Copenhagen, 2 December 2018 (ITUC OnLine): Workers
across the globe are struggling to make ends meet, believe their jobs are
insecure and don’t believe their voices matter in politics according to a new
global public opinion poll from the International Trade Union Confederation
(ITUC).
Sharan Burrow, General Secretary of the ITUC, said:
“Governments are failing to respect workers, and they are failing to respect
voters. The fragility of the global economy is on show when 59% of people in
work are only just managing, struggling to make ends meet or not managing at
all and nearly two in three don’t generally feel that their voice matters in
politics. Without action to raise wages and change the rules for working
people, we put democracy at risk.”
Released at the opening of the 4th ITUC
World Congress in Copenhagen, Sunday 2 December, the ITUC Frontline Poll 2018,
commissioned from polling company YouGov, covers the general public of fourteen
countries.
The poll showed:
· 59% of people in work are just about managing financially, struggling to
make ends meet, or are not managing at all financially, often going without essentials
or falling into debt.
· Nearly one in four (23%) people in work believe their job is insecure.
· Only 37% of people think their voice always or mostly matters in
politics.
“Shared prosperity is elusive, people are struggling
to get by on the wages they earn, and one in four people feel their job is
insecure. Social cohesion is at risk as the global economic model based on
corporate greed fails working people,” said Sharan Burrow.
The ITUC represents the largest global democratic
community, and the World Congress will debate the mandate for the global trade
union movement, with more than 1,200 trade unionists from 132 countries.
“In order to rebuild peace, democracy and rights, we
must regulate economic power – with minimum living wages, social protection and
a new social contract. Workers need the security of just transitions, along
with the guarantee of equality that ensures inclusion, to deal with the shifts
in the world of work due to climate, technology and the displacement of people.
“First it was too big to fail banks, bailed out during
the global financial crisis. Today it’s too big to touch companies like Amazon
which are exploiting workers, avoiding tax, flouting competition policy and
distorting the model of business with their monopoly power.
“When governments fail to stand up for their own
people, regulate corporate power, ensure fair taxation, distribution of wealth
through minimum wages, collective bargaining rights and social protection and
vital public services, you get a world where nearly two out of three people
don’t feel their voices matter in politics.
“Only when governments stand up for their own people,
regulate corporate power, ensure fair taxation, distribution of wealth through
minimum wages, collective bargaining rights and social protection, and ensure
vital public services, will the huge and growing political confidence gap
disappear.
“The global labour movement, meeting in Copenhagen at
the ITUC World Congress, is putting governments and business on notice.
Multilateralism is in crisis and democracy is at risk. We need to change the
rules of the global economy to rebuild trust,” said Ms Burrow.
The poll was conducted 15 October – 6 November in
Brazil, Bulgaria, Denmark, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Morocco, Portugal, the
Philippines, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the
United States.
Notes for editors:
For a copy of the YouGov data tables, Wages, Job Security, Trust in Politics and Democracy (English), contact Gemma Swart at gemma.swart@ituc-csi.org.
For a copy of the YouGov data tables, Wages, Job Security, Trust in Politics and Democracy (English), contact Gemma Swart at gemma.swart@ituc-csi.org.
The ITUC Frontline Poll 2018 covers the adult
populations of Brazil, Bulgaria, Denmark, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Morocco,
Portugal, the Philippines, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United
Kingdom and the United States. All polling numbers quoted above represent the
average of the 14 countries, with each country given an equal weight.
In each country at least 1,000 respondents were
interviewed, yielding a total of 14,834 respondents. All interviews were conducted
online. YouGov carried out the fieldwork 15 October – 6 November 2018. The figures have been
weighted on a national level and are representative of all adults in each
respective country.
The ITUC World Congress opens in Copenhagen on Sunday
2 December and concludes on Friday 7 December 2018. The ITUC represents 207
million workers in 163 countries and territories from 331 national trade
unions.
Congress Daily Highlights Live-streamed (All times
Copenhagen +1 GMT)
Sunday 2 December 16:00 – 18:00 Opening Ceremony
Includes addresses from Prime Minister of Denmark Lars Løkke Rasmussen, the Lord Mayor of Copenhagen Frank Jensen, International Labour Organization Director-General Guy Ryder, LO-Denmark President Lizette Risgaard and ITUC President João Antonio Felicio.
Includes addresses from Prime Minister of Denmark Lars Løkke Rasmussen, the Lord Mayor of Copenhagen Frank Jensen, International Labour Organization Director-General Guy Ryder, LO-Denmark President Lizette Risgaard and ITUC President João Antonio Felicio.
Monday 3 December 9:00 – 12:30 Plenary
ITUC General Secretary Sharan Burrow’s address outlining the state of the world for working people and the findings of the ITUC Frontline Poll 2018.
ITUC General Secretary Sharan Burrow’s address outlining the state of the world for working people and the findings of the ITUC Frontline Poll 2018.
