The starting draft of the pandemic treaty (known as the Zero Draft) for member states to negotiate was published on 1 February 2023. Government delegations have initiated negotiations in Geneva from 27 February to 3 March 2023 as the International Negotiating Body (INB) meets for the fourth time (INB4). This will be followed by another round of negotiations from 3 to 6 April (INB5).

The Zero Draft fails to properly recognise the essential role of care workers and the impact the pandemic had on systems of care. This is unacceptable for the millions of care workers who risked their lives to ensure that the most vulnerable people within our societies were well cared for and no amount of applauding will ever measure up to guaranteeing their safety and dignity at work. Care is a fundamental human right. Well-funded, comprehensive and accessible systems for the vulnerable are essential for an equitable and just society.

The Zero Draft ignores not only that safe workers save lives, but also that the best prevention for pandemics are resilient health and care systems, of which decent work for all health and care workers is a cornerstone. Upholding the Decent Work Agenda for all care workers across workplaces is vital for quality public services and strong care systems.

It is important that unions bring attention to the voice of labour at the start of the negotiations on the Zero Draft and keep the momentum as negotiations take place. Ahead of the second round of negotiations in April, we must ensure that the concerns of care workers are represented within the treaty process.