The 1st Labour 20 (L20) meeting under G20 is scheduled to be held in Amritsar, Punjab from 19th to 20th March 2023. L20 is one of the engagement groups under G20. It comprises leaders and representatives of trade union centres of G20 countries. The main purpose of the engagement group is to provide analyses and policy recommendations to address labour-related issues.
haratiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) is the lead national trade union centre for organising the L20 inception meeting under India’s G20 Presidency. Apart from the meeting, the participants of the L20 meeting would be taken to various excursion sites to showcase the rich cultural heritage of Amritsar.
Addressing the challenges of labour worldwide:
With the onset of the 2008 financial crisis, representatives of the global labour movement have been meeting. The first formally recognized L20 Summit took place in Cannes (2011), which was followed by Summits in Los Cabos (2012), Moscow (2013) and Brisbane (2014).
G20 member nations consist of 2/3rd of the global population with 80% of global economic output. In this context, deliberation on the enhancement of labour holds significant relevancy. The L20 brings the trade union leaders of the world’s biggest economies and global trade unions together. L20 provides input to the G20 Summits by voicing the demands of the trade unions through the Employment Working Group, Sherpas, and Labour and Finance Ministers.
Renewing the rules of labour in the era of Industry 4.0:
India’s G20 Presidency presents an opportunity to deliberate on the changing relationship between employer-employee in the context of the rising gig and platform economy. The rules of employment-linked social security that emerged in the aftermath of the First Industrial Revolution and matured during the Second Industrial Revolution indeed require a renewed perspective in the era of Industry 4.0.
L20 holds the potential to become a forum for all trade unions to deliberate on international labour issues and social labour movements. It can also subsequently come up with solutions that can be placed and acted upon in future.
Another significant area of focus for L20 is the coverage of social security and social protection for workers worldwide. Even in the 1st Employment Working Group (EWG) Meeting held in February, various issues including the global skill gap, social protection and sustainable financing of social security among others were discussed.
