Symposium on Trade Unions in Times of COVID-19
This international symposium aims to provide an opportunity for trade union leaders, experts, academics and ILO officials to exchange on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the world of work. Participants will discuss about strategies on how can trade unions shape the policy responses to the COVID-19 and contribute to the implementation of the ILO Global Call to Action for a human-centred recovery from the COVID-19 crisis that is inclusive, sustainable and resilient.
Wednesday 17 November
13:00-13:30 Opening session
- Opening remarks by Maria Helena André, Director, Bureau for Workers’ Activities (ACTRAV)
- Remarks by Guy Ryder, Director-General, International Labour Office (ILO)
- Remarks by Sharan Burrow, General Secretary, International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)
- Watch the full video the opening session here...
13:40-16:00 Session 1: Towards a job-rich and equitable future of work: what is needed for a truly inclusive path to recovery and full employment that increases the resilience of societies.
Panellists:- Haroon Bhorat, University of Cape Town, South Africa
- Jennifer Bair, University of Virginia, United States
- Juan Arancibia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico
- Nina Kuzmina, Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Russia (FNPR), Russia
- Arezki Mezhoud, Organization of African Trade Unions Unity (OATUU)
- Rosane Bertotti, Central Única dos Trabalhadores (CUT), Brazil
- Abdelqader Shahabi, General Federation of Bahrain Trade Unions (GFBTU), Bahrain
- Amarjeet Kaur, All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), India
Watch the full video of Session 1 here...
Thursday 18 November
13:00-14:25 Session 2: Time for a new social contract?
Panellists: - Navid Hanif, UN DESA Financing for Sustainable Development Office
- Christina Colclough, The Why Not Lab, Denmark
- Dung Pam Sha, National Institute for Policy and Strategic studies, Nigeria
- Thorben Albrecht, Industrial Union of Metalworkers (IG Metall), Germany
- Michael Annisette, National Trade Union Centre (NATUC), Trinidad and Tobago
- Joanna Berenice Coronacion, SENTRO, Philippines
- Riefdah Ajam, Federation of Unions of South Africa (FEDUSA), South Africa
Watch the full video of Session 2 here...
14:35-16:00 Session 3: Social dialogue in a changing world of work
Panellists:- Michele Ford, University of Sydney, Australia
- Denis Gregory, Ruskin College, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Maarten van Klaveren, Wage Indicator Foundation (WIF), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Owidhi George Otieno, University of Nairobi, Kenya
- Kaira Reece, Convergencia Sindical (CS), Panama
- Moussa Diop, Union Démocratique des Travailleurs du Sénegal (UDTS), Senegal
- Naimah Hammami, Union générale tunisienne du travail (UGTT), Tunisia
- Bishnu Rimal, General Federation of Nepalese Trade Union (GEFONT), Nepal
- Magnus Gissler, Council of Nordic Trade Unions (NFS)
Watch the full video of Session 3 here...
Friday 19 November
13:00-15:00 Session 4: Trade unions in transformation: what are the lessons learned so far?
Keynote Speaker: Jelle Visser, Professor Emeritus University of Amsterdam, the NetherlandsTrade Union Respondents:
- Luca Visentini, European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC-CES)
- Eric Manzi, African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC Africa)
- Barbara Figueroa, Trade Union Confederation of the Americas (CSA-TUCA)
- Hind Benammar, Arab Trade Union Confederation (ATUC
- Shoya Yoshida, International Trade Union Confederation – Asia/Pacific (ITUC-AP)
Watch the full video of Session 4 here...
15.10-15:40 Closing session
- Catelene Passchier, Spokesperson Workers’ Group of the Governing Body of the ILO
- Maria Helena André, Director, Bureau for Workers’ Activities (ACTRAV)