Trade Union Forum

Trade unions delegates consultation. 3rd Annual Meeting of BRICS Labour and Employment Ministers in Chongqing

The 3^rd BRICS Labour and Employment Ministers’ Meeting (LEMM) was held on July 25-27, 2017 in Chongqing (China). In the course of a special session the ministers conducted extensive consultations with social partners, representatives of employers’ and workers’ organisations of BRICS countries.

Delegates of national trade union centres from all BRICS countries were given an opportunity to express their views on the issues on LEMM agenda and to engage in open exchange with the ministers and employer representatives.

The consultations focused on the issues of shared concern related to the future of labour market, raising the level of vocational training under a rapidly changing demand for new skills, problems of social security, development and support of entrepreneurship, etc.

Through their interventions, representatives of BRICS trade unions emphasized that poverty among workers and low incomes in their families remain a major constraint to economic and social development.

The ministers intend to discuss pressing issues affecting the workers in BRICS countries, such as creation of new jobs, identification of new forms of employment, as well as professional training and retraining.

The ministers also intend to develop cooperation in studying labour processes and identifying common problems in the sphere of work for their subsequent solution.