Demands for G8 to make youth unemployment history

World youth demands for G8 to make youth unemployment history

In a declaration handed over to Kajo Wasserhoevel, the Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Affairs for Germany, young people from throughout the world called on G8 leaders to urgently address the economic and social issues that keep young people out of work or in precarious and insecure jobs without protection.

On the eve of the G8 summit in Germany, under the framework of the Decent Work, Decent Life campaign* the 200 young people from all six continents met and discussed issues and strategies to counter unemployment, precarity, the informalisation of the economy, private equity, and many other barriers to decent work.

In their declaration (see below) they remind national governments and international institutions that their job is not to generate economic growth alone but instead to use this growth to benefit human progress and the eradication of poverty and inequality.

"Our meeting here this week and our discussions are only the beginning of our action for decent work," commented Nils Hindersman from ECOSY in Germany.

"We will keep the pressure up until the G8 put decent work at the top of their agenda. For all their pledges to development and progress, the lives of young workers are getting worse, with unemployment and precarity on the rise, with young women working 16 hour days in Export Processing Zones and with private equity companies trampling over workers' rights," commented Angeles Garcia from the Mexican trade union CNT.

In accepting the declaration, Deputy Minister Wasserhovel called on the young people to keep up the pressure on their governments and congratulated them on the initiative.

With plans for campaigns around the Beijing 2008 Olympics and the 2010 World Cup, as well as a call for an international day of action for Decent Work, the conference participants vowed to pursue their agenda in all fora and to keep G8 leaders and other decision-makers to their promises on aid, debt and trade.

The young workers also presented their issues to Guy Ryder, the General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation, Conny Reuter, the Secretary General of Solidar and Josep Borrell, former European Parliament President, current EP Development Committee Chair and head of the Global Progressive Forum.

ENDS

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