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The Federation of Unions of South Africa (FEDUSA) welcomed yesterday’s released resolution of the 2nd Trade Union Assembly on Labour and Environment held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from 11-13 June 2012. The resolution highlights***

The 2nd Trade Union Assembly on Labour and Environment took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and was organised by Sustainlabour, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), and the Trade Union Confederation of the Americas (TUCA), and in the presence of 396 delegates, representing 66 organisations from 56 countries.

“We welcome this resolution as it addresses many of the core issues faced by policymakers on these burning issues,” said FEDUSA General Secretary Dennis George. “Our representative in Rio participated in the event and gave his overall blessings on the final text of the resolution”, he added.

FEDUSA was represented by Mr Jacques Hugo who is one of the champions of sustainable development initiatives in the Federation.

“The resolution is well-written and seems sufficiently balanced in its approach. This is accentuated by the resolution’s consensus on the “intrinsic link between social progress, environmental protection and decent work”, said George. “FEDUSA has always campaigned for social progress through decent work and we believe that our environment is an integral part of this ideal”, he added.

The resolution also focuses on the mission of the trade union movement and how it should use democracy, good governance, justice, accountability, conflict resolution in its campaigns. It places strong emphasis on asserting that social protection is a human right and that safe and secure workplaces are essential in sustainable development.

“We are in total agreement with calls on governments to invest in clean and renewable energies, developing public transport and sustainable mobility, the efficient renovation of building stocks, promoting ecological agriculture, fisheries and forestry models, re-using and recycling waste and promoting life-cycle approaches for goods” George said.

“We also fully agree with the resolution calling for a ‘Just Transition through public policies that support the transformation of economic activities and that develop new sources of green and decent jobs, with the aim of reaching a result that will be environmentally sustainable, that creates cohesion and social justice, and that guarantees equal opportunities for women and youth”, echoed George.

“We again proclaim our support for the notion of Financial Transaction Tax to contribute to our efforts to combat climate change. We agree with the emphasis of a Just Transition, and that it would necessitate differentiation in terms of the way responsibilities and capabilities of countries are concerned. We support the calls for further research in agrarian reform and commitment to far and environmentally-sound tax policies and greener pension fund investments. Lastly, it is seen as a victory that there is a specific recognition of the fact that occupational health and safety and environment clauses must form part of collective agreements,” concluded George.