World Day for Decent Work 2010

Decent work – a job that delivers a fair income, security and equality, and rights at work – is a basic objective of the Australian and global union movement.

This year, 7 October, has been declared World Day for Decent Work. With the impact of the Global Financial Crisis still being felt in many parts of the world, it is more important than ever that trade unionists across the globe stand up for their rights to decent work and a decent life.

Decent Work involves opportunities for work that is productive and delivers a fair income, security in the workplace and social protection for families, better prospects for personal development and social integration, freedom for people to express their concerns, organise and participate in the decisions that affect their lives and equality of opportunity and treatment for all women and men.

In Australia, we are fortunate to have a system that respects rights at work including the right to collective bargaining and organising, and which contains a safety net of minimum conditions and protections. But we need to use Australia’s economic and trading clout to spread this Decent Work Agenda to our neighbours in the Pacific where these protections and rights do not exist.

And there are also sections of the Australian economy and workforce where improvements must also be made to deliver decent work.

This year, World Day for Decent Work has three core messages:

1. Growth and decent jobs, not austerity, are essential to beating the crisis and ending poverty;
2. Quality public services are essential for a decent life and must not be slashed in the name of fiscal consolidation;
3. The financial sector must pay for the damage.

Join the Live Blog
Join us from 10.30am on Thursday for the live blog we’ll be running of a special World Day for Decent Work event. Get your event reminder below.