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Education International will be among the global and national trade unions with a strong message to deliver at this year’s World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Labour leaders, including EI’s General Secretary Fred van Leeuwen, will be pointing out that while business and governments created the global financial crisis, they will not be able to solve it unless they work with trade unions to reverse the disastrous consequences of years of deregulation and corporate greed.

“Coordinated action is needed to tackle the increasing unemployment, economic disparity, social injustice and instability that are resulting from the economic crisis,” van Leeuwen said. “Massive investments in education, health and other public services should be key elements of any national stimulus packages. Education and training are clearly part of the solution.”

Van Leeuwen noted that today the International Labour Organisation revised upwards its estimate of job losses predicted for 2009.

Based on new developments in the labour market and depending on the timeliness and effectiveness of recovery efforts, the latest ILO report says global unemployment in 2009 could increase over 2007 by a range of 18 million to 30 million workers, and more than 50 million if the situation continues to deteriorate. In this last scenario some 200 million workers, mostly in developing economies, could be pushed into extreme poverty.

The International Trade Union Confederation, along with Global Union partners like EI, is promoting a comprehensive recovery and reform package, with top priority on sustainable employment. In their statement to the Davos meeting (see link below), the unions call for a series of measures including:

• Spending on schools, hospitals and care for the aged and young children
• A boost to development aid to help meet the Millennium Development Goals
• Emergency IMF loans to developing countries, without austerity conditions
• A “Green New Deal” for climate-friendly investment and jobs
• Further coordination of interest rate policy (with more cuts required in European countries)
• Coordinated fiscal stimulus to maintain and create jobs
• Investment in infrastructure to stimulate demand and prepare for recovery
• Actions to keep workforces employed and retrained during the crisis
• Strengthening of unemployment benefit and other social security schemes
• Tax and spending measures targeted at those on low-incomes
• Action on the global food crisis

Beyond the immediate need for action on these points, the global union movement is putting forward a detailed framework for new regulations to put an end to the rampant speculation and financial profiteering which caused the global crisis.