{"id":167269,"date":"2023-09-20T23:35:17","date_gmt":"2023-09-21T06:35:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/?p=167269"},"modified":"2023-09-20T23:35:17","modified_gmt":"2023-09-21T06:35:17","slug":"president-biden-president-lula-of-brazil-and-director-general-houngbo-of-the-ilo-launching-the-partnership-for-workers-rights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/?p=167269","title":{"rendered":"President Biden, President Lula of Brazil, and Director-General Houngbo of the ILO Launching the Partnership for Workers\u2019 Rights"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>New York, NY&#8230;Thank you.  Please, have a seat.  Thank you very much.  Thank you all for being here.  (Members of the press can be heard speaking in the background.)  When the press stops doing verbal interviews, we\u2019ll get going.  Growing up in my household, my dad used to have an expression, for real.  He\u2019d say, \u201cA job is about a lot more than a paycheck.  It\u2019s about your dignity.  It\u2019s about respect.  It\u2019s about being able to look your child in the eye and say, \u2018Honey, it\u2019s going to be okay,\u2019 and mean it.\u201d <\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Fullscreen-capture-9202023-113140-PM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-167270\" srcset=\"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Fullscreen-capture-9202023-113140-PM.jpg 640w, https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Fullscreen-capture-9202023-113140-PM-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Fullscreen-capture-9202023-113140-PM-123x70.jpg 123w, https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Fullscreen-capture-9202023-113140-PM-570x320.jpg 570w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/U1Vsf6cngR0\" title=\"President Biden and President Luiz In\u00e1cio Lula of Brazil Launch the Partnership for Workers\u2019 Rights\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>That idea is at the heart of my economic vision to rebuild our economy from the middle out, the bottom up, not the top down.  Because when that happens, the middle class does fine and the la- \u2014 unions built the class in America.  But secondly, the poor have a shot up and the wealthy still do very well \u2014 except they don\u2019t pay enough taxes, but that\u2019s a different issue.  (Laughs.)  <\/p>\n<p>And that vision is powered by a strong labor movement.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why, in America, I\u2019m proud that my administration is characterized as the most pro-union administration in American history.  (Applause.)  No, I really mean it. <\/p>\n<p>And let me be clear: Whether it\u2019s your autoworkers or any other union worker, record corporation profits should mean record contracts for union workers. <\/p>\n<p>Today, I am proud to stand next to a group of leaders who feel the exact same way as we launch our new Partnership for Workers\u2019 Rights.<\/p>\n<p>Over the last few days, the nations of the world have talked about climate change, sustainable development, food security, economic resilience.  But we know our progress on these challenges depends on our workers.<\/p>\n<p>They will drive our clean energy transition.  They will kleep [sic] the \u2014 keep the global supply cains \u2014 supply chains secure.  They\u2019ll build the infrastructure we need to keep our economies strong.  So, we have to empower them as well. <\/p>\n<p>And that\u2019s what this new partnership is all about.  The partnership actually was this man\u2019s idea. <\/p>\n<p>Overall, we have five key goals.<\/p>\n<p>First, protect workers\u2019 rights.  That means ending forced labor, ending child labor, ending worker exploitation, which far \u2014 is far too common around the world.  A step toward this goal \u2014 we\u2019ll work with leaders around the world to make sure that \u2014 the Director-General of the International Labour Organization, who is here with us today \u2014 to ensure that workers not only know their rights, but also have the tools to exercise their rights.<\/p>\n<p>The second goal is to promote a safe and decent work that includes ensuring countries and companies are held accountable for the impacts on their \u2014 of their investments on workers\u2019 health, workers\u2019 wages, and workers\u2019 rights.<\/p>\n<p>And the third element of this is: We will advance a worker-centric clean \u2014 a worker-centered clean energy transition.  Folks, as I\u2019ve told labor from the very beginning: When I think of climate change, I think of jobs.  Jobs. <\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why, as we ramp up our production of technologies like solar and smart grids and doubling down on our efforts to ensure the transition to a fair and significant opportunity for workers and their communities.<\/p>\n<p>Fourth, we\u2019re going to harness technology to benefit workers.  That means ensuring the new technologies, like artificial intelligence and advanced platforms, work for working people.<\/p>\n<p>And finally, we\u2019ll tackle workplace discrimination.  Supporting our workers is about making sure no one \u2014 no one is left behind.<\/p>\n<p>So, through this new partnership, we\u2019re going to, with our labor movements, promote greater work equ- \u2014 equality, including through collective bargaining.<\/p>\n<p>And so, let me close with this.  This announcement is also an invitation to every global leader and every labor organization to join us \u2014 to join us and commit to a better future \u2014 one where workers all across the nations are going to be treated with dignity and respect.  Our economies and our nations will all be stronger because of it.<\/p>\n<p>Now I\u2019d like to turn it over to a leader who has made this partnership possible. <\/p>\n<p>President Lula, the floor is yours.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>PRESIDENT LULA:  (As interpreted.)  Well, first of all, I would like to greet President Biden and to say to President Biden \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Can you hear me, President Biden? <\/p>\n<p>This is a historical moment for Brazil and for the U.S.<\/p>\n<p> President Biden, can you hear me? <\/p>\n<p>(President Biden nods.)<\/p>\n<p> I \u2014 you can?  Yes, good. <\/p>\n<p>And so, there is the U.S. delegation that is here with me.  I\u2019d like to greet my wife that is also here.  I\u2019d like to greet the Brazilian trade unionists that came to my invitation by my labor minister.  And I also want to greet the U.S. trade union leaders that are here that \u2014 which we always had a very good relationship \u2014 an extraordinary relationship with the U.S. labor movement.<\/p>\n<p>Well, first of all, I have the happiness to share with President Biden this Partnership for Workers\u2019 Rights.  And very much honored with the presence of our brother, Gilbert Houngbo, Director-General of the International Labour Organization, and my brother, Luiz Marinho, the labor minister of Brazil. <\/p>\n<p>And I\u2019d also like to greet the participation of the main leaders of the American Federation of Labor and other labor organizations in the U.S., in which I owe them a lot of grate- \u2014 I\u2019m very grateful to them, because in many difficult moments that we had in Brazil, the U.S. labor movement showed solidarity \u2014 provided solidarity to us, to the Brazilian labor movement. <\/p>\n<p>When I joined the trade union activities a long time ago, I would never imagine that I would become the president of my country.  And I would \u2014 never could imagine to be side by side the President Biden, side by side the Director-General of ILO, discussing the creation of decent work policy and partnership to improve the lives of the poor workers, especially in this digitalized world where artificial intelligence speaks much more powerfully than the workers\u2019 voice. <\/p>\n<p>So this is a moment of grate- \u2014 that I\u2019m very grateful.  We know what happened with the neoliberal politics in the world.  The fact of the matter is that we have, to date, more than 2 billion workers that are in the informal sector, according to ILO.  And we have, more or less, 240 million human beings that, even being employed, they live under absolute poverty because they\u2019re earning less than $1.90 per day.  It is unacceptable that women, ethnical minorities, and people LGBTQ+ are discriminated in the labor market. <\/p>\n<p>Since I came back to the presidency in Brazil, I have made all the endeavors to rebuild and unite the country.  Very few months, we managed to do something extraordinary.  We have already created in the first eight months of my terms 1,200,000 formal works with job contracts.<\/p>\n<p>The minimum wage, it came back to growth above past inflation \u2014 80 percent of the bargaining \u2014 collective bargaining negotiations have readjustments above past inflation \u2014 80 percent. <\/p>\n<p>And we also passed into Congress, after decades of waiting to pass such a bill, a law that guarantees to the women to receive the same salary that the man has if they perform the same work, the same position.  It seemed impossible.  So, equal work, equal pay.<\/p>\n<p>We also established a collective bargaining table between the business sector, workers, and government.  And this roundtable \u2014 this forum which we\u2019re going to develop not only a decent work \u2014 or decent job perspective due to the digital platforms that use precarious work, but we also want to create maybe a new framework in the function of labor and management. <\/p>\n<p>A relationship of the 21st century that is civilized, but also following \u2014 to agree with what President Biden said: All people that believe that weak wi- \u2014 unions \u2014 weak unions will make that the employer and the businessmen earns more in the country \u2014 well, they\u2019re mistaken.  There is no democracy without strong trade unions, because the trade union effectively is the one that speaks on behalf of the worker to advocate for their rights. <\/p>\n<p>I have already said to the U.S. American trade unions my admiration for President Biden\u2019s vision that he has vis-\u00e0-vis the trade unions comes from the very first speech that he did in his inauguration when he said, and I quote, \u201cThe wealth of the U.S. was not made by the business sector.  It was built by the workers.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>This is the most pure truth, and we will make the energy transition an extraordinary opportunity to reindustrialize and maybe to make the jobs become quality jobs. <\/p>\n<p>We are working directly with some urgent things, President Biden.  That is our commitment to the protection of workers\u2019 rights: promoting decent work through public and private investments; fighting discrimination in the workplace; cent- \u2014 approach centered on the workers in the transition for clean energies; and last, the use of technology in terms of digital technology in pro-decent work. <\/p>\n<p>This initiative, President Biden, will be taken forward by the U.S. president, by me, in all the international forum that we will participate.  Brazil will chair, next year, the G20.  And so, we will chair \u2014 then afterwards, in 2025, the BRICS process.  And then we\u2019ll have COP30 in the 2026 in the heart of the Amazon region.<\/p>\n<p>In all these forums, I can reassure the workers and assure you all that we will be working and trying to build conditions so that all the rulers in the world will accept the protocol that \u2014 the ones that we\u2019re doing here.  Because all human beings \u2014 men or women, Black or white \u2014 they have the right to decent work. <\/p>\n<p>Thank you very much.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Good job.<\/p>\n<p>DIRECTOR-GENERAL HOUNGBO:  Mr. President, from ILO perspective, it\u2019s quite a historical moment to have two of the most influential leaders together launching this initiative, knowing how close the workers\u2019 rights, the workers\u2019 well-being is for both President Biden and President Lula.<\/p>\n<p>ILO has been working for more than 100 years to advance the cause of social justice and decent work.  And our unique tripartite of governance structure gives workers, employers, and government equal status in our work. <\/p>\n<p>We have unparalleled understanding of how decent work can build better lives, better economies, and better societies.  This is why we unequivocally welcome this United States and Brazil partnership for workers\u2019 rights. <\/p>\n<p>While listening to President Biden highlighting the key elements of the partnership, he just reminded me of our own mission: not only the rights \u2014 fighting for the rights against the exploitation, against child labor, against forced labor; fighting against discrimination in all forms of discrimination, as President Lula reminded us; the accountability and the role of the private sector; the impact of technology, including artificial intelligence \u2014 it\u2019s not anymore just the blue collar, but both the blue collars and the white collars; and the just transition \u2014 just transition about job, about not leaving anybody behind. <\/p>\n<p>Those are very critical to ILO mandate, so decent work empowers workers to organize and to negotiate.  It is \u2014 fosters social justice with essential \u2014 if people are to have the brighter future, which is the reason why all of us are here. <\/p>\n<p>So, from ILO perspective, we are so committed to really be part of this initiative.  And I can promise you that we will do our very best not to deceive you, Mr. President.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>2:56 P.M. EDT<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>New York, NY&#8230;Thank you. Please, have a seat. Thank you very much. Thank you all for being here. (Members of the press can be heard speaking in the background.) When the press stops doing verbal interviews, we\u2019ll get going. Growing up in my household, my dad used to have an expression, for real. He\u2019d say, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":167270,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_cbd_carousel_blocks":"[]","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20,5,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-167269","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-government","category-news","last_archivepost"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Fullscreen-capture-9202023-113140-PM.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/167269","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=167269"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/167269\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":167271,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/167269\/revisions\/167271"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/167270"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=167269"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=167269"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=167269"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}