CNV

Lima, 30 September 2011 - The Trade Union Organizations gathered at the Third Meeting of the Latin American Coordination of the World Organization of Workers, held in Lima on 28, 29 and 30 September 2011 note the following:

1. New technologies and globalization have generated relative economic growth in Latin America and the Caribbean, but rates of unemployment, underemployment, informal workers, lack of social protection and poverty have not changed significantly and may worsen in the context of the global economic crisis.
2. In Latin America and the Caribbean, governments persist in establishing public policies regardless of the participation of trade unions, ignoring their role as social actors and protagonists of profound change, as evidenced by the history of organized labour.
3. In this context, more than 50% of young Latin American and Caribbean workers, between 15 and 25 years of age, lack the opportunities for entering the labour-market, and those who enter a position, receive wages below the vital minimum and without any social security protection.
4. In labour-relations in our region persists gender inequality as well as discrimination for reasons of ethnicity, social position, age, among others.
5. The number of self-managed, autonomous male and female workers in Latin America and the Caribbean is growing, but they are in lack of a representative and effective organization to ensure their rights against economic aggression of large corporate structures and the inexistence of adequate social protection.

Given this situation we declare the following.

1. As unions and social actors, we are active participants in the formulation of public policies based on social dialogue, which promote employment without discrimination whatsoever, the integral social development and the creation of decent jobs.
2. We demand full compliance with international standards of protection of economic, social and cultural rights of male and female workers, as established by the rules of the International Labour Organization.
3. We demand government implementation of legislative and economic politics for the improvement of working conditions for all workers, with special attention to those most disadvantaged: women, youth, indigenous peoples, self-employed and self-managed workers amongst others.

Lima, September 30, 2011