Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the 5th UNI Americas Finance Conference will be held remotely on December 9 & 10, 2020, to comply with the statutes of our organization. We will of course await another political moment where we can meet in person once the health and economic crisis is over, and without the restrictions that we have today in order to preserve the health and safety of everyone.

During the 5th Virtual Conference of the finance sector, we will address issues related to the current situation and the future of work in finance, under the title "The world of banking: Digitization, FINTECH and Home Office", and then delve into the discussions and development of the motions that the participating unions have proposed and the topics of the Conference, namely:

Breaking Through Strategic Plan

In this context, the COVID-19 pandemic will be the cause of the region's greatest economic and social crisis in decades, with very negative effects on employment, the fight against poverty and the reduction of inequality.

UNI AMERICAS FINANCE, grouped in UNI AMERICAS and UNI FINANCE, continues with the guidelines of the plan adopted by the Fourth Regional Conference of Medellín in 2016, and reaffirms its commitment to continue fighting against neoliberal policies with greater union unity and contributing to a new model of development in the region, and thus put the Americas on its feet, a phrase that we consider very appropriate in present times.

Trade unions for a sustainable economy

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainability and the Paris Global Agreement on Climate Change adopted in 2015, are important agreements to improve the quality of life of workers and protect the environment. On the other hand, we have the advance of conservative movements worldwide that minimize environmental issues, causing deforestation, less investment in sanitation, waste management, river protection, etc.

The post-COVID-19 economic recovery and the future of work in our region must address a new development paradigm, which includes economic, social and environmental sustainability in line with the 2030 Agenda. UNI AMERICAS FINANCE fosters a new long-term sustainable business model that takes care of the environment.

Change the world of work

Technological and digital advances are changing the finance sector at an ever-increasing speed, and even more now due to the COVID-19 pandemic. UNI AMERICAS FINANCE highlights the need for a just transition towards a sustainable finance sector and the need for guarantees so that no one is excluded. It is necessary to strengthen the rights of workers in the face of new modalities such as teleworking.

Democracy and Human Rights

UNI AMERICAS FINANCE is fully in line with the resolution of the UNI World Congress in Liverpool on "Working for a world of peace, democracy and human rights" and the motion "Democracy and human rights" of the 5th UNI FINANCE World Conference in Torremolinos , Malaga.

UNI AMERICAS FINANCE recognizes the role of trade unions in working for a world of democracy and respect for human rights.

Health takes center stage with the COVID-19 pandemic. Health as a fundamental right of every human being, and to ensure that different groups that have been historically discriminated such as LGBTIQ+ individuals are included in the workplace.

Defense of Public Banks

Speculative banking must cease to be the main business of financial institutions. In the region, public banks have an important role in funding the investment needs of small and medium-sized enterprises. If credit is aimed at the productive sector, the economic recovery will be stronger and thus the role of public banks is essential.

Build a new development model in the region that includes three aspects; social, environmental and economic; and the role of public banks is key to making it happen. 

COVID-19

With the covid-19 pandemic we are facing a social and economic crisis, and the structural problems in the region are becoming more visible. A structural crisis in Latin America and the Caribbean that has been building for years, in addition to governments that have implemented neoliberal policies and the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The economic recovery after the pandemic must be aimed at transforming the economic model of development in Latin America and the Caribbean; and including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The sovereignty of our peoples and nations is of fundamental importance to achieve the regional integration for which the unions of the Americas fight. This will be an issue that we will address in our Conference; the Unions are committed to economic, cultural and territorial development.