Brazil and the US launch an unprecedented partnership to promote decent work

The presidents of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and of the United States, Joe Biden, will launch the US-Brazil Partnership for Workers’ Rights this Wednesday (20), at 1 PM, in New York. The goal of the unprecedented initiative by the two countries is to advance workers’ rights and stop worker exploitation.

It is the first time in Brazil’s over 500 years of history that we are sitting down with the President of the US on equal terms to discuss chronic precariousness in work
LUIZ INÁCIO LULA DA SILVA
President of Brazil

Through the partnership, President Lula will join forces with President Biden to champion an agenda of justice and sustainability within the global economy, and to ensure that economic growth leaves no one behind.

"It is the first time in Brazil's over 500 years of history that we are sitting down with the President of the US on equal terms to discuss chronic precariousness in work," said Lula. According to the Brazilian leader, the initiative will highlight – to society and to young people – the importance of finding work that allows them to live with dignity.

The two countries will work closely with trade union partners from Brazil and the USA, as well as with the International Labor Organization (ILO). Moreover, they intend to involve other countries and global partners to thus promote inclusive, sustainable and broadly shared development with all workers.

The two countries’ joint activities with partners aim to:

▸ Increase public knowledge of labor rights and offer workers training opportunities to defend them
▸ Strengthen the central role of workers, ensuring that transition to clean energy sources provides good job opportunities for everyone
▸ In close collaboration with global partners, establish an agenda focused on increasing the importance of workers within multilateral institutions such as the G20, COP28 and COP30
▸ Support and coordinate work-related technical cooperation programs
▸ Promote new efforts to empower and protect the labor rights of workers on digital platforms
▸ Engage private sector partners in innovative approaches to create decent jobs in key production chains, combat discrimination in the workplace and promote diversity

1.2 million jobs

The initiative aims to strengthen and expand the successful collaboration between Brazil and the United States on topics such as promoting racial equality, protecting the environment and tackling the climate crisis, strengthening democracy and defending workers' rights.
In this way, Brazil intends to further strengthen and expand existing bilateral cooperation between the two countries on these issues.

The new partnership is perfectly compatible with President Lula's commitment to job creation and to the rights of workers towards sustainable and equitable economic and social development. Brazil’s federal government values the role of workers and trade unions in strengthening democracy.

In Lula’s first eight months in office, the Brazilian government has:

▸ Created 1.2 million jobs, with a projection of around 2 million in 2023
▸ Recovered the minimum wage appreciation policy above inflation
▸ Enacted the Equal Pay Law for women and men
▸ Carried out national and sectoral agreements to promote decent work within the coffee and wine sectors
▸ Established a tripartite Working Group to regulate work on digital platforms/apps
▸ Established a tripartite Working Group to promote collective negotiations and good labor relations
▸ Forwarded messages for the ratification of ILO Conventions 129, 156, 187, 190 and Protocol to Convention 29.
▸ Brazil also joined the Multilateral Partnership for Organizing, Worker Empowerment and Rights (M-POWER) in July