Rethink Deregulation as the June 2025 Economic Outlook Warns of Rising Risks to Growth
The OECD’s June 2025 Economic Outlook paints a grim picture of a global economy losing steam under mounting trade uncertainty, with growth projections downgraded across most major economies. But for TUAC, the greatest danger lies in the policy choices being made to address it – particularly the ...
Unions urge strong action to protect steel industry jobs amid economic uncertainty and trade tensions
Rising economic uncertainty and geopolitical tensions are exacerbating long-standing challenges in the steel industry. IndustriALL Global Union, IndustriAll Europe, and TUAC call on governments at the 97th OECD Steel Committee to ensure that workers do not bear the brunt of these pressures through ...
OECD Steel Committee: workers warn of lack of just transition in the industry
Workers are raising concerns over the lack of a just transition in the steel sector. Global excess capacity keeps rising, due to a combination of irresponsible practices by some major multinational steel corporations and misguided action by some governments who keep expanding capacity rather than ...
Steel workers demand better working conditions and a clear plan for navigating the green transition
The reconstruction of Ukraine, the need to pay workers fairly amid the cost-of-living crisis and preparing clear socially just and inclusive plans for decarbonising the steel sector were issues raised by trade unions TUAC, IndustriALL Global Union and industriAll Europe at the OECD Steel ...
OECD Steel Committee: invest in workers!
TUAC, IndustriALL Global, and industriAll Europe insist that the impact on steel workers must be at the centre of the debate whether discussing the condition of the steel industry in Ukraine, the decarbonisation of the steel sector globally or the state of international trade. Steel workers must be ...
OECD Steel Committee: workers demand a Just Transition!
TUAC, IndustriALL Global Union and industriAll Europe call on the OECD Steel Committee to take action now to ensure that no steelworker is left behind. The Steel Committee acknowledges for the first time the importance of Just Transition. The 92nd session of the OECD Steel Committee on 19-20 ...
