For the union leaders of the these two organisations, the current document at the Rio de Janeiro summit has further reduced expectations about the direction of sustainable development, which may represent the failure in the outcome of the negotiations.

Two goals have been identified by trade unionists as being vital in order for the Rio+20 to represent a breakthrough: an initiative on universal social protection and the promotion of decent working conditions for all. These demands are closely related to poverty eradication, an issue that the Brazilian government itself highlighted as a being priority in the discussions around the Sustainable Development Goals.

"Eradicating poverty is to recognise the human right to social security. These provisions are contained in Convention 102 of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) on social security and the recent ILO Recommendation 202 around the same issues of national social protection. It is time to implement them," said Sharan. ”We must leave Rio with clear commitments to social protection for all by 2030 and with the allocation of resources to achieve it." Union data show that almost 60% of the world's workers do not have a contract of employment insurance and other 75% have no social protection. In addition to this, a recent survey conducted by CSI in 13 nations showed that seven out of 10 people believe that the employment laws in their country does not protect the stability of employment.

The president of CUT, Artur Henrique, supports Sharan`s statements and adds: "It is fundamental and necessary to establish equity and social justice as a pillar of the final document of the Rio+20." For Artur, the construction of a new world is essential to the preservation of humanity. In this sense, the leader says, "the final document of the UN Conference must give concrete commitments and targets for the construction of a new development model, one that is in fact sustainable".

At the Rio+20 the unions defended the adoption of a strategy that pursues the goal of decent work for all, with specific action to eradicate precarious work, reduce unemployment and promote the proportion of green and decent jobs, as well as gender equality. The construction of this new model, says the president of the CUT, presupposes a fair transition.

"To do this," he says, "we need a system of universal social protection, ensuring decent work, which requires freedom of organisation and bargaining rights, equality between men and women, health and safety and the combating of forced and child labour ".

"We're talking about a long process of transformation in the workplace. We support the idea that there are no jobs on a dead planet, so if we want to keep our jobs, they will have to become sustainable," said Sharan Burrow.

Press Contacts: CSI: Alexandre Praça alexandre.praca@csa-csi.org / (11) 8302-5287

CUT: Marize Muniz marizemuniz@cut.org.br / (61) 3105-4027 (61) 7811-8753