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Education at heart of trade union recommendations to G20
an article by Education International (abridged)
Putting public services such as education high on
the G20 agenda is just one of the priority
recommendations from the Labour 20 (L20) for the
G20 leaders’ meeting to be held in St Petersburg,
Russia, from 5-6 September. The L20 is made up of
the elected representatives of trade unions from
G20 countries.
click on photo to enlarge
According to the L20, the G20 itself has lost
ground and trust in its ability to coordinate
policies necessary to pull economies out of the
crisis as commitments appear not to be acted on.
People feel abandoned by their governments – eight
out of 10 people say their government has failed
to tackle unemployment, says the L20. Only one in
seven (13 per cent) people feel that their
government is governing in the interests of
working people.
“We need a change in the pace and depth of actions
on both the global and national levels,” according
to the L20. “The G20 should take coordinated
action to kick start recovery towards job-centred,
inclusive, green and sustainable long-term growth.
G20 governments have to live up to their
commitments made in Los Cabos [G20 summit, 2012]
and take action to support domestic demand by
investing in education, innovation and
infrastructure. Measures have to simultaneously
ensure a transition to a ‘green economy’ and
sustainable development with quality jobs.”
It set the following key policy priorities:
· Create quality jobs and inclusive growth
and set national employment targets
· Foster youth inclusion in the labour
market
· Raise sustainable aggregate demand
· Increase long-term investment in
infrastructure and the green economy
· Stamp out tax evasion and profit
shifting and move to fair and progressive taxation
· Drive effective regulation of the
financial system and work to introduce a global
Financial Transaction Tax (FTT)
· Guarantee workers’ rights and safe work
in Global Value Chains (GVCs)
Leaders of the labour movement also added that, to
attain these priorities, G20 leaders must implement
a holistic G20 Jobs Action Plan. . .
The L20 also called on the G20 to work to end
exploitation, ensure labour rights and decent work
in GVCs by, among other steps, ensuring that the
new post-2015 Millennium Development Goals include
decent work and social protection floors, public
education and climate justice, and ensure an
ambitious global deal on climate change in 2015.
“EI fully supports the L20 leaders’
recommendations,” said EI General Secretary Fred
van Leeuwen. “These are the tools necessary to get
out of the crisis and provide a better future for
our society. The L20 is the strong voice of
workers to which global leaders must listen.”
He also welcomed the fact that the L20 emphasised
the importance of preserving public services, such
as health and education. He underlined that
quality education for all must be guaranteed by
public authorities, even more so in times of
economic and financial crisis.
The L20 priority recommendations can be read in full
her
e.
(Click here for a French version of this article)
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DISCUSSION
Question(s) related to this article:
What is the relation between peace and education?,
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Latest reader comment:
Letter from Mohatma Gandhi to Maria Montessori.
To Madame Montessori
Even as you, out of your love for children, are endeavoring to teach children, through your numerous institution, the best that can be brought out of them, even so, I hope that it will be possible not only for the children of the wealthy and the well-to-do, but for the children of paupers to receive training of this nature. You have very truly remarked that if we are to reach real peace in this world and if we are to carry on a real war against war, we shall have to begin with children and if they will grow up in their natural innocence, we won't have the struggle, we won't have to pass fruitless idle resolutions, but we shall go from love to love and peace to peace, until at last all the corners of the world are covered with that peace and love for which, consciously or unconsciously, the whole world is hungering.
Mohatma Gandhi, Young India, 19-11-''31
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