Leaders of world trade

unions are calling on political leaders gathered in Copenhagen to invest in jobs and develop a

green economic policy to tackle climate change.

A Global Unions' report; "Green

Growth for jobs and social justice" was issued today: In

announcing its publication, Anita Normark; Chair of the Council of Global

Unions and General  Secretary of Building

and Wood Workers International, stated "The fight to reverse climate change

must be fought in communities and in workplaces. Strong action by political

leaders at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen is essential to set the direction,

but it is not sufficient to achieve climate change goals: To respond to this

challenge, we must deepen solidarity and participation by creating sustainable

jobs and bolstering democracy."

The publication combines

the trade union consensus positions developed under the lead of the

International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) with sectoral perspectives of

the Global Union Federations as well as the views of the Trade Union Advisory

Committee to the OECD (TUAC).

Guy Ryder, Secretary of the

CGU and General Secretary of the ITUC, in his article, described the common

trade union goals: "The ITUC, TUAC, and the Global

Union Federations are striving to put social justice on the climate change

agenda. We have made progress, but we have a long way to go. An

environmentally-engaged trade union movement is no longer a theoretical

possibility. It now forms part of our collective identity. Together, we can and

will make a difference".

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