Transcript Diapositiva 1 - Sustainlabour

Sustainlabour
International Labour Foundation
for Sustainable Development
Trade unions and environment
A selection of cases of trade union engagement on
renewable energy and energy efficiency measures,
biodiversity and ecosystem protection, public water
management, fishery sector, forestry, hotel facility,
enhancing research and technical capacity on
environmental issues…
Many other examples could be added to this list!!
Sustainlabour
International Labour Foundation
for Sustainable Development
Trade union engagement: Spain
Comisiones Obreras (CCOO)
• Creation of ISTAS- Technical Trade Union Institute
• Reports on employment generation and renewable
energies. 2008 and 2011 to show evolution of the labour
market.
• The first report to assess this link.
• Other reports on the relation with employment on
sustainable construction, recycling and waste
management, sustainable transportation…
• Advisory and technical assistance to trade unionists
• Sustainable mobility plans -industrial zones and cities
Sustainlabour
International Labour Foundation
for Sustainable Development
United Kingdom
Trade Union Congress
• Greening Workplaces: dialogue and cooperation
between managers and trade unions at the workplace
level to reduce GHG emissions, energy consumption and
other environmental impacts.
• Public and private sector; manufacturing, services and
offices.
• Green Representatives and Green committees at the
workplace
Sustainlabour
International Labour Foundation
for Sustainable Development
Trade union engagement: France
Grenelle de l’environnement
• Social dialogue on green economy issues: energy
production, biodiversity, sustainable construction,
oceans… many more.
• Dialogue with government, local authorities, business
(large and small), academia, NGOs and others.
• Very good platform to address concerns, share
positions, promoting partnerships and capacity building.
• Important weakness: implementation of decisions.
Sustainlabour
International Labour Foundation
for Sustainable Development
CFDT, French Democratic
Confederation of labour
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Joint publication “Biodiversity: Facing society’s
challenge” with French Economic, Social and
Environmental Council (CES)
Particular emphasis on the role and participation of
social players
CFDT produced a special issue of their magazine on
biodiversity to make trade unions aware of difficulties
and opportunities of environmental services,
professional mobility in the biodiversity field, relevant
government initiatives and to encourage trade unions
to take an in-depth look at this issue.
Creation of an official directory of careers and skills
relating to biodiversity and ecosystem services
Sustainlabour
International Labour Foundation
for Sustainable Development
Trade union engagement: Italy
CILS, CGIL, UIL
• Bipartite agreement on green economy: trade union
and business organizations.
• Encourage public investments at national, regional and
local level in green sectors for economy recovery, job
creation and increase competitiveness of national
enterprises in those fields.
Sustainlabour
International Labour Foundation
for Sustainable Development
Belgian Trade Union Confederations
• The Belgian trade unions ACV, ABVV and ACLVB are
active members of the Flemish Environment and Nature
Council (Minaraad).
• The council is composed of environment and nature
organizations, employer organizations and trade unions.
• From a trade union perspective the socio-economic
aspects of nature protection projects are most
interesting. Nature conservation rules have often an
impact on the economic development policies of
companies in areas such as urbanization, permits, etc.
• Most active on issues such as climate policy, air
quality, waste and water policies.
Sustainlabour
International Labour Foundation
for Sustainable Development
European Trade Union
Confederation
• Providing a common position to EU decisions on energy,
environment (climate) and employment.
• Research of job implications of green economy policies at
medium and long term.
• Internationally:
– Engagement on Climate Change discussion (under
UNFCCC process).
– Supporting EU and other developed countries taking
the leadership and reduce 25-40% emission by 2020
and 85% by 2050.
– Assess job implications of climate change effects and
climate change policies and develop a just transition
framework for the workforce.
Sustainlabour
International Labour Foundation
for Sustainable Development
Amazon Rainforest Conference
Actions to promote decent work and green jobs in the
forestry and wood sector.
• More than 40 trade union leaders from Brazil, Peru and
Venezuela.
• The following areas to achieve social and environmental
sustainability in the forestry sector:
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Increasing worker professionalization and training.
Intensification of labour inspection.
Exploring environmental taxation options
Organise workers in the sector, particularly informal workers.
Strengthening tripartite collective agreements and regulate
labour relations..
• Promoting public forest areas.
• Reduction illegal production
Sustainlabour
International Labour Foundation
for Sustainable Development
Environmental management in hotel facilities
Malaysian Trade Union Confederation
• Practical guide for hotel and tourist accommodation workers.
• From environment and occupational health perspective:
– use of chemical products: risks of chemical products on
human health and the environment
– water and energy consumption
– waste production
– Associated risks and the alternatives for acting on them
in the workplace are identified.
– Workers’ participation in company environmental
strategies, and the benefits of environmental protection
for trade unions, workers and the company itself.
– Existing tools to tackle the environmental management of
a company, and their scope.
Sustainlabour
International Labour Foundation
for Sustainable Development
An alliance with other players in civil society:
The RECLAIMING PUBLIC WATER
• The ‘Reclaiming Public Water’ (RPW) network promotes
the progressive public and community water
management and believes in democratic alternatives to
water privatisation and commercialisation.
• Brings together a growing number of NGOs,
researchers, community activists, public water operators,
trade unionists (public workers ferderation) and
community water systems throughout the world.
• The RPW network forms part of the global movement for
justice in the water area.
• The network has co-organised regional seminars in Latin
America, Europe and Asia.
Sustainlabour
International Labour Foundation
for Sustainable Development
CUT, United Workers’ Confederation
(Brazil)
• Trade union mobilisation in defence of the
forests and the communities which live on
them.
• In 2011, the CUT participated in campaigns to
prevent any backward steps being taken in the
Brazilian Forest Code – the main legal
instrument for the protection of forests in Brazil.
• In conjunction with social movements (small
farmers’ associations, indigenous peoples and
environmentalists), the CUT set up the
“Rainforest Defence Committee”
Sustainlabour
International Labour Foundation
for Sustainable Development
PIT-CNT and Union of Seafarers and Allied
(Uruguay)
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They claim that the adoption of a new Fisheries Act;
Need to propose solutions to solve the production
problems of the current model of fisheries.
In collaboration with the university they provide
elements that contribute to the design of policy
instruments aimed at the design of a new production
model
This model is characterized by over-exploitation that
is generating social inequality, poor working
conditions and an obstacle to democratic access of
Uruguayan society to food resources.
Due to the use of trawls, about 140 thousand tons of
fish are thrown into the sea.
Sustainlabour
International Labour Foundation
for Sustainable Development
Waste collectors in Uruguay for green and decent jobs
• Organizing: Waste
collectors are coming out
of marginalization and
demanding decent, green
jobs.
• Promoting sound waste
management, calling for
national policy changes,
selective collection,
productive use of waste, &
involving their fellow
citizens in the reduction
and sorting of waste at the
source.
Sustainlabour
International Labour Foundation
for Sustainable Development
Truck drivers on the Road
UGANDA
• Truck drivers have launched
a campaign to better
understand the changes
taking place around them.
• They often transport
dangerous cargo - a risk to
their health and the
environment.
• Knowing more about what is
being transported, how to
manage waste, calling for
occupational health &
safety and environment
committees.
Sustainlabour
International Labour Foundation
for Sustainable Development
Fighting climate change, protecting forests
and livelihoods in Nepal
• Nepalese workers are
committed to fighting
climate change by
protecting Nepal’s forests
and livelihoods, and are
taking concrete actions to
reduce deforestation.
• For over 30 years
Nepalese communities
have been working hard
to manage their forests
and to help protect their
environment.
Sustainlabour
International Labour Foundation
for Sustainable Development
Some conclusions
• Trade unions are engines of change.
• Their engagement is key for the transition to cleaner
ways of development for the country.
• They bring the Decent Work dimension to the debate:
unique vision on the issue.
• Identify opportunities for job creation and specific
measures through social dialogue, collaboration and
participation among trade unions, governments and other
stakeholders both at policy level and at workplace level.
• All regions and all sectors!
Sustainlabour
International Labour Foundation
for Sustainable Development