International Youth Day 2022

To celebrate the International Youth Day on 12 August, BWI is calling on its affiliates, partners, and young workers to take action under the theme of “Youth in Unions to Take Part and Build the Future!" BWI urges all to amplify the voice of the youth in unions; enhance youth presence within union structures, and to give more power, spaces and opportunities to young workers to take action, and to campaign for better working conditions, safe and permanent jobs, and a decent future for all.

BWI  Youth would like to take this year’s International Youth Day theme to basics to remind and emphasise the fact that they are ready to take steps to build a just future for all before the BWI 5th World Congress. The strengthening of the youth's presence within unions is still the top-rated issue for young workers worldwide, along with the demand for a future with permanent and safe jobs for young workers. In order to stress the demands of young workers, they come up with the campaign slogan “Youth in Unions to Take Part and Build the Future” which will echo the actions and events of young workers in BWI in the week of 12 August.

The world is facing a multiple crisis from the Ukraine war and the climate crisis, up to the global economic slowdown, which is accelerating the downward spiral of world economies, and severely undermining workers’ jobs and salaries. Despite these debacles, workers worldwide are expected to work for the benefit of unbridled capital and profit by continuously changing employment dynamics towards a more precarious and insecure type of work.

However, young workers are fighting back. Young trade unionists are insisting on decent jobs and a just transition to a better future built on sustainable industries, and green and decent jobs.

Thus, BWI's young members, coinciding with this year's celebration of the International Youth Day, call on unions to amplify young workers’ voices and give them space and opportunities to shape and create policies to push and negotiate their demands. The young trade unionists assert that the global union movement’s future lies on young workers’ power and strong presence within trade unions.

In particular, BWI calls on its affiliates, partners, and young members to do the following:

1. Take a photo with our International Youth Day Poster (please see below the link to download all materials) and send it to the BWI regional staff and/or BWI Global Youth Coordinator Gulsah Doruk at gulsah.doruk(at)bwint.org ideally by 09 August or post it on your social media with hashtag #BWIYouth4Future #IYD2022 so we can repost.

2. Change your social media profile picture or cover photo with our action posters!

3. Record a video message by shouting out to your demands around the action theme and send it to us or let us repost it.

4. If your union will organise an event to celebrate the day, take a group photo with our poster or a video where you can sing or shout out and share with us or post it on your social media with hashtags so we can repost.

5. Take over our Instagram one day in the week of 09 August to 12 August by contacting us to let our followers witness young workers’ ideas and demands around the action theme and to promote your actions and events on International Youth Day.

Please click here  to download the action poster, Facebook cover poster and profile picture.

Do not hesitate to contact us if you have any other ideas or questions.