“ITUC Global Covid-19 Survey: Support for government action falls as global jobs crisis takes hold”, 03 June 2020

A global jobs crisis is sweeping across the world…

[In] … 100% of countries in the Americas and 90% of countries in Europe … companies have begun to lay off workers. Eighty percent of countries in Africa and 76% of countries in the Asia-Pacific have companies where workers are losing their jobs.

The findings in the fourth ITUC Global Covid-19 Survey … shows the world on the brink of a global jobs and income crisis not seen in decades…

Trade unions from 49% of countries said their government does or intends to use a smart phone app to track and trace people who have been exposed to Covid-19.

In those countries … [there are] concerns about the privacy provisions of the app and the use of personal data…

The global trade union movement is calling on governments to put in place recovery and resilience plans which include the following:

•  Job protection and job creation;
•  Income protection and minimum living wages;
•  OHS – including global standards and provisions for safe workplaces;
•  Universal Social Protection to build resilience;
•  Responsible business conduct through supply chains; and
•  Government accountability with social dialogue and the provision of privacy rights.

“The importance of recovery and resilience plans that are built on social dialogue with a new social contract at their centre will be a test of government and employer action in the coming months,” said Sharan Burrow [General Secretary, International Trade Union Confederation]