Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey

B20 and L20 conducted its signing ceremony during the session “Employment Trends and Economic Growth” held as a part of the taking place at ATO Congresium.

Attending the ceremony representing B20 and employers were TOBB and B20 Turkey President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, B20 Employment Taskforce Coordinating Chair and Koç Holding Board Member Ali Koç, B20 Turkey Employment Taskforce Co-President and International Organization of Employers (IOE) Chair Daniel Funes de Rioja, OECD Business and Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC) Chair and BusinessNZ CEO Phil O'Reilly and TİSK Chair Yağız Eyüboğlu.

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Attending the ceremony representing L20 and employees wereL20 and Türk-İş Chair Ergün Atalay, Hak-İş Chair Mahmut Arslan, International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) Secretary General Sharan Burrow, OECD Trade Union Advisory Committee (TUAC) Secretary General John Evans.

TOBB President Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that despite appearance of conflicting opinions between B20 and L20 on issues of employment, education and poverty, he stressed that there are a myriad of shared views among the two factions.

TOBB President Hisarcıklıoğlu said:

“We are all in agreement for more jobs, growth and working conditions. We are all in agreement that our youth should not be condemned to unemployment; we are all have complaints about the tumultuous period the global economy is undergoing.”

Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that the declaration would be presented to the G20 at the G20 Finance and Labor Ministers’ joint meeting in the afternoon.

Türk-İş Chair Ergün Atalay stated that the awaited recovery has not been achieved following the 2008 crisis.

Stating that austerity policies have brought with them their own social problems, Atalay stressed the fact that the labor’s share of national income has dropped dramatically.

- From the declaration

The declaration reiterates the fact that youth unemployment has reached unacceptable levels throughout the world as well as the need to implement the structural reforms necessary to address youth employment issue as soon as possible.

The declaration also calls on G20 governments to prioritize macroeconomic policies which would increase employment.

Emphasizing the importance of incentivizing the transition from off-the-record economy to legal economic activity, it is pointed out that employers and labor needs to be an active part in this process.

The declaration urged G20 leaders to help further develop social dialogue.