Annual Report 2010: Sustainlabour, International Labour Foundation For Sustainable Development (Sustainlabour, 2010)

Sustainlabour
International Labour Foundation

for Sustainable Development
2010 Annual Report

Sustainlabour. International Labour Foundation for Sustainable Development
Members of the Board, 2010:
Kwasi Adu-Amankwah
Victor Baez Mosqueira
Joël Decaillon
Javier Doz
Bjorn Erikson
Carmen Helena Ferreira Foro
Bheki Ntshalintshali
Govindasamy Rahasaran
Chairman: Joël Decaillon
Honorary Chairman: Joaquín Nieto Sainz
Honorary Board Members: Margarita Ferre, Stephania Blount, Rita de Cassia Evaristo, Nilton Benedito Branco
Freitas, Winston Gereluk and Temistocles Marcelos Neto
Sustainlabour Secretariat: Laura Martín Murillo (Director), Judith Carreras Garcia, Laura Maffei, Julianna Angelova
and Ana Izquierdo Sanz.
We are grateful for the support received from the Trade Union Institute of Work, Environment and Health (ISTAS)
and the Comisiones Obreras (CCOO) trade union for making this possible.
Sustainlabour International Labour Foundation for Sustainable Development was legally established as a non-
profit organisation in Madrid on 10 October 2003.
Official headquarters: Calle Pedro Teixeira 3, 1C, 28020 Madrid.
Registration number: 28/1298

Tax Identification Number (CIF): G83764308
Photo: Poster image for the side event Unions Fighting Climate Change, Join us! held during the Second World
Congress of the International Trade Union Confederation on June 23, 2010 in Vancouver, Canada.
Annual Report 2010 2

CONTENTS
The year in which we won the discourse and nearly lost every thing else 4
Introduction 6
1. SUSTAINLABOUR IN FIGURES
Activities and participants 7
Sustainlabour on the Web 12
2. WHAT WE DID
Promoting debate and training
2010 – Looking to Africa 13

Latin America – Intensifying the debate 15
Asia Pacific: little by little we’re getting closer 18
A global movement calls for global activities 20
Supporting the voice of workers in environmental negotiations 22
Environmental discussions in trade union forums and congresses
Now the people – from the crisis to climate justice: Vancouver Congress 26
Successful conclusions to projects
Enabling Workers and Workplaces for SAICM implementation 28

Strengthening Trade Union Participation in International Environmental Processes 30
3. WHAT WE SAID
Publications 33
Participation in events 37
4. ANNUAL ACCOUNTS
2010 Financial accounts 42

The year in which we won the discourse and nearly lost every
thing else
From Sustainlabour, the trade union movement, development, environmental organisations or

those against social exclusion, in these years of crisis we have been pushing strongly for the
opportunity for a real transformation of our societies. It was the time to tackle inequalities, to
change productive systems because evidently the current ones were leading us to ecological
disaster; it was the time to plan, to regulate, to recover a State capable of leading these and
other changes.
In the diagnosis of the fundamental problems, of the triggers of the crisis, and of the medium-
term solutions, we have lived through years of consensus in the discourse not only between
the social and environmental movements, but also between many governments or large
multilateral organisations. An urgent transition seemed to be a common objective. Invested
with that reason we have continued to work during these difficult years, seeing how millions of
workers lost their jobs as a consequence of the crisis.
Nonetheless, in 2010 it became clear that this acknowledgement, this consensus in discourse
would not materialize into concrete changes. Each one of the proposed policies and
measures, at a national and global level, contradicted the over-reaching objectives: to
create employment, to limit speculation, to save the planet, to reduce inequality. It was
announced that the transition, while necessary, could not commence immediately. 2010
would be exclusively a year for fiscal consolidation and fear. Another type of model was
needed, but the majority of governments postponed this task, the only urgent thing was to
reduce the deficit and appease the markets.
As a result of this we not only saw global advances, we also faced great regional set-backs. A
region like Europe which was the most advanced in terms of social and environmental rights
was crumbling at the lack of political leadership, social coordination, and ideological
ambition. The urgent measures as a “way out of the crisis” - all of austerity - clashed with plans
for changing direction. How could we change a model if we could invest in a new one?
Change of climate in Cancun?
The Cancun climate summit was held in the long shadows of the summit in Copenhagen. The
unfortunate outcome of that summit meant that at the climate talks in Cancun the very
possibility and credibility of the discussions within the United Nations were on the table. In this
sense Cancun breathed air into an almost stifled negotiation process, a process that although
extremely criticized, is the only legitimate one and one that delivers progress. The ball is still in
play in the field of the United Nations and for all countries.
The Cancun agreements form part of the recognition of well developed objectives and
principles. Governments not only agreed to not exceed two degrees, but they also agreed to
consider 1.5ºC if that is what is recommended by a scientific data review.
This recognition of principles was especially good for worker and trade unions. The recognition
of just transition with decent work and quality jobs as a principle was truly historic in the field of
international environmental negotiations. The coordinated lobbying efforts of the excellent
trade union delegation to obtain it constitutes one of the most exciting professional moments
that we have ever experienced.
Unfortunately, in Cancun the lack of commitments on mitigation, of goals and even roads,
along with the hazy track to a second Kyoto commitment period, left us with all swords high
for Durban.
In terms of financing, the creation of a Green Fund with a new and democratic structure was
decided, which allows for the equal participation of developed and developing countries,

and through which countries committed to contribute $100 billion. But how can this
commitment be made a reality in a time of cut-backs?
The year in which preparations for Rio + 20 began
2010 was also the year in which the United Nations commenced preparations for Rio + 20.
Twenty years after the exciting and historic summit in Rio, the moment had arrived to take
stock of all that had been achieved and go even further beyond the accomplished. The
concept of sustainable development and the principles of Rio, the precaution principle, the
polluter pays principle, that of common but differentiated responsibilities, the necessary
participation of civil society in decision-making, all represented a very important heritage, an
unsurpassable theoretical framework for the progress of our societies, of the people that
inhabit the planet.
Unfortunately the context of 2010 was not the best for revisiting Rio. To the psychosis of the
“crisis recovery” measures previously described, must be added the problems of advancing in
terms of multilateral solutions that are ever growing, as shown in the trade and climate
agenda.
Are we in any condition to achieve an important advance for 2012? How could we get
organized on behalf of social movements so that governments understand that there is no
other option in the long term, and that they will not have our support in the short term if they
do not show the ambition that is necessary for an urgent change in model?
In 2010 Sustainlabour participated in the preparatory meetings in order to begin to better

understand the possibilities of the call, to get to know different groups´ approaches and how
these were responding to the same questions. For Rio + 20 to be triumphant, it must make
coherent proposals across all the dimensions of sustainable development. To fulfil sustainability
and social progress objectives we require international governance across each and every
one of the dimensions. For this reason it is urgent to regulate economic and financial markets,
and to reinforce the United Nations structures so that they can exercise the necessary social
and environmental governance.
From Sustainlabour jointly with the International Trade Union Confederation we have decided
to focus on issues that demonstrate the possibility to advance in the three dimensions: a new
fiscal system and a financial transactions tax, a social protection floor and edifice, and an
ambitious investment in the creation of green jobs.
And beyond principles?
For the past 20 years we know that the adoption of integrative policies could lead us to a
decent future as humankind: one that is more just, equitable and sustainable. Since 2007 we
could provide figures on the consequences that are associated with not assuming a change
of model: millions dead and affected by climate change, new millions of people that go
hungry, millions of newly unemployed, thousands of millions in public funds lost in the hands of
speculators, unfathomable losses of biodiversity. We have figures, at times extremely difficult
ones to accompany the theoretical framework said to be almost universally accepted.
In addition, since 2010 we count on new principles, such as just transition or the obligation to
finance the measures against climate change by those who have caused it.
But above all, since 2010 we know that the recognition of the discourse’s validity, of its
objectives, its principles, has not managed to advance. It does not seem at all difficult for
governments and stakeholders to move in this discord: what they say should be done in the
long term, versus what they say they could do in the short term. For that reason, we need to
generate sufficient social mobilization to shake us out of the stupor and that obligates them to
do something. For an urgent, just, participatory, transparent and democratic transition!
Laura Martín Murillo

Director, Sustainlabour

Introduction
Sustainlabour continued its activities in 2010 with more or less the same achievements and
challenges as in previous years. Functions and activities have been well established, the end
results continue to improve year after year and, and even with reduced resources, we have
managed to do things better and to do more with less.
In the first place, Sustainlabour has provided constant and flexible support to the International
Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), as well as to its many regional affiliates, on environmental
issues. In return, trade unions value our work more and more. In 2010 we began evaluating
each one of our activities, interviewing participants, but also leaders of trade unions and other
civil society movements to allow them to evaluate our aims and strategies. We can already
see that there is a high regard for the work we are undertaking and of its political and
organisational timeliness. During this evaluation many new ideas on how to improve our
current work have emerged which could be taken up in the future.
This recognition of our work has been boosted by the acceptance of the newly appointed
Secretary General of the ITUC to be a member of Sustainlabour’s board. At Sustainlabour, we
are proud to have another woman in our team and a union leader who is clearly committed
to environmental issues. Welcome on board, Sharan!
In terms of concrete results, you will find more details in the following pages of this annual
report: increase in activity with a 27% reduced budget, more people reached in 67 countries –
with a structure as small as ours, it is something we are very proud of. How did we do it? While
we reduced our regional activities this year, thus greatly reducing our costs, we have also
worked more closely with other programmes, contributing our experience and training
methodology to initiatives (and budgets) of other actors and programmes.
We have done all this at a particularly sensitive time as the two major programmes within
which we carry out our activities – the joint United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on
Labour and the Environment and the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals
Management (SAICM) project on Chemical risk – concluded during 2010. This put an
additional strain on our team who had to comply with reporting and closure requirements on
both programmes, while presenting new proposals for the future. Both programmes have
been renewed, representing an important milestone for the team this year.
This transition between programmes obviously put an enormous strain on resources, where
activities were carried out without us being able to ascribe them to these programmes. But it
has been quite an achievement: increasing activity with fewer resources and in a year full of
transition from one programme to another!
However, we still face some continued challenges. And while we may have made some
headway, many questions remain open. Attempts to increase activity in Asia have not come
to fruition, even though proposals have been submitted to various organisations, including the
International Labour Organisation (ILO). In the meantime, we continue to work with other
organisations, in 2009 with Lo-Denmark and in 2010 with TUC UK and the International Trade
Union Federation of Building and Wood Workers´ (BWI), which allows us to contribute to and
learn from this part of the world.
In terms of diversifying our funding resources, we are still a long way from an ideal situation.
Sustainlabour’s team has made great efforts in 2010 to maintain existing programmes and
open new avenues of funding. Of course things can always been done better, but not more
than what has already been done. Most likely we will need support from the organisations for
which we work to help us get through this period of budget cuts, but this year has been
difficult for all.

Of course all this has taken place in a year where political changes were far from minor. A
difficult year where we have only found comfort in a job well done; which has been the
reason not to become disheartened.
How to persevere in our work, to find the necessary encouragement to do it well, is what this
annual report is all about. The women working at Sustainlabour hope that you enjoy the read.
1. SUSTAINLABOUR IN FIGURES
Activities and participants
The 2010 activities continue to follow along the Foundation’s lines of work: training, creation of
spaces for debate, support to trade unions´ participation in international negotiations,
elaboration of reports and training materials, campaigns and awareness-raising on
environmental issues. This year as the figures show, we have continued to fulfil objectives, we
almost doubled our figures on participation in training and awareness-raising activities, in spite
of a reduced budget - 27% lower than that of 2009. How have we managed to do this? On
the one hand by carrying out fewer activities at the regional level resulting in lower costs. And
on the other by working in closer collaboration with other programmes, combining our
experience and training methodology with initiatives (and budgets) of other actors and
programmes.
Beneficiaries
A total of 702 participants took part in our training courses, seminars and events. This means
almost 80% more participants with respect to 2009. 13% of these participants took part in
activities co-organized with other actors.
The number of countries reached was also impressive with 68 different countries covered.

2010 List of countries covered
Africa (25) Asia Pacific (12) Eastern Europe Latin America

Angola; Benin; Australia; and Central Asia and Caribbean
Botswana; Bangladesh; - Russia (12)
Burkina Faso; Cook Islands; Fiji; Argentina;
Cameroon; Hong Kong; Brazil; Chile;
Ivory Coast; Indonesia; Europe (16) Colombia;
DRC; Ethiopia; Japan; Austria; Belgium, Dominican
Ghana; Malaysia; Nepal; Bulgaria; Republic; El
Guinea; New Zealand; Denmark; Salvador;
Malawi; Mali; Philippines; Finland; France; Honduras;
Mauritania; South Korea Germany; Mexico;
Mauritius; Hungary; Italy; Nicaragua;
Morocco; Niger, Netherlands; Paraguay;
Nigeria; Norway; Uruguay;
Senegal; Sierra Portugal; Spain; Venezuela
Leone; South Sweden;
Africa, Switzerland; North America -
Tanzania; Togo; United Kingdom Canada, USA
Uganda;
Zambia;
Zimbabwe
As always the majority of our activities´ participants and beneficiaries are trade unionists, this
year in greater proportion in relation to other years representing 79% of the total.
2010 Participants per type - %
Academic IGO
2% 2% NGO
1% Employer
2%
Govt
Other 1%
2%
TU
90%
The attention devoted to the two lines of work – climate change and chemical risk - was very
balanced, overcoming the concentration of activities in the area of climate change at the
Copenhagen summit.

2010 Participants across areas of w ork - %
45 41
40 37
35
30
25
20 17
15
10 5
5
0
Climate Change Chemicals Chemicals & Others
Climate Change
Thematic area of w ork
In 2010 a higher number of activities were carried out at the national level than at the
regional or global level, where figures in previous years had been higher. This outcome fulfilled
a conscious objective to reduce activity levels, so that they are more concrete and have
greater penetration.
Participant distribution across levels of activity
Global
26%
Nacional and
Regional and local
sub-regional 47%
27%
Participant distribution across regions
In spite of the efforts dedicated to Africa, the majority of participants continue to be from
Latin America. This is due to various factors: joint work with ILO ACTRAV in Latin America; a
higher average number of participants in national activities, resulting in a greater leveraging
of resources; and the inertia over the past years of the activities themselves, and of course,
due to the excellent work of Laura Maffei, the coordinator in the region.
2010 Participant Regional Distribution

Latin America
and the
Caribbean North America
46% 3%
Africa
18%
Asia Pacif ic
Europe
12%
21%

It should be noted, however, that the direct costs of activities have been divided almost
equally between Latin America and Africa.
Budget for activities per region %

Africa 49,82
Latin America 49,7
Asia Pacific 0,48
The lack of specific resources or the acquisition of programmes for Asia Pacific, despite having
attempted several avenues, including the ILO, has been supplemented through the
collaboration on projects approved by other organisations, such as TUC (UK) or Building and
Wood Workers´ International (BWI). A satisfactory 12% participation rate was achieved in the
region, despite no budget being available.
This year the number of European participants was due to the organisation of the seminar on
environmental and occupational health and safety clauses in the International Framework
Agreements, as well as global seminars around events such as the COP in Cancun.
Women’s participation
2010 Overall Participant Gender Distribution
Female;
34%
Male; 66%
In terms of gender distribution in 2010 we fared a bit better than last year, with a female
participation of 34% in comparison to 31% in 2009. There is still a way to go to reach equality,
but we are making progress slowly but surely. Across the different regions, Africa and Asia
Pacific are where the greatest improvements need to be made.
2010 Regional gender distribution
North America 48
52
Latin America and the Caribbean 33
67
Europe 47
53
Asia Pacific 25
75
Africa 22
78
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
% Male % Female

Trade union organisations
A total of 295 trade union organisations (at the local, provincial, national, regional and
international level) from 67 countries were reached through our activities, in comparison to
170 in 2009. It is important to note that the register of organisations involved differs quite a bit
from region to region: in Latin America more were registered in activities as representatives of
local or sectoral organisations, while in Africa, for example, more were registered as
representatives of their national organisations.
2010 Regional distribution of trade union organizations

reached
Latin America North America
and the 3%
Africa
Caribbean
21%
43%
Asia Pacific
Europe 14%
19%
Distribution of materials
The training and awareness-raising materials that we had developed in previous years
continued to be well distributed and were requested by different organisations. Information is
only available on printed material sent out to organisations upon request, clearly the number
of downloads of these same materials from the website is much higher, although we do not
have figures on this. The UNEP training manuals, in particular those on climate change,
continue to be the most requested. And one interesting outcome is that, although these
manuals were intended for use in training in developing countries, they are also very much in
demand in European ones.
2010 Distribution of Materials
Report:Women Video: Time to

Workers and tackle climate
green jobs change
23% 6%
Training
manual on
chemical Training
management manual on
25% Climate
Change
46%

Regional distribution of m aterials
Latin
Europe America and
22% Caribbean
17%
Asia Pacific
International
21%
14%
Africa
26%
Sustainlabour on the Web
Our tools
Bulletin – InFocus In social networks

9 issues Sustainlabour´s Facebook page
Spanish - English http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sus
4.370 subscribers tainlabour/461761830566
69% male - 31% female
165 countries Also on Twitter
Laura Martín -
http://twitter.com/#!/lauramm_SL
Linking us together!
Web
2 -3 news releases per week (100 news items
throughout the year)
1 blog
English – Spanish
385 562 site visits per year (according to 1&1 web
statistics)

2. WHAT WE DID
Promoting debate and training
2010 – Looking to Africa

As mentioned in last year’s annual report, 2010 was meant to be a year with a special focus
on Africa. For several reasons, Africa was the last region to organize its regional conference as
part of UNEP programme, and maybe for that eagerly awaited.
From the different activities carried out in the region, those devoted to chemical risk is
particularly important. Sustainable management of chemicals was addressed through sub-
regional seminars with ITUC-Africa and also jointly with the International Union of Food,
Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations (IUF). The
seminars focused on pesticides for workers in the cotton and sugar sectors in Benin, Burkina
Faso, Mali and Senegal.
In Africa, over 50,000 tonnes of obsolete stockpiles of pesticides contaminate soil, water, air,
and food - both for domestic consumption and export (UNEP GEO 4, 2007). Statistics on
poisoning cases (while rarely reported) have estimated that between 46-84% of all poisonings
in adults are attributable to exposure in the workplace or in the environment (World Health
Organisation - WHO, 2006). While alarming, these figures reflect the reality faced by African
people in their workplace and daily lives. 2010 was the year in which Sustainlabour wanted to
contribute to providing solutions to this issue.
Four years later: advances and challenges in Africa. Second Regional

Trade Union Conference on Labour and Environment
This Second Conference took place four years

after the first one, held in Johannesburg in 2006,
and included the participation of 44 trade
union delegates from 19 countries. It forms part
of the joint UNEP-Sustainlabour project on
Labour and Environment. Phrases such as, “we
Africans produce what we do not consume
and consume what we do not produce”,
uttered in the opening sessions of the
conference sum up the current reality in many
African countries and their social and
environmental challenges. The impacts of the
financial crisis; the increase in informal work; the
potential for the creation of green jobs in Africa; climate change and its effects on the
productive sectors, in particular agriculture; and pesticides and the risks involved in chemical
usage, were some of the issues addressed. This event provided a space to inform participants
about the initiatives carried out over the past four years and to analyze the challenges for the
labour movement in terms of advancing the agenda toward a socially fair and
environmentally sustainable model through decent work.
This was the only activity of the year during which climate change issues were covered and
where the outcomes of the Copenhagen Climate Summit were explained, as well as the
positions of African countries in the negotiations and the necessity for adaptation policies in
different sectors. [This initiative is part of the joint Sustainlabour–UNEP project]
In figures…
Location and date: Nairobi, April 7 and 8, 2010
Participants: 44 (27% female, 73% male)
Countries represented: Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Chad, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Mauritius, Niger, Nigeria,

Senegal, Sierra Leona, South Africa, Swaziland, Togo
Chemical risk as part of trade union action on occupational health and

safety: Seminars in Accra and Arusha
In 2010 we assisted the ITUC in addressing the issue of chemical risk in its working group on
occupational health and safety. In January and March two sub-regional seminars were
organized, one in English and the other in French.
The lack of integration of chemical safety in national legislations on occupational health, the
lack of inclusion of this issue in workplace inspections, and the lack of company measures as
well as trade union budgets were the barriers mentioned that had to be overcome. Trade
union action at the regional level will focus on strengthening the exchange of information in
this area, proposals on collective bargaining clauses and the organisation of campaigns
targeting the widest possible public audience. [This initiative is part of the joint Sustainlabour–UNEP
project]
In figures…
Location and date: Arusha, Tanzania, January 18 and 19
Countries represented: Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda
Accra, Ghana, March 8 and 9
Countries represented: Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Ivory Coast, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, South
Africa and Togo
Workers from the cotton and sugar sectors in Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali
and Senegal fight against the harmful effects of pesticides
This project with the IUF was inspired by a previous experience with the Global Pesticides
Project in East Africa. In 2009, Sustainlabour offered to provide support to the IUF in order to
extend this project to French-speaking Africa - Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso and Benin. It was
decided to intervene in the cotton and sugar sectors, which are characterized by their
extremely intensive use of pesticides, in addition to being sectors of economic importance in
these countries; in Benin, for example, they represent 40% of GDP.
Activities consisted in learning more about the national contexts in terms of pesticides, their
consumption, use, legislation, and control mechanisms and in providing proposals from each
of the countries, as well as from the regional level, in order to improve working conditions for
agricultural workers and the environment.
As part of the project, four “Training the Trainers” seminars were organized in April and May in
order to enable the participating delegates to later promote trainings in different regions
throughout their countries and in the workplace. A “Training Manual on Pesticides” was
therefore developed with the ILO´s support.
In addition to actions at the trade union level, the project aims to reach out beyond the
unions to the wider general public in order to raise awareness about the risks associated with
pesticides through campaigns and the media. [This initiative is part of the joint Sustainlabour–UNEP
project]
“Each year 17,000 agricultural workers die due to accidents and 5 million suffer from
poisoning. The reasons for this massive destruction at the human, social and environmental
level that these numbers reflect, are found in the systematic violations of the fundamental
rights of these workers” Ron Oswald, IUF´s General Secretary, preface to the training manual
on pesticides produced for this project.

In figures…
Location and date: Cotonou, Benin, April 5-9 Participants: 15 (7% female, 93% male)
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, May 4 and 5 Participants: 9 (11% female, 89% male)
Dougabougou, Mali, May 10-14 Participants: 13 (15% female, 85% male)
Dakar, Senegal, April 27 and 28 Participants: 18 (17% female, 83% male)
Latin America – Intensifying the debate

2010 was again a busy year in the region, with an excellent number of participants attending
the training activities. While most activities were national, there were some regional activities
with the Trade Union Confederation of the Americas (TUCA) and the ILO Bureau for Workers’
Activities (ACTRAV).
The work we have been developing in recent years with TUCA, ACTRAV and other
organisations in the region has allowed us to expand and deepen the discussion, not just in
carrying out activities at the national level, but also in the production of materials adapted to
national and sectoral contexts.
Sustainable Development and Decent Work in Latin America.

Workshop: “Global Jobs Pact, Decent Work and Sustainable
Development”
Following on from the success of the on-line course
organized by ACTRAV and Sustainlabour in 2009,
the initiative to hold a meeting with course
participants in order to expand on the topics and
discuss priorities for the region arose. In addition to
the participants who had excelled in the on-line
course, trade union leaders from other countries in
the region were also invited to attend.
The seminar was held in Montevideo, between

March 1-3 with 24 trade unionists in attendance,
representing 12 organisations from 7 countries.
A document was developed which was presented as a contribution to the TUCA’s work
agenda. Some proposals put forward in the document include:
1. Set up training programmes, research and communication on environmental and

sustainable development issues in national trade unions.
2. Strengthen and expand the TUCA’s Labour and Environment network.
3. Promote the exchange of experience and trade union actions in these areas.
4. Strengthen unions’ structures and technical capacity so as to ensure these issues
remain on the agendas of trade unions in the region.
“... We recognize that the environmental crisis is a result of a development

model which devastates nature and is socially and economically unjust. This
knowledge compels us as workers to take on the role and fundamental
responsibility to improve relationships, both within societies and in the ways in
which we appropriate nature through technology and labour.
The transition to sustainable and fair development models requires critical

approaches as well as a review of the distribution of and access to
environmental goods, in such a way that workers do not have to bear the social
and ecological costs of this transition.

(...) The principles required for trade union action, among other things, include:
Joint strategies with other sectors of society, such as rural,
indigenous or environmental movements;
Reviewing and updating professional training programmes,
including the environmental dimension and the debate on
alternative development;
Active participation in national, regional and global discussions on
environmental policies”
Extract from the conclusions of the trade union training workshop on “Global
Jobs Pact, Decent Work and Sustainable Development, Montevideo, March 3.
In figures…
Location and date: Montevideo, Uruguay from March 1-3
Countries represented: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Peru, Uruguay
Second on-line course: another successful call

Latin America is one of the richest regions of the
planet: home to the largest biodiversity in the
world, enormous natural wealth, diverse
ecosystems and cultures, surplus food
production...economic development has been
primarily based on the exploitation of natural
resources without taking in account the social and
economical consequences of an export-
orientated extraction model.
What are the links between environmental degradation and social conflicts? How are the
costs and benefits distributed? What are the points of contact between the environmental
fight and the labour fight? How can sustainability and decent work be interlinked? What are
the tools for trade union action?
These and other key questions are addressed in the on-line course “Sustainable Development
and Decent Work”, coordinated by ACTRAV and Sustainlabour. The course aims to provide
analysis and tools that allow workers to incorporate in a comprehensive manner the
environmental dimension into their organisations’ actions. It also offers an opportunity for
dialogue and exchange between trade unionists from all over the region.
The work was supported by 4 tutors, all Latin American trade unionists and environmentalist
experts, under the coordination of Sustainlabour. As a final output the participants prepared
awareness-raising material, trade union action plans and proposals for the inclusion of
environmental clauses in collective bargaining agreements.
In figures…
Location and date: September 4 – December 4, online
39 Participants (44% female, 56% male)
Countries represented: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican
Republic, Uruguay, Venezuela
Trade union training in Ecuador:

Introducing the environment dimension
The “Andean Forum: climate change and chemical

safety” took place in Quito, Ecuador in July 2010. The

seminar was the first trade union training activity organized by the recently formed Ecuador
Trade Union Confederation, (CSE), together with the national office of the Friedrich Ebert
Foundation (FES), with the support of the TUCA and Sustainlabour.
The seminar was attended by 25 union representatives from all over the country. In addition to
representatives from the CSE, delegates from the Central Ecuatoriana de Organizaciones
Clasistas (CEDOC) Centre also participated. The central issues were climate change and
chemical risk. Besides contributions from Sustainlabour and the TUCA, presentations were also
made by the Confederación General del Trabajo (CGT Colombia), the Minister of Labour and
local environmental NGOs.
The main goal of the seminar was to discuss guidelines and priorities for the integration of
environmental issues in the action plan of the new Centre which was to be presented at its
first National Congress in November 2010. In response to some of the suggestions made in the
seminar, the above-mentioned Congress decided to create a Sustainable Development
Department.
In figures…
Location and date: Quito, from July 6-7
Participants: 25 (7 women)
Sustainable chemical management - seminars in Brazil, Chile

and Uruguay
Since 2008 we have been working with the ITUC, the International Federation of Chemical,
Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM) in Brazil, Chile and Uruguay, and with trade
unions in these countries on the challenges of reducing chemical risk through a project within
the framework of the Strategic Approach for International Chemical Management - SAICM.
Already in 2009, mobilization was growing in the region: more than 100 trade union delegates
were trained, working groups had been established, opportunities for dialogue with various
governmental and non-governmental organisations had been opened, training material,
exchange of experience on the national and regional level…..the same demand was
repeated again and again: the need to improve access to information and union training on
these topics.
Under the headline, “You can’t fight against, what you don’t know”, 3 national seminars were
organized with 200 delegates in attendance. Tailored to the needs and existing capacities in
each country, the overall goal of the seminars was to strengthen the capacity for action on
the sustainable management of chemicals, both at the workplace and on national policies.
The seminars aimed to provide concrete tools which would allow these learning experiences
to be replicated at the grass-roots level and offer a space to discuss priorities and strategic
actions with a sectoral approach. [This project is financed by the SAICM–UNEP QSP Trust Fund –Strategic
Approach for International Chemicals Management]
Seminar in Uruguay: PIT-CNT – an example of commitment

4 consecutive seminars were organised together with the
Plenario Intersindical de Trabajadores - PIT y Convención
Nacional Trabajadores CNT - PIT-CNT, with approx. 25
participants in each one. Those attending were mainly
representatives from health, safety and environment,
from 31 unions from all over the country. By the end of
2010, various trade unionists who had attended the
training seminars had already repeated these activities in
their own unions.

In figures…
Location and date: Raigón, Uruguay, from April 12-23
Participants: 107 (21%female / 79% male)
Seminar in Chile: CUT Chile kicks-off on chemical risk

This was the first time that the Central Única de Trabajadores de Chile (CUT Chile) had
gathered to discuss this topic. More than 40 trade union delegates, from all regions, confirmed
the eagerness to improve knowledge about these issues and the urgent need to coordinate a
strategy to combat chemical risk from their organisations.
In figures…
Location and date: Santiago de Chile, from July 14-15
Participants: 47 (32% female/ 68% male)
Seminar in Brazil: CNQ/CUT, expanding knowledge

One seminar in two stages: i) open day for technicians,
employers and government officials; ii) two-day
training for trade unions. In total there were nearly 60
participants, including trade union representatives,
experts, those in charge of chemical safety issues in
businesses and public administrations. In addition to the
training content, the debate served to review and
make contributions to the Confederación Nacional de
los Químicos de la CUT/ Central Única de Trabajodores
- CNQ/CUT’s national training strategy.
In figures…
Location and date: San Pablo, from July 21-23
Participants: 56 (15% female / 85% male)
There are thousands of substances for industrial and domestic use produced and used in the region,
not only in the chemical industry, but also in many other sectors: mining, agriculture, pulp, fertilizer
factories, rubber.....These sectors are present in all three countries, with different levels of importance
in the national economy. A common feature is the high proportion of small and medium-sized
enterprises and the high percentage of outsourced workers.
The lack of regulations, the absence of controls, the knowledge gap on the products that are being
used, and the lack of training....this project aimed to help the trade union movement so that it can
become an active player in the fight for chemical safety.
“...the project activities were important for helping build the capacity of the unions in the region. In
this way it helped to overcome our lack of training on an issue which is increasingly important in
social dialogues and in discussions on sustainable development and the environment at different
levels”, Sergio Novais, vice-President of ICEM for Latin America and the Caribbean.
Asia Pacific: little by little we’re getting closer

Asia Pacific has always been the third region in terms of the number of activities carried out
by Sustainlabour. We are aware of the need to deepen linkages between labour and the
environment in a very diverse region currently facing many challenges, a region with an
increasingly important role as the world’s industrial engine. The consequent environmental
impacts are generating significant pressures on natural resources and human needs.
However, this year we have been unable to carry out our plans to expand further in the
region; attempts made through the ILO for regional projects or the submissions of other
proposals have not borne fruit. Nonetheless the activities that have been carried out have
been worthwhile due to the diversity of actors involved and issues addressed.
Southeast Asia – responses to climate change: sustainable

management of forests and decent jobs
Representatives of trade unions from the construction sector and forestry workers gathered in
Jakarta, Indonesia from August 6-7, to discuss the challenges and opportunities related to
climate change policies and the fight against deforestation. Building and Wood Workers´
International (BWI) Asia Pacific organized a seminar on climate change – a key moment in
climate change negotiations, where policies on the fight against deforestation seem to be
advancing. Sustainlabour was invited to participate in the debates and discussions.
Responsible for 18% of global greenhouse gas emissions, the deforestation of tropical forests is
particularly fast-moving in countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, or Papua New Guinea. Trade
unions discussed the challenges associated with Reduction of Emissions from Deforestation
and Degradation (REDD) policies when it comes to jobs, a niche for green jobs where it should
also be ensured that they are decent jobs. During the seminar issues such as using sustainable
materials in construction; developing infrastructures that respect the environment, such as
investing in rail and metro; the small islands of the Pacific’s fight for survival and forest
certification were also discussed.
In figures…
Location and date: Jakarta, Indonesia, August 6 and 7
Countries represented: Fiji, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines
In Bangladesh climate change tastes of salt
In Bangladesh climate change has a taste, it

tastes of salt. Bangladesh is one of the most
vulnerable countries in the world to climate
change, suffering its consequences head on.
Agriculture, fisheries, construction and many
other jobs, both in the formal and informal
sector, will be severely affected, posing a risk to
the livelihood of many families. Experts say that
Bangladesh, a country whose territory is less than
6 metres above sea level, faces a double threat
- rising sea levels as a result of melting ice caps
and glaciers and extreme weather patterns,
such as cyclones and heavy rain falls.
Given this scenario, “it is vital to get trade unions and workers involved in the policies aimed at
confronting climate change impacts and job losses, in order to find new paths of
development”, says Repon Chowdhury from the Bangladesh Occupational Safety, Health
and Environment Foundation (OSHE).
Trade Union Congress in UK (TUC), OSHE and Sustainlabour initiated a project in June 2010 to
work with the national Trade Union Centres on climate change. The aim was to support trade
unions in becoming active actors in national adaptation policies on climate change and
incorporating the climate change agenda into the labour agenda. The project was a big
national campaign consisting of training seminars in the region of Dhaka and Khulna, studies
on trade unions´ capacities, materials for distribution in work centres, meetings with entities
such as the World Bank, ILO and national members of parliament, as well as joint press
conferences with organisations such as Oxfam, ActionAid, Equity and Justice Group. As part

of this initiative Sustainlabour´s video on Time to Tackle Climate Change was also subtitled in
Bengali.
In figures…
Training of Trainers Workshop on Climate change and Trade Unions
Location and date: Dhaka, Bangladesh, from October 26-28 Participants: 16 (13% female, 88% male)
Regional Leadership Seminar on Trade Unions and Climate Change

Location and date: Khulna, Bangladesh, October 24 Participants: 23 (30% female, 70% male)
Environmental Management in Hotel Facilities in Malaysia
Specific materials were developed for the region such as a training manual on environmental
management in hotel facilities in Malay (see section on publications).
A global movement calls for global activities

In addition to activities across regions, Sustainlabour also promotes global approaches and
activities that allow for the exchange of views – inter-regional, North-South, South-South, etc.
Due to the high cost of international activities, Sustainlabour tends to take full advantage of
organizing seminars or events around other meetings, thus reducing the associated costs
while leveraging the tension generated at these discussions and negotiations. This year’s
global events have been the 2nd ITUC World Congress and the COP in Cancun. The ITUC
Congress was held in June in Vancouver at a particularly delicate time for the world’s trade
union organisations due to worldwide regressive responses to the economic crisis. The slogan
at the congress, “Now the People”, took a stance against this situation. Climate change
negotiations received deadly blows in Copenhagen and not much was expected from the
Cancun meeting held in December. However, the trade union delegation made an
enormous effort and managed to have Just Transition included in the final text.
Sustainlabour participated in these global efforts, putting on events as well as organizing an

activity intended to reflect upon the character of globalization itself and labour, social and
environmental rights in multinationals.
Globalizing occupational health and safety and environment in

multinationals
Sustainlabour presented findings from a new study on “Occupational

Health and Safety and Environmental clauses in international framework
agreements” at a conference organized by the European Trade Union
Confederation (ETUC), from February 16-17. The study, undertaken in
2009, includes the joint participation of Sustainlabour, ETUC and the
Global Federations.
In recent years much has been written about the potential and impacts
of IFAs. Their development has been the subject of wide academic
interest and numerous studies have been dedicated to analyzing what the IFAs consist of and
what are the expectations of the actors involved. This high degree of interest reflects their
potential; IFAs could breach the gap in the current globalization process. Multinational
companies operate in an international setting while labour standards tend to fundamentally
have a national reach.
ETUC´s two-day Conference, where Sustainlabour presented the study, gathered 61
participants, employers, trade unions from European countries and experts from universities,
international organisations, etc., who discussed the potential of this tool in advancing
sustainable development.

In figures…
Location and Date: Brussels, Belgium, February 16 and 17
19 countries represented: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Peru,
Poland, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, USA
Seminars for a fantastic trade union delegation
Cancun and beyond: Trade Union strategies for building new

momentum against climate change
As previously outlined, this year’s COP16 in Cancun had to deal with the failure of the
Copenhagen summit and called for the organisations present, among them trade unions, to
redefine objectives, scenarios, and strategies in the face of the lack of advancement in the
negotiations and the possibility of stagnation in the climate change agenda. For this reason
Sustainlabour´s training session had the following objective, to help us think about Cancun,
but also beyond Cancun, as expressed in the title of the event. The session had four main
focuses: recent scientific data on climate change, the state of negotiations and trade union
priorities, concrete approaches on the social dimensions of climate change and the selection
of priorities to move forward in a global movement.
The event included the participation of the delegation, almost at full capacity, attending
negotiations in the first week, as well as representatives from large networks and other social
movements such as the GCCA (Global Campaign for Climate Action) or Union of Concerned
Scientists – in total over 80 unionists, 60 from the international delegation and 20 from local
trade unions!
The event also served as the inauguration activity for the second edition of the World of Work
Pavilion. [This initiative is part of the joint Sustainlabour–UNEP project]
In figures…
Location and date: Universidad del Sur, Cancun December 2
30 countries represented: Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Botswana, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Dominican
Republic, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Guinea, Malawi, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway,
Pakistan, Senegal, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Tanzania, United Kingdom, USA, Zambia, Zimbabwe
A call to action: also in Cancun

Sustainlabour and the ITUC jointly organized this side event at the COP16 official venue on 9
December which served as an opportunity to call to action representatives of different social
movements.
The side event was the setting of a red-green alliance where trade union organisations and
environmental groups found a way in which to demand a real change in the current model.
The General Secretary of the ITUC and the Executive Director of Greenpeace put forward a
common plan: to mobilize for Durban on climate change and toward a new sustainable
model for Rio+20. In addition, the joint Sustainlabour/ITUC video A Call to Action was shown at
the event, highlighting the reasons why trade unions take part in this kind of mobilization.
The event had an excellent turn-out, with more than 200 people joining the trade union
delegation - many other civil society representatives from action networks against climate
change, for Rio+20, members of the Climate Justice Network and environmental activists like
Leonardo Boff. [This initiative is part of the joint Sustainlabour–UNEP project]
In figures…
Location and date: UNFCCC COP16 official venue, Cancun, December 9
22 countries represented: Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Honduras, Italy, Kenya,
Mexico, Nepal, New Zealand, Norway, Poland South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Tanzania, USA, Venezuela
Climate Justice and Just Transition

Parallel to the negotiations, civil society groups organised a forum for exchanging views and
alternative proposals related to climate change and social justice.
ITUC, TUCA and Sustainlabour organised a debate

on “Just Transition and Climate Justice” at the
International Forum on Climate Justice where
participation was limited with the majority of those
in attendance from Latin America. This was due to
the fact that the event was held in the lasts days of
negotiations when final lobbying efforts took priority
for delegates.

In figures…
Location and date: International Forum on Climate Justice, Cancun, December 9
40 Participants
Supporting the voice of workers in environmental negotiations

UNEP Governing Council, Civil Society Forum, Extraordinary Conference
of the Parties (EX COPs) on Chemicals
The Eleventh Session of the Global Major Groups and Stakeholders Forum was held from 21-22
February, prior to the 11th Special Session of the UNEP Governing Council/ Global Ministerial
Environment Forum scheduled for 24-26 February, in Bali, Indonesia. The forum provided a
platform for civil society for exchange, consultation and strategy definition on key
environmental issues to be addressed by the Member States during the governing council.
Stakeholder Major Groups statement to the GC
Regarding the Green Economy, civil society, including all major groups:
• recognizes that the natural capital is the basis of our economies, its erosion should be prevented
and new indicators for measuring economic growth should include, e.g. loss of biodiversity and loss
of ecosystem services.
• recognizes that the contemporary economic models need urgent rethinking, creating new
paradigms such as the green economy initiative, bearing in mind that the green economy should
be in accordance with sustainability principles.
• believes the new economy should be green, inclusive and just, and must be a driver of the
transition of our societies to a truly sustainable one, transforming our lifestyles and creating decent
jobs.
• believes the green economy should create opportunities for progress and development
worldwide, helping to reduce differences between developed and developing countries, between
rich and poor, and between women and men.
• calls on governments to empower Civil Society, including all major groups, to play a role in
facilitating the transition to promote a green economy by undertaking actions to achieve
sustainable development.
• recognizes that, in support of a green economy, an integrated and coherent policy mix (e.g.
command-and-control, market-based instruments, awareness, education and skills development)
needs to be developed, in close consultation with civil society organisations including all major
groups, from all countries.
The Governing Council was attended by some 1,000 participants from 130 countries, including
nearly 100 Ministers of Environment, where the following topics were covered: International
Environmental Governance and Sustainable Development; the Green Economy and
Biodiversity and Ecosystems.
Sustainlabour, as part of the trade union delegation, participated in both meetings as well as
other meetings such as the Extraordinary Conference of Parties (ExCOPs) of the Basel,
Rotterdam and Stockholm Convention (held from February 22-24, in Bali), and the Marrakech
Process. We took part in the Ministerial roundtable which explored ways for undertaking
effective intervention to promote green economy. The presence of the labour dimension was
noteworthy.
At the closing session of the Governing Council, environmental ministers from all over the
world issued the Nusa Dua Declaration, a document to be used in Rio+20 preparations. [This
initiative is part of the joint Sustainlabour–UNEP project]

Rio+20 preparations begin!
The UN Commission on Sustainable Development met in New York from May 3-14. In 2010
(CSD18) the issues on the negotiation table were transportation, chemicals, waste
management, mining and a ten-year framework programme on sustainable production and
consumption.
The first preparatory meeting for Rio+20 also took place from May 17-19. Rio+20 will be a
summit where targets set twenty years ago will be renewed, progress reviewed and new
challenges incorporated. It will be an opportunity to reemphasize the importance of
sustainability for this century in debates and actions.
Sustainlabour participated in this preparatory meeting so as to better understand

opportunities and to see how others were posing and responding to these same questions.
Government discussions were marred by grandstanding, much like what we had seen in
Copenhagen - no understanding between the different blocks, no trust and no sense of
commitment. Terminology such as green economy and sustainable development were vainly
opposed, as if doing so would help progress of either. From Sustainlabour’s point of view, we
made the most of the liveliness of the discussions and the opportunity to participate and
shared proposals from the trade union movement.
We demanded a visible transition towards a green economy which would lay the foundations
for a sustainable future, but that would also be a transition to a more just economy that would
reduce income inequalities between and within countries. We were happy to note that
employment discussions were central to many debates and we, therefore, also demanded
that the Decent Work agenda be committed to.
For Rio+20 to be successful we need coherent proposals in all dimensions of sustainable

development. To achieve goals in sustainability and social progress we need international
governance to be involved in every dimension. Economic and financial markets, therefore,
urgently need to be regulated and UN structures need to be reinforced so that they can carry
out the necessary social and environmental governance. We need a system which allows for
decision-making with clear commitments, which also facilitates the implementation at
national level of these same commitments, a system where actors can be called to account,
for example, when governments and companies do not fulfil such commitments, or those on
financial aid.
For Sustainlabour this was the first meeting of an intensive work plan in preparation for this
Summit: For an urgent, just, participatory, transparent and democratic transition: towards
Rio+20. [This initiative is part of the joint Sustainlabour–UNEP project]
Climate Change Convention and the World of Work Pavilion

After the disappointing results of Copenhagen, the 16th Session of the UN Framework
Convention on Climate Change (COP16) was mandated to restore some confidence in the
process and at the same time end the procedural difficulties generated by the non-adoption
of the Copenhagen Accord.

Throughout the year and starting right after COP15 in Copenhagen, a series of preparatory
negotiations took place. Sustainlabour participated in this preparatory process contributing to
ITUC and its affiliates’ efforts to promote the inclusion of trade union priorities in the
negotiating texts, such as references to Just Transition and Decent Work.
Trade Union priorities in negotiations:

In 2009 trade unions adopted a substantive statement Trade unions and climate change: Equity, justice
and solidarity in the fight against climate change covering the most essential aspects of climate
change, its relationship with the world of work and the role of trade unions. This statement established
the key priorities for the trade union movement in the negotiations and in its relationships with other
significant climate change actors.
In 2010, at the ITUC World Congress held in Vancouver (June 2010), trade unions reconfirmed this
statement as the key document on which general inputs would be based in the process leading up to
Cancun. Key elements of this framework are:
- The call on all governments to commit to a new binding, fair and ambitious agreement for the post
2012-framework which limits temperature increases to no more than 2°C and paves the way for a global
emission reduction of 85% by 2050, and call on developed countries’ governments to commit to
medium-term emission reduction of an estimated 25-40% from 1990 levels by 2020.
- The need of a “Just Transition”. Government-driven investments, innovation and skills development,
social protection and consultation with social partners (unions and employers) are essential if we want to
make change happen..
- Sufficient public funding needs to be allocated by developed countries to adaptation in developing

countries. Social protection schemes, decent work promotion and quality public services as a means for
reducing poverty and thus vulnerability to climate change are fundamental.
- Major investments are needed to develop sustainable long-term industrial policies, aimed at retaining
and creating decent jobs.
The text of the final agreement reached in Cancun contains a reference to Just Transition and
Decent Work. This is an important achievement for trade unions and highlights the necessity of
interlinking labour issues with the climate change agenda. A Just Transition, which would allow
for the creation of decent and quality jobs, is an important concept to convince workers to
get involved in taking action on climate change.
As in previous international environmental meetings, Sustainlabour played an important role in

coordinating the trade union delegation and supporting the ITUC Secretariat’s work
throughout the COP16 in the following capacity: daily briefings, updates on negotiations,
follow up of specific issues, coordination of meetings, communication and outreach, etc. We
also contributed to covering the costs of organizing events, translation, transportation and the
financing of 6 representatives. [This initiative is part of the joint Sustainlabour–UNEP project]
WoW II – World of Work Pavilion, December 2-7, Universidad del Sur,

Cancun
Following the successful turnout and positive feedback received for
the first World of Work (WoW) pavilion in Copenhagen, it was
decided to repeat the event in Cancun, ensuring a platform for
trade unions to share ideas, challenges and good practices.
The WoW pavilion featured a wide range of events – 13 in total -

organised by trade unions from around the globe and from
different sectors of work. Themes included climate strategies in
Latin America, low carbon industrial policies in Europe; transport
and industry sectoral approaches, union actions in the US, Canada and Japan, among
others.

Sustainlabour organised the opening training session of the WoW and gave general support to
ITUC in organizing this space for training and sharing of trade union experiences. For more
information see section on Training activities.
Civil Society Advisory Group on International Environmental

Governance (IEG)
In 2009 governments initiated a consultation process regarding the reform of the international
environmental governance system. As part of this process and in response to the demands of
civil society groups, in October 2010 the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
announced the creation of a Civil Society Advisory Group.
The Advisory Group consists of 15 core members and 6 substitutes from 21 countries with
significant expertise in international environmental governance representing the 9 Major
Groups in 6 regions. The members were selected by the UNEP Major Groups Facilitating
Committee. Among them Laura Martin of Sustainlabour was selected to represent Workers
and Trade Unions Major Group.
A larger 100-person group on international environmental governance has also been formed,
composed of experts who had expressed interest to contribute and be engaged in the
governance discussions. A process for contributions from a wider constituency is currently
being planned.

Environmental discussions in trade union forums and

congresses
Now the people – from the crisis to climate justice: Vancouver Congress
One thousand delegates representing 176 million members from 155
countries and territories took part in the Second World Congress of the
International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) held from June 21-25 in
Vancouver, Canada. Sharan Burrow, current member of Sustainlabour’s
board, was elected as General Secretary, the first woman ever.
The congress provided an important space for discussions and exchange
between affiliate organisations as well as representatives from the World
Trade Organisation (WTO), United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP), Greenpeace International, to name but a few, on the drafting of
resolutions and advancement of proposals in the areas of climate change, sustainable
development and green economy.
A noteworthy outcome of the Congress was the adoption of an ambitious resolution on
climate change, a true reflection of the joining of unions from all over the world. The resolution
establishes policies on the need for ambitious emission reductions in developed countries, for
sufficient funding to be allocated to help the poorest of the world to adapt to climate
change, and for developing countries not to repeat the mistakes of the past but instead to
engage in a different development path, so as to help build a low carbon, climate resilient
and socially-fair world.
“In the last years, unions have deepened their understanding and commitment on
climate change; the time has come in this 2nd ITUC Congress to consolidate our
policies”. “With this resolution, trade unions of the world show that if there is ambition
and solidarity, it is possible to agree on the measures needed to combat climate
change; governments should step up to their responsibilities, as unions have done”.
(Guy Ryder, ITUC Former General Secretary)
“Climate change is definitely a workers’ issue, and Congress is demonstrating
leadership by showing that there is no incompatibility between achieving decent work
and social justice and protecting the environment. “On the contrary, targeted
investments and policies aimed at creating green and decent jobs in certain sectors,
such as renewable energies, energy efficiency and public transportation can help us
overcome the job crisis we are living through, and unions today are willing to convey
this message to the world”. (Sharan Burrow, ITUC GS elected in Vancouver)
Resolution excerpts:
3. Congress emphasises the enormous potential for the creation of green and decent work
from a successful process of just transition that provides new green jobs opportunities,
anticipates potential losses of economic activity, employment and income in certain sectors
and regions, and protects the most vulnerable throughout the economy and the whole world.
It welcomes the Green Jobs report published jointly by the ITUC with UNEP, the ILO, and the IOE
and calls for its major findings to be taken up in the development of national and international
policy-making so that the social and employment dimensions of the fight against climate
change are fully addressed, including the full institutional involvement of trade unions in the
planning and implementation of just transition measures, at workplace, sectoral, national and
international levels; awareness raising of the importance of just transition measures among
public officials as well as the general public; skills development, vocational training and other
measures to re-employ any workers made redundant across all sectors; the provision of
adequate social protection; investment in low carbon technologies; social dialogue;
coordinated industrial policies and research; and transparent, democratic and effective
global governance in the transition to a low carbon and resource efficient economy. Congress
stresses the gender equality opportunities associated with the creation of green jobs, if women
are trained and encouraged to join that sector.
4. Congress further recognises the importance of union-led initiatives in building membership in

the green economy; green workplace projects to cut workplace emissions and energy use by
engaging union members in the challenge of climate change; union-led environmental
education and training programmes; and new rights for union workplace environment
representatives to information and training on environmental issues. Collective bargaining and
collective agreements are important tools for trade unions to facilitate a just transition towards
a low emission society. A precondition for democratic involvement of trade unions in climate
policies is that the principles of ILO Conventions No. 87 and No. 98 be fully respected.
8. Congress recognises with deep concern that environmental degradation and climate
change is already impacting severely the livelihoods of millions of working people and the
sustainability of large numbers of communities. It is estimated that up to a billion people will be
forced to leave their homes by 2050 due to climate change, environmental degradation and
resultant conflict, with women being disproportionately affected. Small island and low-lying
developing countries face a particularly critical situation requiring international solidarity and
Congress therefore supports the possible strengthening of global long term goals for emissions
reductions in the light of new scientific evidence, including a possible limit of temperature rise
to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The impacts of climate change on water availability and quality will
intensify current water management problems and also require huge investments. Due to
these and other impacts, climate change jeopardises human rights. It is essential that the fight
against environmental degradation and climate change be carried forward with full regard to
overall trade union goals of social justice, decent work and gender equality, within the
framework of a strategy of just transition from the current production and consumption pattern
to a sustainable low carbon climate-resilient alternative.
Congress instructs the ITUC and regional organisations, working together with Global Unions partners
and affiliates, to:
Strengthen outreach work with governments, UN agencies, civil society organisations and enterprises
on promoting the green and decent jobs agenda, and with the Sustainlabour Foundation on training
and increasing trade union capacity including through the organisation of a Second Trade Union
Assembly on Labour and the Environment.
Contributing to the discussions on climate change, Sustainlabour organized a side event

“Unions Fighting Climate Change, Join us!” which Sharan Burrow, the newly elected General
Secretary of the ITUC, attended as a keynote speaker along with 45 other participants. In her
intervention she reiterated that climate change is most definitely an issue of concern for
workers and reaffirmed the international trade union movement’s commitment to the climate
change agenda. The side event opened with the screening of the ITUC/Sustainlabour video
Time to Tackle Climate Change, produced within the framework of the joint Sustainlabour-
UNEP project.
Representatives from LO-Denmark and CROC Mexico presented initiatives undertaken in

preparation for COP 16 in Cancun. A lively debate developed around two main questions
presented to those in attendance: “What main challenges are you facing, nationally and at
union level?” and “What are your expectations from ITUC and the international labour
movement in advancing the agenda?” The side event session also included several other
interventions consisting of concrete proposals and ideas regarding the importance of trade
union action on climate change.

Successful conclusions to projects
Conclusion of chemicals management project: a true success!
Every day, millions of workers are exposed to chemical substances in the chemical industry
but also in the downstream sectors where these substances are used: agriculture, building,
trade and woodworking industry, automotive sector, textiles, IT, among others. Chemical
hazards currently represent a major cause of mortality related to working conditions in the
world.
438 thousand workers die each year
The project “Enabling Workers and Workplaces worldwide from exposure to chemical
for SAICM implementation” was designed by substances in the workplace.
Sustainlabour, jointly with the International Trade
Union Confederation (ITUC) and the 125 million workers are exposed to
International Federation of Chemical, Energy, asbestos resulting in 90 000 deaths a year.
Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM). The
two-year project was carried out in Brazil, Chile 10% of skin cancers could be attributed to
and Uruguay, initiated in October 2008 and exposure to harmful substances in the
finished in September 2010. It had the support of workplace.
the Trade Union Confederation of America
(TUCA) as well as the active commitment of 37% of miners in Latin America suffer from
national trade union organisations, particularly, some degree of silicosis.
CNQ/CUT Brazil, CUT Chile, and PIT-CNT from
Uruguay. 2 million rural and country workers become
intoxicated each year from exposure to
Project objectives agro toxins.
To strengthen skills and capacities of Trade
Unions from Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay to enable them to be in a better position to participate
effectively in the implementation of the Strategic Approach to International Chemical
Management (SAICM) in the workplace, at the sectoral, national and regional levels.
And:
• Promote national and regional alliances and strengthen the relations, improving
dialogue between actors working on chemical management.
• Identify existing capacities of national actors as well as information gaps and specific
needs of trade unions regarding the issue.
• Develop informative and educational materials on chemical safety adapted to
different national characteristics and needs.
• Generate spaces for training on the issue of chemical risk to prepare workers
representatives for trade union action.
Activities in 2010:
• Training seminar in Uruguay – Raigon, April 2010
• Training seminar in Chile – Santiago de Chile, July 2010
• Training seminar in Brazil – San Pablo, July 2010
• International evaluation meeting – San Pablo, July de 2010
• Publication of training material: Brazil, Chile and Uruguay
• Publication of magazine containing conclusions of the San Pablo Tripartite
Conference
• Publication of sector specific leaflets: Brazil (rubber, fertilizer, plastics); Chile (mining,
agriculture, salmon farming); Uruguay (chemical, steel and pulp industry)
Key figures and outcomes:

72 trade union organizations have been reached through the project, with
an estimated total of 9 million members.
624 participants in project activities, 439 men (70%), 185 women (30%)
In addition to these, the Project:

Permitted mainstreaming of sound management of chemicals in the Trade Union
agenda: consolidating existing spaces by making them more dynamic and
contributing to the opening of new spaces.
Succeeded in promoting dialogue and reinforcing alliances with government and
other actors for the treatment of these issues, in some cases, as the first opportunity
for collaboration and dialogue between certain government areas and trade union
organisations.
Strengthened trade union capacities through the training of trade union leaders for
the improvement of interventions in social dialogue at different levels, from collective
bargaining to national and international policies.
Trained a group of trade union representatives with the capacity to multiply the
trainings within their own organisations and spreading to other sectors.
Provided concrete tools to raise awareness and revitalize these issues at workplaces
and at trade union centres, by developing materials reflecting the reality in each
country and for different sectors.
Consolidated communication and exchange networks as a space for dialogue
between trade unions at the regional level.
At the level of each country, the advances have been different depending on the initial
situation in terms of trade unions´ capacities to address these themes. Apart from the impact
of the training and awareness raising activities, among the main concrete results were:
Brazil: It propelled the reactivation for the National Commission on Chemical Safety –
CONASQ – which had been paralyzed over the past two years.
Chile: as a direct result of the project, CUT Chile representatives integrated the Commission
of Coordination of National Policy on Chemical Safety – PNSQ, which up until the start of the
project had not included trade unions.
Uruguay: It had a direct impact on the extension of the Bipartite Health Commissions in the
factories (something previously exclusive to the chemical Industry).
Another important outcome is the number of activities that were undertook by trade unions
participating in the project in their own countries, and that were a direct result of the
mobilization process generated by the Project.
Project: Enabling Workers and Workplaces for SAICM implementation

Location: Brazil, Chile, Uruguay
Period: October 2008 – September 2010
Beneficiaries: 624 workers from 72 trade unions.
In collaboration with: ITUC, ICEM, CNQ/CUT (Brazil), CUT-Chile, PIT-CNT (Uruguay)
New project on chemical management in Latin America approved

A new project was presented by Sustainlabour and ITUC, inspired by the good results of the
above-mentioned project, to the SAICM QSP Trust Fund and will be implemented this time
with trade unions from El Salvador, Dominican Republic and Nicaragua.
The new project “Promoting sound chemical management through strengthening workers´
capacities” was approved in November 2010 by the SAICM Secretariat and is expected to
begin in the second semester of 2011.
Project: Promoting sound chemical management through strengthening workers´ capacities

Location: El Salvador, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic
Period: September 2011 – August 2013 (tentative)

In collaboration with: ITUC and national trade unions
Conclusion of the first Labour and Environment Project with UNEP 2007-
2010 – the figures speak for themselves!
The idea for this type of programme emerged following the success of the First Trade Union
Assembly on Labour and Environment (WILL, “Workers´ Initiatives for a Lasting Legacy”,
January 2006, Nairobi, Kenya) which was organized by the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP) and Sustainlabour, in partnership with the International Trade Union
Confederation (ITUC) and its affiliates, the International Labour Organisation (ILO), and the
World Health Organisation (WHO). The assembly was a landmark event due to the broad
participation of trade union organisations from the North and South, the diverse issues
addressed – climate change, chemical substances, water, corporate social responsibility,
etc., and due to the novelty of these relations between very different actors.
The programme, therefore, arose as a response to a two-fold necessity:
To accompany the evolution of the environmental agenda which holds a central position in
economic agendas: The urgency and dimension of the challenges that the planet faces,
such as climate change, have resulted in environmental policies being taken out of the
sidelines of economic agendas and occupying a central place in the debates. This new
angle requires new dimensions to be integrated; the labour dimension is one very important
part when speaking about economic and social development.
To amplify the social participation in environmental issues and the diversity of actors involved
in these issues: Trade union organisations have an important role to play due to their broad-
scale structures and capacity to reach such large affiliations (few other structures exists that
have as many members) and their central position in the production system.
Promoting and strengthening the participation of unionists from the

South in international negotiations on climate change, chemical
management and sustainable development/green economy
Capacity-building: Strengthening capacities of trade union

organisations from the South – Developing Training Materials and
Carrying out Training Activities
Research – drafting of investigative papers or reports (Green Jobs
and Women Workers)
Making the change real: Implementing projects in trade union
organisations based on successful experiences and good practices
Awareness-raising of workers and their organisations on
environmental issues – increasing visibility of pressing challenges
through mobilization, outreach and communication
Programme Objectives:
• Increase participation of workers and trade unions in international environmental

processes
• Increase workers and trade unions´ capacities to replicate/adapt case studies on
environmental issues in their workplaces and communities
• Increase awareness of environmental issues among workers and trade unions
The programme’s work spans four key regions: Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia
Pacific, Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

The figures speak for themselves:
202 trade union organisations reached through programme activities with an

estimated total of 118.129.056 members – immense global networks with impressive
reach and an extensive capacity for disseminating information. These numbers
represent 67,12% of the total members of the ITUC
Country coverage: Beneficiaries from 87 countries – 47% of the world’s total attesting
to a programme with a truly global reach
839 participants in trainings and seminars, 63% men and 37% women
Actor involvement: 80% unionists and 20% non trade union actors (NGOs, academia,
governments, intergovernmental organisations) leading to the exchange of positions,
to the strengthening of regional, international and national relations, to the creation of
networks, and the advancement of relevant issues with the trade union agenda.
Reaching out to other key actors, disseminating the work that we do, and building

alliances contribute to providing support to trade unions from the inside as well as from
the outside.
With quality: High participant appraisals given in evaluations of all programme

activities reflected by an average score of 4 out of 5 across all activities and issues
evaluated.
Following participation in the programme activities, participants have carried out

activities (campaigns, seminars, resolutions, projects) in their unions on issues raised
attesting to the sustainability of this initiative.
From training activities to awareness-raising events, the programme’s activities have been
carried out on a truly global scale with extensive far-reaching results.
This programme has contributed to the building of union strategies to face current challenges
of an unsustainable model of production and consumption and has provided tools to
advance towards a low-carbon economy, while addressing the current social inequalities
and promoting decent jobs.
This initiative has proven to be a relevant and timely opportunity to improve engagement of
workers and trade unions in the development and implementation of environmental policy, in
particular by supporting unions´ participation and promoting their representation in
international negotiation processes, facilitating spaces for discussion and policy definition.
Furthermore it has also served as a platform for unions to promote their initiatives broadening
the base of beneficiaries, in particular, at national and sector level. It has helped to build
alliances with other social groups that have participated in the training sessions or with whom
positions and strategies have been shared in the negotiation forums.
What’s next? Approval of the second phase of the programme

Project: Towards Green and Decent Jobs: Enhancing Workers and Trade Unions´ Capacity
Location: Africa, Asia Pacific, Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean
Period: 2010-2013
In collaboration with: ITUC and national trade union centres
RETURN TO A GLOBAL FOCUS

Reinforce the global component of the programme which promotes North-South and South-South
exchanges as well as the search for integrated solutions.
Second Assembly on Labour and Environment
SUPPORTING UNION ENGAGEMENT

Provide support for the participation of developing country unionists in environmental negotiations,
ongoing input and contributions to trade union positions at international level.
Including climate change and chemicals, Rio + 20
RESEARCH
Strengthen sectoral research on green and decent economy.
Studies planned on those sectors that are particularly important for a transition to a green economy or
particularly vulnerable to environmental disasters (e.g. agriculture and transport)
CAPACITY-BUILDING
Maintain a focus on training for strengthening capacities in three areas:
• Sustainable Development toward green and decent jobs: trade union action toward a green
economy
• Climate change
Sound and sustainable chemical management
DISSEMINATING THE TRANSITION

Continue trade union awareness-raising efforts
Develop simple materials in local languages for workers: leaflets and audiovisuals for distribution in the
workplace. Provide additional support to trade union-driven campaigns
3. WHAT WE SAID
Publications
Research projects
Study on social dialogue in environmental policies
The environmental and climate change crisis are among the main challenges our societies
face today. Their serious consequences, as well as the complexity of the management and
implementation of the changes needed, require the collective and agreed upon action of all
sectors of society.
The main international environmental processes recognize participation and social dialogue
as key elements in environmental and sustainable development policy. They also encourage
countries to develop consultation and participatory processes at national and local level,
guaranteeing access to information, transparency and social accountability.
The study, “Social dialogue on environmental policy around the world. A selection of national
and regional participatory experiences”, aims to identify different dialogue experiences for
the design and implementation of environmental policies and how these processes
incorporate issues related to the world of work and could contribute to a Just Transition.
Main conclusions
44 experiences were identified, of which 12 have been selected for an in-depth study. This included
interviews with key actors (government, trade unions, employers, NGOs). Some of the main
conclusions are:
Potential of these dialogues:
- Facilitate access to information, exchange, and the sharing of demands and concerns,
improving the understanding of the challenges and opportunities of the different actors
- Help anticipate impacts and potential conflicts, providing a space for the building of
consensus on sensitive and complex issues.
- Provide an opportunity to strengthen or create alliances between the different civil society
actors, as well as the possibility of identifying convergences and divergences.
- Offer mechanisms for civil society to accompany, evaluate, and eventually redirect the
implementation of governmental measures and policies.
Areas of concern:
- Lack of a binding character. None of the analyzed experiences consists of a binding process.
- Lack of technical or financial resources to follow up the dialogue processes, especially for civil
society organisations.
- Low level of participation by governmental Labour and Employment departments, as well as
Planning and Economic departments, which makes policy coordination and implementation
difficult.
Language: English
For: ILO
Date of publication: pending publication

Social Dimension of Climate Change

Climate change is widely considered as the main threat for future human development. The
impact of climate change is already evident in several regions of the world, affecting the
daily lives of people everywhere in terms of employment; livelihoods; health; adequate
housing; water; education; food security and nutrition; gender equity and other human rights.
It is well known that the causes and impacts of climate change have a social dimension. The
responsibility for climate change is determined by social factors and, therefore, proposed
policies to combat climate change and adapt to it will also have important social effects.
The paper “The Social Dimensions of Climate Change”, commissioned to Sustainlabour by the
ILO, aims to contribute to the understanding of these linkages and provide reflections on how
the different social actors can support adaptation and mitigation that address the needs of
the poorest and most vulnerable, while contributing to the achievement of development
goals.
The paper examines how the social dimension is reflected in the international climate change
regime, and explores how both the causes of climate change and the vulnerability to its
impacts are grounded in social structures and are socially differentiated. The potential social
impacts and opportunities related to addressing climate change are outlined, focusing on
health, employment, gender, housing and food security.
Language: English
For: ILO, UN Working Group on Climate Change
Date of publication: pending publication
Training and outreach material

Pesticides manual
More than one third of the world’s labour force works in the agricultural sector. In Sub-Saharan
Africa there are almost 180 million workers, representing 60% of the labour force in the region.
Agriculture is one of the top three most hazardous occupations (after construction work and
mining). Waged agricultural and plantation workers are faced with a number of hazards
related to the use of agrochemicals. Pesticide use is particularly intensive where export crops
such as bananas, sugar, coffee, cotton, cut flowers, tobacco and vegetables predominate,
using highly toxic substances.
Every year it is estimated that 2 million workers are severely poisoned due to the use of toxic
substances, 75% of them living in developing countries. These workers often live where they
work, increasing their exposure and that of their families. Poor storage and disposal facilities
increase the risk of poisonings and environmental contamination.
The Training Manual on Pesticides can be used as an awareness-

raising and training tool for workers on the links between pesticides,
health and safety and the environment. The manual was developed
as part of a project initiated by Sustainlabour and IUF in 2009, along
with trade unions from Senegal, Burkina Faso, Mali and Benin1.
The training guide was developed with reference to a manual

produced by the ILO, updating and adapting its contents so as to
include the link between pesticides and the environment. It consists of
8 chapters which cover topics such as: basic concepts on pesticide
1
This project is a replication of the ”Global Pesticide Project” (GPP) implemented between 2005 and 2006 by the IUF and agricultural trade unions
in Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe and later Malawi, Nigeria and Ethiopia, with the support of the ILO.
classification; dangers associated with the use of pesticides in the workplace for health and
safety and the environment; preventive and precautionary measures; alternatives and
legislation in the field. It also includes examples and questions to help consolidate learning.
Language: French
Project: UNEP
Date of publication: May 2010
Manual on environmental management in hotel facilities

Tourism is a growing sector world-wide largely related to the surrounding environment.
Environment preservation is a mid- and long-term goal for the tourism industry, and an issue of
growing concern and action. The promotion of environmental protection measures is also
about addressing the improvement of the physical and working environment, directly related
to workers’ occupational health and safety.
In Malaysia, the travel and tourism industry represents 7.2% of GDP, and directly employs more
than 750,000 workers (6.7% of the labour force), and is expected to grow in the coming years.
The Manual on Environmental Management in Hotel Facilities, aimed

at workers in Malaysia, is part of the project “Moving Green! For a
safe and healthy workplace and environmental protection in hotel
facilities”, which is being carried out in Malaysia under our joint
programme with the UNEP.
The guide, printed in Malay, deals with the main environmental

impacts associated with the daily running of hotels, in particular
issues related to the use of chemical products, water, energy and
waste and possible tools for action at the workplace to ensure the
health of workers and that of the environment. The manual also
presents concepts such as sustainable development and Decent
Work, as well as examples of trade union action on environmental issues.
Language: Malay
Project: UNEP
Date of Publication: Early 2011
Sector specific leaflets on chemical risk

These leaflets are one of the end results of the
project on “Enabling Workers and Workplaces for
SAICM Implementation”, carried out in Brazil, Chile
and Uruguay between October 2008 and
September 2010.
There are thousands of substances for industrial and

domestic use produced and used in the three
countries, not only in the chemical industry, but also
in many other sectors known for their intensive use of
chemical substances: steel industry, paper factories,
pulp, mining, agriculture, fertilizer factories, plastics, rubber.
These sectors are present in all three countries, with different levels of importance in the
national economy. A common feature is the high proportion of small and medium-sized
enterprises and the high percentage of outsourced workers.
While all chemical substances can be dangerous, the risk for workers and the environment
vary between sectors, depending on how dangerous the substances are and the manner in

which the workplace is organized. Starting from the premises that you cannot fight against
what you do not know, the sector specific leaflets aim to inform, raise awareness and
disseminate proposals for actions in reducing chemical risks in these key sectors.
Brazil: rubber, plastics, fertilizers Language: Spanish or Portuguese

Chile: mining, salmon farming, agriculture Project: SAICM
Uruguay: chemical industry, pulp and steel Date of publication: September 2010
Sustainlabour/ITUC joint video: showcasing unions´ voices

Since the release in late 2009 of the four campaign videos jointly produced by Sustainlabour
and ITUC, which showcase trade unions´ concrete
experiences, challenges, opportunities and commitments
for action on climate change, the videos have been a
huge hit and have been screened at many international
events and gatherings.
In addition, in 2010 these campaign videos along with the

long video Time to tackle Climate Change were submitted
and featured in several labour film festivals. Notably one of
the four short videos, A Call to Action, was featured in LabourStart´s first event Best Labour
Video of the Year contest.
Thanks to the show of support and votes of so many, out of a total of 200 submissions from all
over the world the video came in second place out of six finalists.
Language: Time to Tackle Climate Change – English, Spanish and French

Short campaign videos: English
Project: UNEP
Date of release: December 2009
And as always, our InFocus Bulletin!

Participation in events
Seminar – Women and Green Economy

February 22-23, Barcelona
Sustainlabour participated in this seminar which was organized by the Spanish Trade Union
Comisiones Obreras (CCOO) of Catalunya and presented the draft report “Women Workers
and Green Jobs”.
The seminar was organized in the framework of a European project promoted by the German
Trade Union DGB on green jobs and women workers, which includes the participation of
several countries such as the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Italy among others. The project´s
objective is to encourage the development of green jobs while ensuring certain conditions of
equal access for women to newly-created positions, through proposals and the promotion of
concrete action measures. It is currently estimated that on a global level, the percentage of
women employed in so-called green jobs does not exceed 25% in the industry sector, or 9% in
construction (figures as per report).
ISTAS organized an ambitious trade union forum on chemical risk

10-12 March Seville, Spain
Is the management of chemical risk satisfactory at the company level? How are REACH
(European Community Regulation on chemicals and their safe use) guidelines applied in
Europe? What are some of the difficulties and advances in relation to risk prevention in
companies, and public policies for addressing chemical risk? These and other issues were
discussed by more than 500 participants from all over the world at the IV Forum on Chemical
Risk organized by the Trade Union Institute of Environmental Work and Health (Instituto Sindical
de Trabajo Ambiente y Slaud – ISTAS).
Although it may come as a surprise, the harmful, toxic, and eco-toxicological properties of
commercial substances are unknown. However, publicly available information indicates that
workers as well as the general population are exposed to substances that are highly toxic and
are present in the workplace, in the environment, and in food products. Chemical risk is an
invisible enemy, but is chemical risk a real danger? Just in Spain, it is estimated that each year
4,000 workers lose their lives, 33,000 become ill, and 18,000 suffer accidents due to workplace
exposure to harmful chemical substances.
The IV Forum on Chemical Risk, organized by ISTAS, was held in Seville, Spain from March 10-
12. Sustainlabour participated in the panel sessions dedicated to international trade union
experiences on chemical risk, and presented ongoing work activities carried out as part of the
project “Enabling workers and workplaces for SAICM implementation” in Brazil, Chile and
Uruguay, as well as in Benin, Mali, Senegal and Togo as part of the Global Pesticides Project.

Energy Management of the XXI century

March 18 Tarragona, Spain
The Environmental Department of the Spanish Trade Union CCOO (Comisiones Obreras) in the
region of Catalunya organized throughout 2010 a series of seminars to discuss current energy
management challenges in Catalunya with the objective of advancing in the definition of a
new sustainable model. During these debates issues that were addressed included the
environmental problems associated with the current energy model in the region and at a
global level, the relationship with and implications for employment, as well as the measures
and policies that are necessary for its creation.
Also discussed was the economic impact of the increasing costs of fossil resources and the
benefits of anticipating a change in the model of energy use. Furthermore other key topics of
discussion were the challenges associated with the network of distribution and the need for
new networks and infrastructure in order to ensure the quality and efficiency of energy supply.
Sustainlabour was invited to participate in one of these sessions held in Tarragona on March
18, 2010 in order to take part in the reflections and work that have been developed in this
area at the international level.
GURN Meeting: climate change and labour

March 25, Brussels, Belgium
In recent years many studies have been carried out focusing on the expected impacts of
climate change but, is information that unions require to guide their actions really made
available? Unfortunately, the effects of climate change on employment have not been
awarded that much attention, and when they have, this information has lacked the inclusion
of social variables - essential for trade unions.
Unions and researchers look jointly for solutions. From March 25-26, unionists and researchers
gathered to discuss “Climate Change, impacts on employment and the labour market”, at a
workshop organized by the Global Unions Research Network (GURN) and the International
Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) held in Brussels, Belgium. This workshop was an important
step toward overcoming this deficit. Science-based information will be key in order to
understand changes and to propose solutions.
The workshop aimed to discuss concrete country-based studies (Mexico, Netherlands,

Tanzania) and research papers exploring different aspects of the relationship between
employment and climate change, possible responses by the labour movement and
sector/industry approaches (agriculture, energy, water management).
Methodologies and areas for future research were discussed such as migration and climate
refugees, social and labour impacts of the National Adaptation Plans, the shortcomings and
challenges of blue-green alliances, green jobs and informal economy. Sustainlabour
extended its congratulations to this initiative which counts on our commitment to keep on
working.

Brazil: Environment and Trade Union action

March 30-31 Sao Pablo, Brazil
“It’s necessary to discuss what type of growth we want, the quality of life for our people is
what’s more important than competitiveness (…) from CUT we defend a development model
that reconciles employment with environmental protection”.
With these words Artur Henrique, the President of CUT Brazil (Central Única dos Trabalhadores)
led the opening of the first National Meeting for the CUT Secretaries of Environment, in
reference to the launch of the second phase of the National Plan for Growth Advancement
(PAC 2) of Lula´s Government the previous day.
The meeting “Sustainable Development: Landscape, Tendencies and Challenges for CUT´s
Trade Union Movement” was held in Sao Pablo from March 30-31, 2010, where some 60
delegates from all the Brazilian states, as well as secretaries of CUT´s federations and
confederations were in attendance.
The national meeting’s main objective was to focus on discussions on the strategies and the
direction for trade union environmental actions in the coming years in the context of CUT´s
overall planning activities, as well as on discussions of several ideas central to the
establishment of an environmental chapter as part of the Workers´ Platform to be presented
to the upcoming 2010 national election candidates.
The first day included the participation of several experts, discussions of challenges and
opportunities for the world of work in the context of a transition to a sustainable development,
and strategies for trade union action in these areas, including the intervention, from a trade
union perspective, in national and international agendas on climate change and “green
jobs”.
According to figures from ILO´s 2009 report on “green

jobs” in Brazil, currently 2.6 million workers are
formally employed in sectors that could be considered
“green”. However, as was discussed during the
meeting, not all of these can be defined as quality jobs
under adequate conditions as many people receive low
pay, and do not have access to social protection or
other labour rights such as unionization.
Carmen Foro, CUT´s National Environment Secretary, defined the ability for the Brazilian trade
union movement to see sustainable development as synonymous with inclusion as one of the
Secretariat’s work objectives “integrating environmental themes with trade union action
remains an ongoing challenge for (Brazilian) trade unions”.
Sustainlabour, who was invited to take part in the discussions on trade union action on the
environment, emphasized the importance of trade unions´ involvement in policies and spaces
for dialogue on environmental issues; the possibilities to advance in collective negotiations
pertaining to these themes; the strengthening of trade unions´ capacities through trainings,
the exchange of experiences, and the consolidation of environmental structures within trade
unions.
The second day’s activities were dedicated to internal discussions for the planning and
definition of core priorities and strategic lines of action in the coming years.
Sustainlabour wishes to congratulate CUT for this initiative, as well for the consolidation of its
environmental unit through the creation of the Secretary of Environment at the national level
and the respective states. We also wish to thank CUT for its ongoing support of Sustainlabour´s
activities from the very beginning, in its capacity as founding and Board member.

World People’s Conference on Climate Change

April 19-22, 2010 Cochabamba, Bolivia
The Conference, held in Cochabamba, Bolivia from

April 19-22, 2010, was convened by the Government
of Bolivia following the disappointing results in
Copenhagen, to serve as a space where
representatives from civil society could share
perspectives and strategies while looking ahead to
COP 16 in Cancun.
Marked by a significant presence of indigenous peoples from Latin America, the World
People’s Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth, was a space for
gathering, debate and exchange between social activists, community leaders, and social
organizations from distinct places throughout the worlds on climate change, its causes,
consequences, and how to address these. In this sense the Conference marked an important
moment for mobilizing and raising awareness of the main challenges we are currently facing.
During the 4-day Conference, discussions were carried out by thematic groups pertaining to
themes such as Carbon Markets, the Kyoto Protocol, Financing, Adaptation, Food
Sovereignty, the Climate Justice Tribunal, and Climate Migrants, among others. In addition
there were special expert panels and hundreds of self-organized activities.
At the closing of the Conference, civil society representatives presented the conclusions of
the 17 thematic groups and to government delegates and representatives from the United
Nations who were in attendance. Sustainlabour followed the discussions of the groups on
Adaptation and REDD.
Permanent Forum of the Observatory on sustainability April 29, Botanical Gardens, Madrid
The Permanent Forum on Sustainability of the Observatory on Sustainability of Spain offers an

opportunity to facilitate periodic political debate on key issues related to a more sustainable
development and to identify relevant aspects for advancing toward this is Spain.
The sessions, of a monographic nature (dedicated to energy, transport, land use, taxation…)
have an assembly-like structure based on the intervention of a panel of experts invited to
participate. The Observatory on the Sustainability of Spain (OSE in Spanish) provides basic
information about each session. At the end of the presentations a lively exchange of opinions
always follows between those in attendance. This forum is highly regarded by the sustainability
agents in Spain. On April 29 a debate was organized around energy policy following
Copenhagen and Sustainlabour was invited to put forth their take on this.
2010 Good jobs, Green jobs National Conference

May 4-6, Washington, USA
The 2010 Good Jobs, Green Jobs National Conference, held from May 4-6, 2010 in
Washington, USA, provided three days of keynotes, plenary sessions and workshops
dedicated to transforming ideas into action for building a revitalized, green economy that
creates good jobs and reduces global warming. The Conference, in its third year, was an
extraordinary event bringing together key stakeholders - including union, environmental,
business and elected leaders - to share ideas and strategies for building the new, green
economy. Trade Union leaders such as Leo Gerard (President of American Steelworkers) and
Nancy Pelosi (House Speaker) were in attendance at the opening of the Conference.
The work of the BlueGreen Alliance, a national alliance of labour unions and environmental
organisations, and the work of Dave Foster – its Executive Director, is highly recognized, as
they have collabourated to form an alliance of different groups capable of mobilizing society
not only in terms of making demands, but also more importantly, when it comes to putting into
practice the foundations of a new economy, one which creates quality jobs and is respectful
of the environment.
Will Green Jobs be sufficient to help us recover from the biggest employment crisis since the
Great Depression? This was one of the debates which took place on day 2 of the
Conference, and which presented high expectations as well as difficulties associated with this
proposal. Throughout the day discussions also took place around different themes from how
to mobilize financing toward green economy projects, proposals for transitions in factories,
and in the construction industry, to green chemical industry, or what are the important links
between occupation health and green jobs. In Sustainlabour we were pleased to be invited
to participate.
International Youth for the Environment Conference (CONFINT)

June 5-10, Luizana, Brazil
Youth from all over the world committed to a fighting for a sustainable future
The International Youth for the Environment Conference (CONFINT) gathererd some 400 youth
and adolescents ranging in ages between 12 and 15, and representing more than 50
countries. These teenagers bring to the CONFINT the message of thousands of youth from their
respective countries, presenting their outlooks and proposals for action in dealing with climate
change and other global socio-environmental problems in the fight for socially responsible
and sustainable societies.
Amidst chants, dances, laughter and applause, the youth delegates arrived in Luiziana, Brazil,
after a process which began over a year ago with projects, events, assemblies and student
gatherings in thousands of schools all over the world, all culminating in each of the countries
with national conferences.
During the final stages of the CONFINT, taking place from June 5-10, 2010, youth put together
their countries’ proposals that they have brought along in order to draft a World Charter “Let’s
Take Care of the Planet”, to be presented to the Brazilian authorities and representatives of
international bodies, as well as to their respective country’s authorities upon their return home.
A multi-lingual group of “facilitators”, consisting of youth between the ages of 18 and 29, who
have received special training in their countries as well as for a week in Brazil, is coordinating
this process of collectively drafting the Charter.
Sustainlabour was invited to take part in the organization of the CONFINT, to collaborate in
the facilitation of a space reserved for the adults accompanying the participating delegates,
who carried out discussions on strategies and contributions to environmental education in the
fight against climate change as well as other global environmental challenges.
The COFINT is a proposal from the Government of Brazil, inspired by the process of the
National Conferences “Let’s take care of Brazil” (Vamos Cuidar do Brasil) which began in
2003. Organizations such as UNESCO, UNICEF and several other Brazilian and international
institutions support this initiative.

4. ANNUAL ACCOUNTS
2010 Financial accounts
Income and expenditures
As previously explained in the introduction, the 2010 budget was significantly lower than that
of 2009. The reduction is due to the completion of the two main training programmes as well
as to the impasse experienced for the approval of the new phases of these programmes.
INCOME 2010 2009 %

SPONSORS AND COLLABORATIONS 155.857,18 112.508,80 € 39%
Istas-CCOO 120.000,00 37.500,00 €
ILO 5.360,15 8.441,55 €
Bangladesh Seminars/TUC Project 6.832,48
IFAS - ETUC 1.701,80 26.143,39 €
Elaboration of Materials/ ILO - ACTRAV 7.122,00
Others 14.840,75 40.423,86 €
GRANTS 313.895,76 532.759,19 € -41%
Sustainlabour-UNEP Progamme 224.714,49 460.322,69 €
SAICM Programme 89.181,27 72.436,50 €
FINANCIAL INCOME/ NON OPERATING INCOME 14.660,10 17.346,60 € -15%
Currency exchange differences 14.386,15 11.748,60 €
Interests on bank balances 273,95 1.219,19 €
Non operating income 4.378,81 €
TOTAL INCOME 484.413,04 662.614,59 € -27%
EXPENDITURES
CURRENT EXPENDITURES 241.669,83 € 204.695,69 € 18%
PERSONNEL 166.602,85 € 135.573,31 € 23%
Wages and salaries 128.103,93 105.957,88 €
Management 43.095,37 43.260,62 €
Programme coordination 58.072,87 41.491,02 €
Administration/finances 26.935,69 21.206,24 €
Social security costs 38.498,92 € 29.615,43 €
Management 11.825,31 10.980,49 €
Programme coordination 18.030,59 12.146,65 €
Administration/finances 8.643,02 6.488,29 €
OTHER CURRENT EXPENDITURES 75.066,98 € 69.122,38 € 9%
Argentina coordination 15.439,69 11.901,96 €
Board meetings costs 4.819,09 2.210,54 €
Coordination meetings 5.112,55 6.106,19 €
Accounting and auditing services 9.680,00 10.853,74 €
External services rendered (translation) 464,36 519,66 €
Technical support 1.333,70 6.321,82 €
Personnel 130,00
Web site 1.228,00 4.297,04 €
Office costs (telephone, email, photocopies, etc.) 27.829,12 22.799,27 €
Other expenses (bank expenses) 9.030,47 4.112,16 €
AMORTIZATON OF CAPITAL ASSETS 6.323,42 4.524,47 € 40%
ACTIVITY EXPENDITURES 224.226,01 € 431.592,45 € -48%
UNEP
Project in Cajamarca 3.071,14 16.201,01 €
Women Workers and Green Jobs 3.935,51 18.971,54 €
Africa Pesticide Project * 8.655,37 30.045,80 €
Sub-regional seminar on chemicals (Arusha) 7.110,12
Sub-regional seminar on chemcials (Accra) 6.070,71
Second Trade Union African Regional Conference on Labour and Environment 59.759,31
Project with workers in hotel facilities in Malaysia 3.834,06
Participation in international events 38.788,12 67.921,27 €
Coordianation, evaluation and terminal report - UNEP 3.650,00
Elaboration and distribution of materials 5.213,98 34.980,24 €
SAICM
Tripartite Regional Conference - Brazil 11.333,18 46.986,53 €
Training seminar - Uruguay 19.398,60 6.144,97 €
Training seminar - Chile 25.780,06 7.977,53 €
Elaboration of materials 5.327,11 991,87 €
Training seminar - Brazil 16.393,70
SAICM Evaluation and Audit 3.130,12
Elaboration of IFAs report 1.985,45 14.632,01 €
Bangladesh Seminar (TUC) 789,47
2009 Activities 186.739,68 €
FINANCIAL/ NON OPERATING EXPENDITURES 11.828,46 € 14.065,33 € -16%
Negative differences in currency exchange 9.873,00 1.406,73 €
Financial expenditures 1.955,46 817,55 €
Non operating expenses 11.841,05 €
TOTAL EXPENDITURES 484.047,72 € 654.877,94 € -26%
TOTAL INCOME OVER EXPENDITURE 365,32 € 7.736,65 € -95%

Balance sheet
BALANCE SHEET
Report notes 2010 2009
ASSETS
A) FIXED ASSETS 22063,05 26139,07
I. Intangible fixed assets. 5 5792,69 6591,87
III. Tangible assests. 6 13270,36 16547,2
IV. Real estate investments.
V. Long term investmentes in companies and group or associated entities
VI. Long term financial investments 3000 3000
B) CURRENT ASSETS 215786,06 382248,2

I. Stocks
II. Users and other debtors of the activity
III. Clientes, users and debtors of the activity 7 191049,85 292088,31
IV. Founders of expenditures required
V. Short term investmentes in companies and group or associated entities
VI. Short term financial investments 8 3589,95 28589,95

VII. Short-term accruals 6493,87
VIII. Cash and banks 10 14652,39 61569,94
TOTAL ASSETS (A+B) 237849,11 408387,27
Report notes 2010 2009

LIABILITIES AND FUNDS
A) EQUITY 44.641,26 237.440,43
A-1) Foundation Resources
I. Foundation Resources
1. Foundation Resources 11 30.000,00 30.000,00
2. (Foundation endowement not required)
II. Reserves 11 0,00
III. Surplus from previous years ** 11 0,00 268,75
IV. Surplus for the year 11 365,32 7.736,65
A-2) Subsidies, Grants
C) CURRENT LIABILITIES 193.207,85 0,00
I. Short-term provisions
II. Short-term debts
1. Debts with credit entities 12 55.723,92 2.352,54
2. Finance lease liabilities
3. Other short-term debts 13 85.660,35 0,00
IV. Suppliers and other accounts payable 12 0,00
1. Suppliers 144.900,57
2. Other creditors 12 47.539,52 23.693,73
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND FUNDS (A+B+C) 237.849,11 408.387,27

Income by donor
The donors reflect the continuity of the programmes and agreements of previous years. In
addition minor contributions results from collaborations and programmes of the ILO. Small
programme incomes are also reflected developed from previous years, such as that of the
ETUC/European Commission, which only represents the last disbursement.
INCOME BY DONOR 2010

Programme - Strengthening Trade Union
UNEP 224.714,49 € Participation in International Processes
SAICM 89.181,27 € Programme - Brazil, Chile, Uruguay
Istas - CCOO 120.000,00 € Contribution agreement + services
Elaboration of paper on social dimensions of
ILO 5.360,15 € climate change
TUC 6.832,48 € Seminars in Bangladesh
Elaboration of Manual on Africa/ Elaboration of
International Training Centre project document - trade union training project
ILO / ACTRAV 7.122,00 € in Africa and Latin America
ETUC/European Commission 1.701,80 € International Framework Agreements (IFAs)
TOTAL 454.912,19 €

Deviation across budget

The budget deviation is of 10%, which reflects that the prudent conservatism with which last
year´s budget was elaborated. The item that has increased the most has been the one
corresponding to current expenditures, due to the rise in office costs.
INCOME 2010 Budget %

SPONSORS AND COLLABORATORS 155.857,18 106.666,67 46%
ISTAS-CCOO 120.000,00 60.000,00
ILO 5.360,15 6.666,67
Bangladesh Seminars/TUC 6.832,48
IFAs-ETUC 1.701,80
Elaboration of materials/ ILO - ACTRAV 7.122,00
Others 14.840,75 40.000,00
GRANTS 313.895,76 331.841,34 -5%
UNEP-Sustainlabour Programme 224.714,49 251.886,67
Programme SAICM 89.181,27 79.954,67
FINANCIAL INCOME/ NON OPERATING INCOME 14.660,10 0,00
Currency exchange differences 14.386,15
Interests on bank balances 273,95
Non operating income
TOTAL INCOME 484.413,04 438.508,01 10%
EXPENDITURES
CURRENT EXPENDITURES 241.669,83 215.157,60 12%
PERSONNEL 166.732,85 157.779,00 6%
Wages and salaries 128.103,93 123.052,00
Management 43.095,37 40.208,00
Programme coordination 58.072,87 55.844,00
Administration 26.935,69 27.000,00
Social security costs 38.498,92 34.727,00
Management 11.825,31 10.978,00
Programme coordination 18.030,59 16.297,00
Administration 8.643,02 7.452,00
OTHER CURRENT EXPENDITURES 75.066,98 57.378,60 31%
Argentina coordination 15.439,69 11.205,60
Board meetings costs 4.819,09 15.000,00
Coordination meetings 5.112,55
Accounting and auditing services 9.680,00 7.100,00
External services (translation) 464,36 2.000,00
Technical advice 1.333,70
Web 1.228,00 2.000,00
Office costs (telephone, post, photocopies) 27.829,12 20.073,00
Other expenses (bank expenses) 9.030,47
AMORTIZATION OF CAPITAL ASSETS 6.323,42 5.163,82 22%
ACTIVITY EXPENDITURES 224.226,01 204.684,52 10%
UNEP
Cajamarca Project 3.071,14
Women Workers and Green Jobs 3.935,51
Pesticides Project Africa 8.655,37 28.000,00
Sub-regional seminar on chemicals (Arusha) 7.110,12 6.666,67
Sub-regional seminar on chemicals (Accra) 6.070,71 6.666,67
Second Regional African Conference on Labour and Environment 59.759,31 40.000,00
Hotel facilities Project Malaysia 3.834,06 20.000,00
Participation in international events 38.788,12 42.520,00
Coordination, evaluation and terminal report - UNEP 3.650,00 5.564,52
Elaboration and distribution of materials 5.213,98
SAICM
Regional tripartite conference - Brazil 11.333,18 12.435,00
Training seminar - Uruguay 19.398,60 12.435,00
Training seminar - Chile 25.780,06 12.435,00
Elaboration of materials SAICM 5.327,11 5.526,67
Training seminar - Brazil 16.393,70 12.435,00
SAICM Evaluation and Audit 3.130,12
Elaboration of report on IFAS 1.985,45
Bangladesh Seminars (TUC) 789,47
FINANCIAL / NON OPERATING EXPENDITURES 11.828,46 5.240,00 126%
Negative currency exchange differences 9.873,00
Financial expenses 1.955,46 5.240,00
Non operating expenses
TOTAL EXPENDITURES 484.047,72 430.245,94 13%
TOTAL INCOME OVER EXPENDITURES 365,32 8.262,07 -96%

Annual Report 2010: Sustainlabour, International Labour Foundation For Sustainable Development (Sustainlabour, 2010)

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Annual Report 2010: Sustainlabour, International Labour Foundation For Sustainable Development (Sustainlabour, 2010)

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Sustainlabour

International Labour Foundation

2010 Annual Report

Members of the Board, 2010:

Chairman: Joël Decaillon

Honorary Chairman: Joaquín Nieto Sainz

Registration number: 28/1298

Annual Report 2010 2

Sustainlabour on the Web 12

2010 – Looking to Africa 13

Supporting the voice of workers in environmental negotiations 22

Environmental discussions in trade union forums and congresses

Successful conclusions to projects

Enabling Workers and Workplaces for SAICM implementation 28

Annual Report 2010 3

From Sustainlabour, the trade union movement, development, environmental organisations or

Change of climate in Cancun?

Annual Report 2010 4

The year in which preparations for Rio + 20 began

In 2010 Sustainlabour participated in the preparatory meetings in order to begin to better

Laura Martín Murillo

Annual Report 2010 5

Annual Report 2010 6

Annual Report 2010 7

2010 List of countries covered

Africa (25) Asia Pacific (12) Eastern Europe Latin America

2010 Participants per type - %

Annual Report 2010 8

2010 Participants across areas of w ork - %

Thematic area of w ork

Participant distribution across levels of activity

Participant distribution across regions

2010 Participant Regional Distribution

Annual Report 2010 9

Budget for activities per region %

2010 Overall Participant Gender Distribution

2010 Regional gender distribution

Annual Report 2010 10

Trade union organisations

2010 Regional distribution of trade union organizations

2010 Distribution of Materials

Report:Women Video: Time to

Annual Report 2010 11

Regional distribution of m aterials

Sustainlabour on the Web

Bulletin – InFocus In social networks

Annual Report 2010 12

2010 – Looking to Africa

Four years later: advances and challenges in Africa. Second Regional

This Second Conference took place four years

Annual Report 2010 13

Chemical risk as part of trade union action on occupational health and

Annual Report 2010 14

Latin America – Intensifying the debate

Sustainable Development and Decent Work in Latin America.

The seminar was held in Montevideo, between

1. Set up training programmes, research and communication on environmental and

“... We recognize that the environmental crisis is a result of a development

The transition to sustainable and fair development models requires critical

Annual Report 2010 15

Second on-line course: another successful call

Trade union training in Ecuador:

The “Andean Forum: climate change and chemical