Conference on the New Social Contract - A Trade Union Perspective for Latin America and the Caribbean

The world is undergoing a significant transformation, driven by changing patterns in globalisation, rapid technological change and the ever-present climate crisis. These changes are profoundly affecting the world of work, threatening sustainable economic development and social cohesion in many countries, particularly in Latin America and the Caribbean. This has challenged the capacity of many governments to provide adequately for its people and to honour its social contract, given the fact that regulatory systems are oftentimes not keeping up with changes in the world of work.

In this context, the concept of a “new social contract” has emerged as a framework for rethinking the relationships between the state and its people. This new social contract aims to foster social progress and social justice, to ensure systematic inclusivity in every dimension of social and economic life, and to provide our economies and our societies with the necessary agility to adapt to a world undergoing rapid and profound changes.

Trade unions have a crucial role to play in shaping this new social contract. As the largest membership-based organisation in the world, they must advocate for more inclusive and equitable economic policies, and for a just transition towards a more sustainable economy. However, to effectively play this role, trade unions need to adapt to the changing world of work and to strengthen their capacity to represent and protect workers in non-standard forms of employment.

The conference will focus on the concept of a new social contract, how existing social contracts have failed in providing for the needs of its people and delve deeper on two key aspects of the new social contract: macroeconomic policies and technological change. These are two of the main drivers of the current transformations in the world of work, and they are also areas where trade unions can have a significant impact. By focusing on these areas, the conference aims to equip trade unions with the knowledge and tools they need to shape the new social contract and to promote decent work and social justice in the region.

Objectives

1. The conference will provide a platform for regional dialogue among trade unions, governments, employers’ representatives, and academia on the evolving social contract in the context of changing economic, social and environmental impacts, with a particular focus on macroeconomic policies and technological advancements. 
2. It will facilitate exchange of best practices and lessons learned with regards to the role trade unions play in influencing policy making, and to discuss strategies on recent economic and social challenges.
3. Develop actionable recommendations for policy and practice to strengthen the role of the tripartite constituents, governments, employers’, and workers’ organisations, in shaping the new social contract.

Tentative Programme

Day 1: 26 June 2024

• Opening
• High-level session: Panel on Establishing a New Social Contract: Limitations of existing governance structures at national and international level in the light of transformative change in the world of work and the way forward.
• Session 1: Conference: Economic development and multiple crises, impacts on the world of work.
• Session 2: Enabling public policies for decent work, through International Labour Standards implementation and social dialogue.

Day 2: 27 June 2024

• Session 3: Impact of technological change: AI and big data change the foundations of work and workplaces.
• Session 4: Approach, concept and building blocks of a New Social Contract.
• Session 5: Building a common agenda and regional trade union strategies.
• Closing