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24 August, 2009
Young trade unionists around the world marked International Youth Day, on 12 August, around the theme, “Sustainability: Our Challenge, Our Future.” As young workers struggle everywhere for the right to have sustainable, decent, green jobs, the days was marked as such.
The youth of the international labour movement are focusing more and more on the issue of sustainable jobs in the face of climate change. Climate change is the cause of increased frequency and severity of extreme weather events, of the loss of biodiversity, of the future’s food and water supplies, diseases, and employment. These impacts will hit the poor and vulnerable hardest.
The voice of the International Trade Union Congress (ITUC) Youth Committee called for intra and inter-generational solidarity in solving climate change. Measures must be taken to move more quickly towards a low-carbon economy. Young trade unionists want to be part of the solution for a fairer, environmentally responsible society, one that respects trade union rights.
Organisers of the International Youth Day stressed the need to support and assist the most vulnerable, and the need to build a sustainable green economy that creates new jobs that combat social inequalities and environmental damage.