2.3.Why are the Sustainable Development Goals relevant to the trade union movement?

2.3 Why are the Sustainable Development Goals relevant to the trade union movement?

It is important to highlight the consistency of the trade union agenda with the content of Agenda 2030. The SDGs can be an important instrument to help support trade union demands at the national level. Rather than adding additional work to the already full trade union agenda, the SDGs can facilitate spaces for dialogue and participation on demands that are already part of the trade union agenda, connecting them with an integral development agenda to which governments have committed themselves before their peoples and the international community. Trade unions, through the Trade Union Development Cooperation Network (TUDCN) of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), are involved in the Agenda 2030 process and the SDGs at the global, regional and national levels. Members of this Trade Union Network carry out national monitoring and analysis to ensure that States fulfil their commitments under Agenda 2030.

ITUC Trade Union Development Cooperation Network (TUDCN) https://www.ituc-csi.org/development-cooperation?lang=en

In the video “Trade Union Focus on Sustainable Development Goals” (which can be found at this link: https://youtu.be/bXrw15-hkVg) trade unionists from all continents and members of this Trade Union Network answer the question ‘why the Sustainable Development Goals are relevant for trade unions’ and highlight the following elements:

A trade union focus on the Sustainable Development Goals The SDGs are part of the trade union movement’s programme of demands. They provide a framework for strengthening trade union work to promote decent work at the national level. They allow governments to be presented with the problems that exist at the national level, both in relation to the SDG on decent work and in relation to other SDGs that are relevant to the trade union movement, such as the one on combating inequalities. They allow trade unions to open channels of dialogue and participation with national authorities, other UN agencies and other civil society actors. They allow trade unions to work in a unified and coordinated way in the processes opened by the Agenda and in the establishment of priorities. They allow the trade union position on sustainable development, decent work, social protection or just transition to be presented in regional and global intergovernmental forums.

The Trade Union Development Cooperation Network Strategy has three pillars:

Mobilisation and engagement Advocacy and implementation Monitoring and reporting

Raising awareness of the importance and the relevance of the 2030 Agenda contents for the trade union movement

Implies engagement of trade unions with relevant institutional stakeholders on policymaking processes related to the SDGs and their respective targets.

Annual national trade union reports on the SDGs and their dissemination to provide an alternative view on progress in implementing the SDGs.

Identification of specific needs and tools required to take part in the SDG process at national level.

Training processes to support trade union capacity and research processes to make visible trade union contribution to the implementation of SDGs.

Strengthening trade union efforts to hold governments accountable to the commitments of Agenda 2030.

The trade union reviews can be found at this link: https://www.ituc-csi.org/2030Agenda.

Here are some examples of trade union reviews from the region:

Argentina:

https://www.ituc-csi.org/a-trade-unionfocus-on-the-sdgs-2020-argentina

Brazil:

https://www.ituc-csi.org/a-trade-unionfocus-on-the-sdgs-2020-brazil

Chile:

https://www.ituc-csi.org/a-trade-unionfocus-on-the-sdgs-2020-chile

Colombia:

https://www.ituc-csi.org/a-trade-unionfocus-on-the-sdgs-2020-colombia

Venezuela:

https://www.ituc-csi.org/a-trade-unionfocus-on-the-sdgs-2020-venezuela

Supporting documents that can guide trade union participation in Agenda 2030 TUDCN Strategy on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development https://www.ituc-csi.org/IMG/pdf/tudcn_ agenda_2030_strategy_nov_2017_en.pdf

The Sustainable Development Goals – A Trade Union Issue! http://www.ituc-csi.org/IMG/pdf/sdg_pamphlet_ en.pdf

A Trade Union Take on the SDGs - 2020 edition https://www.ituc-csi.org/a-trade-union-take-onthe-sdgs-2020

SDG decade of action - trade union policy responses https://www.ituc-csi.org/sdg-decade-of-actiontrade-union-policy-responses

A trade union focus on the SDGs – Argentina https://www.ituc-csi.org/a-trade-union-focus-onthe-sdgs-21686

SD in Action - Special Report on Voluntary MultiStakeholder Partnerships and Commitments for Sustainable Development https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/ sdinaction/2015report