The meeting between G20 union leaders and G20 host, Canadian PM Stephen Harper, was much more positive than expected. He agreed with union leaders that the real test of whether the G20 had tackled the global economic crisis was the impact on jobs and unemployment – and on youth unemployment in particular, exactly as TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber argued. The task now is for G20 leaders meeting in Toronto next weekend to reconcile the pro-jobs message from the April G20 employment ministers meeting and the pro-cuts position of the G20 finance ministers meeting in Korea earlier this month.

As John Evans, General Secretary of the Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD put it:

“There is a contradiction between the conclusions coming from the G20 Labour Ministers and those from the G20 Finance Ministers. G20 Leaders must resolve this contradiction and send a clear message of confidence that their priority is working people, not bond markets.”

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