Some trade unions warn G20 govts to avoid reneging on promises to reform labour policy

JOHANNESBURG - Some trade unions have issued a stern warning to governments from the G20 member states to avoid reneging on promises to reform labour policy, with union federations re-tabling some demands.

Four major federations, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), the Federation of Unions of South Africa (FEDUSA), the South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) and the National Council of Trade Unions  (NACTU), wrapped up the 2025 Labour 20 Summit in George on the sidelines of the G20 employment working group meeting on Wednesday.

The gathering comes as workers, especially in the global south, continue to face spiralling inequality, stubborn unemployment and deepening climate devastation.

Unions said that at the heart of the L20 programme was the need to reclaim and rebuild multilateralism, demand a new social contract and reverse the decline in labour’s share of income.

The four union federations believe any global recovery that excludes workers is a blueprint for deeper inequality.

Part of the demands are labour law reforms, expanded labour inspections, ratification and implementation of all instruments by the International Labour Organisation and inclusive social protection.

The unions want climate finance to reach communities, with further calls for public investment, social dialogue, adjustment costs, and job guarantees as pillars of green industrial policy.

They said polite promises from governments won't be tolerated without the ability to rebuild power on the shop floor, at national bargaining councils, in global supply chains, and in every policy space.