The New Social Contract from a Workers' Organization Perspective

The world is undergoing a significant transformation, driven by changing patterns in globalization, 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 organization 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.