During the first G20 Tourism working group meeting under the Italian presidency, the IUF has released a new statement welcoming the presidency’s themes of “People, Planet and Prosperity.” The statement contains a clear set of demands to G20 members of the steps needed to achieve their objectives. These include:
- Convene an Emergency Summit on Tourism recovery and building back better with trade union voices at the center
- Continue to develop and implement protocols–negotiated with trade unions–to protect hotel workers
- Improve worker protections by supporting proposals at the ILO to make occupational health and safety a fundamental right at work, by recognizing COVID-19 as an occupational disease, by ensuring paid sick leave while ill and under quarantine and by providing free testing and mass vaccination for all workers in the tourism sector, starting with frontline workers
IUF General Secretary Sue Longley commented: “The Emergency Summit on “Tourism recovery and building back better” could establish guidance on the conditions required for the safe re-opening and recovery of the tourism sector. Its agenda should include ensuring decent work for the millions of people employed in the sector as well as combating climate change, both of which are essential for sustainable tourism.”
This statement follows those issued on April 28, 2020, and October 7, 2020 when Saudi Arabia held the G20 presidency which rotates annually.
