More than 850,000 deaths from COVID-19 pandemic, more than 25 million people infected. 400 million jobs lost Hundreds of millions of informal economy livelihoods lost. A New Social Contract is required to ensure the global economy can recover and to build the resilience required to meet the convergent challenges of the pandemic, climate change and inequality.

This year marks the 13th World Day for Decent Work (WDDW) on 7 October. Millions of people have taken part in WDDW events since 2008, and this year again it is a day for mobilisation all over the world: one day when all the trade unions in the world stand up for decent work. Decent work must be at the centre of government actions to bring back economic growth and build a new global economy that puts people first.

The effects of the pandemic on health, employment, incomes and gender equality are all the more catastrophic because the world was already fractured, with the deeply flawed model of globalisation causing entrenched inequality and insecurity for working people. A new social contract is central to charting the path to recovery from the effects COVID-19 as well as to building an economy of shared prosperity and sustainability.

This year, in many places the physical gatherings of people in WDDW events will not be possible due to the risk of spreading the virus. Since the onset of the pandemic, however, trade unions around the globe have reached new heights in how they deploy technology for virtual events and rapid communications. This will be a key element for the 2020 World Day for Decent Work.

The central theme for the ITUC is “A New Social Contract for Recovery and Resilience” and alongside this, trade unions and others celebrating the World Day will mobilise under their own topics and demands.

To keep everyone informed of your events on or around 7 October, please send an email to Dit e-mailadres wordt beveiligd tegen spambots. JavaScript dient ingeschakeld te zijn om het te bekijken.. You can also send us messages to that address to ask for further information.

Further information and materials, including infographics and social media messages, will be made available via the ITUC website.