As part of the ITUC’s Climate—and Employment—Proof our Work (CEPOW) drive, unions from around the world are taking action on 24 June for a sustainable future.
Thousands of workers will be joining in the largest conversation in the world with employers about plans to promote fairer and greener businesses—that means safety, good jobs, reduced emissions, a secure pathway for the future. As one step unions can take, UNI has asked affiliates to collaborate with employers to shrink the carbon footprint of the buildings where they work.
“In a post-Covid world, any ‘new normal’ must include a green new deal that puts workers’ rights and environmental protections at the centre,” said Christy Hoffman, UNI’s General Secretary. “Workers and their employers should be at the table to discuss both the future at work and an environmentally sustainable business model.”
Workers have already shown the power they have to change their employers’ practices. In the United States, 32BJ SEIU has a long-standing program to train workers to reduce energy consumption of the buildings they maintain. The Canadian Union of Postal Workers has a far reaching effort to green communities including renewable energy powered delivery vehicles. In Belgium, SETCa-BBTK have led an effort to get their employer, Ageas Insurance Group, to cut emissions by 50 percent by 2030 and zero emissions by 2050. Globally, tech workers have walked out to force their employers to take responsibility for their impact on the planet.
“We can’t go back to business as usual,” said Sharan Burrow, General Secretary of the ITUC. “That’s why on 24 June, we are asking employers everywhere to sit and decide with workers to plan to protect employment and an emissions free work environment.”
Learn more about how you can join the CEPOW campaign in French, Spanish, and English, and the campaign pack and social media materials in all languages are available here: https://trello.com/c/X4rUJ2QC. 
