Minister Meth, Deputy Minister, Esteemed Mayor, distinguished delegates, comrades, and fellow worker leaders

It is an honour to stand before you today at this pivotal final Employment Working Group meeting and L20 Summit under South Africa’s G20 Presidency.

Less than two weeks ago, we celebrated Mandela Day – a global call to action, a powerful reminder that each of us holds the capacity to make a profound difference. Madiba, as he was affectionately known, taught us that true freedom is not simply the absence of oppression, but the vibrant presence of justice, equality, and dignity for all. For the working class, this means freedom from exploitation, freedom from poverty wages, and freedom to live a life of decency and respect.

Mandela Day is not just about remembering a great leader; it is about emulating him. It is about taking his spirit of selfless service, his unwavering commitment to justice, and his profound belief in collective action, and weaving them into the very fabric of our lives, our policies, and our economies. As Madiba famously said, “What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others.” For us, that difference must be measured in improved lives for workers, the unemployed, and the most vulnerable.

When we confront the challenges that plague our world today – the scourge of high unemployment, the indignity of poverty, the widening chasm of inequality, the pain of discrimination and xenophobia, the devastation of conflict and war, and the pervasive violence against women and children, alongside the undeniable impact of climate change – these are not abstract concepts. These are tangible realities that crush the spirit and livelihoods of working people every single day. They are issues that demand our collective effort, our unwavering resolve, and our dedicated action. Let us carry the spirit of Madiba to addressing these tangible issues, tackling them with a profound commitment to justice, dignity, and genuine collective action.

I must commend the South African government, particularly the Minister of Employment and Labour, for fostering robust collective action and advancing social dialogue. This has been a hallmark of South Africa’s G20 Presidency. For the first time, the L20 has held three dedicated meetings alongside the Employment Working Group, culminating in this Summit. This is a bold affirmation of labour’s vital role in shaping policies for quality jobs, decent work, reduced inequality, and economic resilience. This commitment to inclusive social dialogue must be continued and strengthened by all future G20 presidencies, for it is through genuine engagement that we find solutions, build trust, and promote policies that serve the many, not just the few.

Our overarching theme, “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability,” and our sub-theme, “Living and Working in an Unequal World: Ensuring Decent Work and Decent Lives,” reflect our unwavering dedication to fostering equality, dignity, solidarity, and resilience in the labour market while advancing sustainable development goals.

We meet in a world grappling with immense turmoil: economic inequality, persistent unemployment, technological disruption, geo-political tensions, and the harsh realities of climate change. These challenges acutely impact labour markets, especially in the Global South and Africa, where high unemployment – particularly for women and youth – large informal economies, and deficits in decent work perpetuate cycles of poverty. This is the reality for millions of workers, and it is a reality we must fundamentally change.

Throughout this year, our engagements in the Employment Working Group and L20 meetings have focused on four critical priorities: Inclusive Growth and Youth Empowerment; Gender Equality; Addressing Inequality and Declining Labour Income Share; and Social Security and Digitalisation. Much work has been done to address these pressing problems facing workers.

We are pleased with the progress towards securing commitments that will truly drive our actions and policies over the coming years:

• For our Youth: We aim for a further 5% reduction in NEET (Not in Employment, Education, or Training) rates by 2030, building on the Antalya Goal. This is critical, as G20 economies, including South Africa, face critically high youth unemployment that threatens our societies’ future. We must ensure these are quality jobs, with decent wages and social protection, not just any job.
• For our Women: We commit to a renewed roadmap for gender equality, aiming to reduce the gender gap in labour force participation by 25% by 2035, building on the Brisbane Goal. This means tackling the staggering 21% average gender pay gap across G20 countries and promoting a more balanced sharing of paid and unpaid care work, which disproportionately burdens women. With over two-thirds of NEET youth being women globally, investment in quality, publicly provided care services and comprehensive family policies are vital for women’s full and equal participation.
• For all workers: We must strive to address inequality and the declining labour income share. Decent jobs, the advancement of universal social protection, the strengthening of collective bargaining rights, and the implementation of living wages are all key pillars to improve living standards and ensure decent lives for workers, in our quest for a more equal and just world of work. These are not concessions; they are fundamental rights.

In doing so, we are also honouring the powerful momentum built by Brazil’s G20 Presidency under President Lula, who rightly reminded us that tackling poverty, promoting decent jobs, and advancing climate-resilient development must not be treated as separate silos but as deeply interwoven priorities. President Lula’s call for a new global social pact to eliminate hunger and poverty, to invest in people and communities, and to centre workers in climate and economic transitions, must echo beyond 2025. It is a vision rooted in justice and solidarity – one that we fully embrace and will continue to build upon.

As we finalise our deliberations, embued with Madiba’s spirit, let the G20, in spirit and in practice, truly become an engine of global cooperation that works not just for the wealthy few, but for the billions of workers and people living in poverty, who dream, and who deserve a better future.

Our determination must ensure our engagements over many months culminate in ambitious and meaningful commitments with clear targets. Let us hold each other accountable and ensure that our commitments translate into tangible, impactful actions that truly transform the lives of working people across the globe. Let us all be able to look back, be proud and say that we made a real difference

I thank you.