Bringing workers together to fight for tax justice
Network of Unions for Tax Justice
Network of Unions for Tax Justice
2024 Trade Union Tax Forum: Building labour power to stop corporate tax theft
Public Services International (PSI), Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) and the global Network of Unions for Tax Justice (NUTJ), the Canadian Labor Congress (CLC) look forward to welcoming trade union leaders and senior officials in Ottawa, Canada, from 10-12 December.
This event is exclusively for trade union attendance (upon invitation only), with one session facilitating discussion with civil society and intergovernmental organisations.
Please request to attend the Forum through this link. In-person registration has now closed, but virtual registration is encouraged.
Welcome to the event's main information page which will be updated with the latest details for the agenda, speakers and logistics.
Click the arrows below to learn more about this year's Trade Union Tax Forum.
The focus of the event will be two-fold. First, it will discuss and propose reforms to Canadian tax policy to ensure large corporations and wealthy individuals pay their fair share of taxes, improving the fairness and progressivity of Canada’s taxation system. Second, it will place these domestic policy demands in the context of the international movement for fair tax reform to regulate tax havens, end tax avoidance and abuse internationally, and ensure the fair and effective taxation of global corporations.
Fair tax reform is a long-standing and fundamental commitment of the labour movement in Canada and around the world. Decades of tax cuts to corporations and the wealthy have led to a regressive and unjust tax system, weakening economic performance and our social safety net. In order to rebuild our public services to meet the challenge of climate change, an ageing workforce, and dramatic technological change, we must ensure that corporations and the rich contribute to social and economic development.
The Ottawa forum on tax justice is the latest in a series of international trade union gatherings dedicated to fair tax reform. The 2022 and 2023 trade union tax forums were instrumental in strengthening labour strategy and basis for action. Trade unions have increased their coordination capacity and engagement in public campaigns. The NUTJ now gathers nearly 50 trade unions across 4 continents and covering private and public sectors.
The 2024 trade union tax forum will be the occasion to take stock of progress, to adjust labour strategy to new challenges and to make plans for 2025.
Agenda
Welcome event – Tuesday, 10 December 2024 – 7-9 p.m.
Where is Canada in the international struggle for tax justice? Interventions:
Screening of the documentary film Tax Wars Location: University of Ottawa, Desmarais Building/Telfer School, Room DMS 12102 55 Laurier Avenue East, Ottawa ON K1N 6N5 |
Day 1 – Wednesday, 11 December
09:00 | Registrations |
09:30 – 10:00 | Welcome and opening remarks
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10:00 – 10:30 | Keynote speech: Why tax is a class struggle issue
Speaker: Mercy Nabwire, National Treasurer, Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) |
10:30 - 10:45 | Coffee break |
10:45 – 12:30 | Item 1. Tax wars – the fight to tax digital Roundtable with Global North representatives from Canada, the U.S., the Global South and the OECD Secretariat
Speakers:
Moderated by: Séverine Picard, Progressive Policies Stay tuned for more confirmed speakers |
12:30 – 13:30 | Lunch |
13:30 – 15:00 | Item 2. What room for fair tax reform in Canada Discussion with high level experts on capital gains, wealth taxation and corporate income tax
Speakers:
Moderated by: Chris Roberts, National Director of the Social and Economic Policy Department, Canadian Labor Congress |
15:00 – 15:30 | Break |
15:30 – 17:30 | Item 3. Behind closed doors – what is really being negotiated in multilateral forums? Panel with OECD, UN, G20 and EU insiders on the major multilateral tax discussions
Speakers:
Moderated by: Séverine Picard, Progressive Policies Stay tuned for more confirmed speakers |
Dinner |
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Day 2 – Thursay, 12 December
09:30 – 11:00 | Item 4. Exchange of views with civil society on priorities and areas of shared action for 2025
This session will be open to civil society
Speakers:
Moderated by: DT Cochrane, Senior Economist at the Canadian Labor Congress |
11:00 – 12:30 | Item 5. Taxing multinationals - how do we coordinate national and international actions to win effective change quickly? Speakers:
Moderated by: Joel Odigie, General Secretary, ITUC Africa Stay tuned for more confirmed speakers
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12:30 – 13:30 | Lunch |
13:30 – 16:30 | Item 6. What’s next for trade union action? Strategic and policy discussion Working session
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16:30 – 17:00 | Wrap up |
Speaker bios
 | Brigitte Alepin is a Canadian tax expert. Ranked in February 2016 among the 50 most influential tax experts in the world by the International Tax Review, Brigitte Alepin practices taxation mainly for the benefit of small and medium-sized companies and their leading shareholders and she acts as an expert in tax policies and public finances on behalf of governments and major Canadian and international organizations. |
 | Benjamin Angel is currently Director for ‘direct taxation, tax coordination, economic analysis and evaluation’ in DG TAXUD. His career includes positions as Director for indirect taxation (DG TAXUD), Director for the Treasury and financial operations (DG ECFIN), Director for the economies of the Member States (DG ECFIN), Head of unit for financial institutions and stability mechanisms (DG ECFIN). He is a former member of the cabinet of three Commissioners for economic and monetary affairs. |
 | Candace Archer is the Policy Director at the AFL-CIO where she manages a team of policy experts who advocate for unions and workers rights. Prior to joining the AFL-CIO she was a university professor who taught classes and published on international political economy. As an academic she became involved in the labor movement and led the campaign to unionize the faculty of Bowling Green State University. The campaign created the largest faculty bargaining unit that had been won in the US in a decade. After successfully negotiating their first contract, she moved to DC to work on economic policy and labor issues and did so in organized labor at the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and in the non-profit sector at Americans for Financial Reform. She holds a Ph.D. in international political economy from the University of Delaware and has published widely on international finance and global financial crisis. She is a fiercely proud native of the state of New Jersey, although loves her current home city (hopefully 51st state) Washington, DC.. |
 | Nathalie Beghin is the Co-Director of the Instituto de Estudos Socioeconômicos (INESC), a Brazilian NGO, and the President of Latindadd, the Latin American Network for Economic and Social Justice. She holds a degree in economics from the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Belgium, and a PhD in social policies from the University of Brasília (UnB), Brazil. Nathalie has worked with Oxfam, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the Brazilian government, including roles at the National Institute of Food and Nutrition and the Institute of Applied Economic Research. Since 1993, she has been a member of Consea, Brazil’s National Council for Food and Nutrition Security. Her work focuses on food and nutrition security, hunger, tax justice, and human rights. |
 | Daniel Bertossa is the General Secretary of Public Services International (PSI) He is currently the co-chair of the steering committee of the Independent Commission on Reform of International Corporate Tax (ICRICT), member of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) tax Technical Committee and member of the committee of the Centre for International Corporate Tax Accountability and Research (CICTAR). |
 | Gabriel Casnati is Tax, Trade and Digitalization Policy Officer at PSI - Latin America. He holds a bachelor's and master's degree in international affairs and has been working on international tax issues in Public Services International since 2015. |
 | DT Cochrane is a senior economist at the Canadian Labor Congress. Previously, he was an economist and policy researcher at Canadians For Tax Fairness. DT has a Masters in Economics and a PhD in Social & Political Thought. |
 | Lily Chang is the Secretary-Treasurer of the Canadian Labor Congress, re-elected at the 30th Constitutional Convention in May 2023. She is the first worker of East Asian descent to hold office at the CLC. In addition to her role at the CLC, Lily serves on the International Labour Organization’s Governing Body and the Global Coalition for Social Justice Coordinating Group. At the 2023 International Labour Conference, she served as the Workers’ Vice-Chair, leading the general discussion on Decent Work and the Care Economy. |
 | Senator Percy E. Downe was appointed to the Senate of Canada on June 26, 2003. Currently, he serves as Vice-Chair of the Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Group, Executive Member of the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association, and Liaison for the Canadian Senators Group. He previously held roles such as Chair of the Canada-United Arab Emirates Friendship Group and Vice-Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade. Senator Downe also contributed to the inaugural National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians. Before entering the Senate, he held senior positions in government, including Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister of Canada and Executive Assistant roles in various ministries and the Premier’s Office of Prince Edward Island. |
 | Emmanuel Eze is a Senior Advisor to the African Union and African Tax Administration Forum on Tax Policy. He is pivotal in advancing the continent's domestic revenue mobilization agenda through strategic tax reforms in both domestic and international aspects including the ongoing efforts to reform the international tax governance architecture at the United Nations. With vast experience, he also served as Senior Advisor on International Taxation to the Independent Commission for the Reform of International Corporate Taxation (ICRICT). Eze’s career in tax also includes contributions to Nigeria legislative and tax policy reforms at National (Nigeria), Regional (ECOWAS), Continental (ATAF and AU) and globally (UN and OECD workstreams). Eze also served as the Vice Chairman of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (FIRS Chapter), an experience which has afforded him insights on how tax and fiscal policy impacts labour interest. Eze had a law degree from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, A Bar certificate from Lagos Law School, Nigeria and a specialized LLM in International Tax Law from the University of Melbourne, Australia. As a distinguished member of the Nigeria Bar Association, Eze continues to shape tax policy both domestically and internationally. |
 | Bro. Dean Flowers is the President of the Public Service Union of Belize since May 2021. Prior to ascending to President, he served as 1st Vice President of the PSUB for two years. Bro. Flowers is employed with the Government of Belize and holds the substantive post of Accountant in the Petroleum Department of the Ministry of Natural Resources, Mining and Petroleum. He previously worked in the Accounts and Investment Department of the Belize Social Security Board, as well as in the Offshore Banking Sector with Provident Bank, now Heritage Bank of Belize. Bro. Flowers is a graduate of the University of Belize and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting. He also posseses a Certificate in the Advanced International Program in Oil & Gas Financial Management from the Naveen Jindal School of Management of the University of Texas at Dallas. Bro. Flowers also holds a Certificate in Labour Studies and Industrial Relations from Cipriani College of Labour and Co-operative Studies in Trinidad. |
 | Sarah Ganter works as a senior political adviser at Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) in Berlin. She is head of FES’ dialogue on globalization. |
 | Jonathan Gauvin is the Chief of Staff in the Office of the Leader of the New Democratic Party. He has been with the NDP since 2014, holding various positions, including Director of Policy, where he contributed to the drafting of the NDP’s 2019 election platform. |
 | Livi Gerbase is a Latin America researcher at the Center for International Corporate Tax Accountability and Research (CICTAR). She works and publishes in the areas of tax justice, fiscal rules, tax expenditures, energy transition, and monetary policy. She has worked in Brazil at the Public Policy Intelligence Nucleus of the Government of Mato Grosso do Sul and as policy advisor at the Institute of Socioeconomic Studies (Inesc). |
 | Daniel Kostzer is the Chief Economist at the International Trade Union Confederation. He was Senior Regional Wages Specialist at the ILO Asia and the Pacific, and a former Board Member at the World Bank Group. His earlier positions include Senior Economic Advisor at the UNDP Myanmar, Head of the Socio-Economic Unit at United Nations Mission (UNMIT) in Timor-Leste, Coordinator of the Social Development Cluster at the UNDP Argentina, Director of Research and Macroeconomic Coordination at the Argentine Ministry of Labor. |
 | Edgar Lopez-Asselin is coordinator of the collectif Échec aux paradis fiscaux, a tax justice organization based in Montreal, Quebec. He is also a PhD candidate in philosophy at the Université de Montréal. |
 | Scott Levine, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary (International Tax Affairs) of the U.S. Treasury, provides advice and counsel to the Assistant Secretary related to international tax policy and tax treaties and coordinates international administrative guidance projects. He leads the Office of Tax Policy’s work on international tax affairs, including regulations, treaties, and the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework on BEPS negotiations on Pillar 1 and Pillar 2. |
 | Angella MacEwen is the Senior Economist at the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), and a Policy Fellow with the Broadbent Institute. Her primary research focus is understanding the Canadian labour market, broader economic trends and the impacts of social policy on workers. She regularly represents the CUPE at parliamentary committees and in the national media. Ms. MacEwen has been a Research Associate with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives since 2006, and contributes to the annual Alternative Federal Budget. She is on the steering committee of the Progressive Economics Forum, as well as the Trade Justice Network. Ms. MacEwen holds an MA in Economics (Dalhousie University) and a BA in International Development Studies (Saint Mary’s University). |
 | Katrina Miller is the Executive Director at Canadians forn Tax Fairness. Katrina has worked for over twenty years to win environmental and social justice improvements at every level of government, collaborating with a wide array of labour, community, and academic experts, and helping organizations and individuals hone their skills and strategies. |
 | Shane Moffatt is the Director for the Canadian Network for Corporate Accountability. Shane has been advocating for corporate accountability, environmental justice and human rights for twenty years. A settler and treaty person originally from Ireland, Shane was previously head of Nature at Greenpeace Canada and has extensive experience with litigation to challenge corporate power, conducting investigations, campaigning for new laws and working with impacted communities. He holds a masters in law from the University of Toronto. |
 | Dr. Mercy Nabwire is the National Treasurer in Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists & Dentists Union where she has contributed immensely towards the development and implementation of the union’s strategic plan and championing for the public healthcare system to focus on providing health services as a right to all Kenyans. |
 | Joel Akhator Odigie is the General Secretary of ITUC-Africa, elected at the 5th Delegates Congress of the International Trade Union Confederation - Africa (ITUC-Africa) in November 2023. A Nigerian activist and trade unionist, he has over two decades of organising experience. Joel previously served as the Deputy General Secretary of ITUC-Africa. He holds a Master’s degree in Labour and Globalisation from the Berlin School of Economics and Law. |
 | Omondi Nickson Omondi is the manager, of the digital economy taxation office in the Kenya Revenue Authority. He is a Charterholder with CFA Institute, an astute accountant, and a member of the Institute of Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK). He completed a course at the KRA training school in Tax and Customs administration. He is also a graduate of ADIT having completed Advanced Diploma in International Taxation (ADIT). He has a wealth of experience spanning over 14 years as an accountant in the private sector with Doshi Group of Companies in Kenya and in tax administration with Kenya Revenue Authority at Small and Medium taxpayers’ office, large taxpayers’ office, Policy and Tax Advisory as well as International tax Office. The experience ranges from tax audit, Policy and advisory in tax matters, international tax, and taxation of the digital economy. Nickson is also a trainer to private and public bodies in various topics in tax including, taxation of retirement benefits, Transfer Pricing, Taxation of betting, Lotteries, and gaming, Leasing and related services taxation, Extractive industry taxation, capital deductions/allowances, taxation of cooperative societies and Tax avoidance schemes and how to curb the same. Nickson is a trainer with Kenya School of Revenue Administration at various levels including masters in tax administration since 2010. In addition, he has also taught accounting and Finance in various colleges in Nairobi. He is a member of the Task Force in the Digital economy, an OECD working group on BEPS action 1 (Taxation of the Digital Economy). He has represented KRA in various for a such as ATAF, AFRITAC, World bank and similar tax engagements. Nickson holds a BSc. Degree in Biomedical Science and Technology as well as a master’s degree in MSc. Financial Services Management from University of Salford, UK. |
 | Quentin Parrinello is the policy director at the EU Tax Observatory. He is responsible for promoting the work of the Observatory with policymakers, the media, and other stakeholders as well as building policy recommendations. Quentin has extensive experience working on tax policy campaigns. In 2020, he was appointed among the 35 leaders of the future on taxation by TaxCoop. |
 | Achim Pross is Deputy Director within the OECD's Centre for Tax Policy and Administration (CTPA) with responsibility for outputs including the Standard for Automatic Exchange of Financial Account Information in Tax Matters (Common Reporting Standard or CRS), the OECD's work to address the tax challenges arising from the digitalisation of the economy, many of the BEPS actions as well as work on tax administration and tax certainty and on countering tax crimes and other financial crimes. Prior to joining the OECD, he worked in the tax department of a large US law firm. |
 | Chris Roberts is the National Director of the Social and Economic Policy Department of the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC). At the CLC, Chris is responsible for research and policy advice in the areas of macroeconomic policy, labour-market policy and regulation (including labour law and employment standards), social security programs, and pensions and investments. He has co-authored and edited several publications in the area of pensions and investments, including The Contradictions of Pension Fund Capitalism (LERA 2017). |
 | Ian Thomson is the manager of policy and advocacy at Oxfam Canada. Previously, Ian worked as a Policy Specialist at KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives, a Program Coordinator at Sustainalytics, and a Campaigner at Maquila Solidarity Network. Ian holds an M.A.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Toronto and a B.Sc.(Eng.) in Engineering Physics from Queen's University. Ian is passionate about promoting gender justice, women's economic equality, climate justice, and natural resource governance |
 | Séverine Picard is the founding director of Progressive Policies, and the coordinator of the Network of Unions for Tax Justice. She is a lawyer with nearly two decades of experience in European and global policies. From 2007 to 2021, she provided senior legal and policy advice to the labour movement. She previously worked at the European Parliament and in the NGO sector in a research role related to the European Union. |
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Venue details
Opening event venue (10 December)
University of Ottawa, Desmarais Building/Telfer School, Room DMS 12102
55 Laurier Avenue East, Ottawa ON K1N 6N5
Forum venue (11-12 December)
Canadian Labor Congress National Office
2841 Riverside Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1V 8X7
Dinner venue (11 December):
Sidedoor Restaurant (website)
18b York St., Ottawa
Transport details
From Ottawa International Airport (YOW) to ARC The Hotel
No shuttle service is provided for airport transfers.
Public transit option:
Take Route 97 bus from the airport to Hurdman Station.
At Hurdman Station, transfer to the light rail (Line 1, also called the Confederation Line). Take the train towards Parliament Station.
Once you arrive at Parliament Station, walk 300 metres to ARC The Hotel.
Estimated Time: 35–40 minutes.
Fare: Approx. CAD 3.75.
For further details, use OC Transpo's travel planner
Taxi or Rideshare: Approximately 20 minutes; estimated fare CAD 35–45.
Daily transport schedule
The CLC will provide shuttle services for conference participants as outlined below. Please note: these shuttle services are reserved for participants travelling from outside Ottawa who are staying at (or near) The ARC Hotel. Local participants should make their own transport arrangements.
Opening evening event (10 December)
No shuttle service is provided for the evening event at the University of Ottawa.
Walking: Approximately 15 minutes from Arc the Hotel. Walking route
Public transit: OC Transpo services available.
Day 1 (11 December)
Morning: Shuttle service provided by CLC
ARC The Hotel (departing at 8:30 a.m) → CLC Venue (departing at 5:40 p.m.) → ARC The Hotel
Evening: Shuttle service provided by CLC
ARC The Hotel (deaparting at 6.50 p.m.) → Sidedoor Restaurant (departing at 10 p.m.) → ARC The Hotel
Day 2 (12 December
Shuttle service provided by CLC
ARC The Hotel (departing at 8:30 a.m) → CLC Venue (departing at 5:40 p.m.) → ARC The Hotel
Accomodation
Organisers have provided discount rates for Forum participants to stay in the following hotel.
Hotel Name: ARC The Hotel (Website)
Address: 140 Slater Street, Ottawa, ON K1P 5H6 (Google Maps link)
Food & drink
10 December (Evening Event): Drinks provided; no food.
11 December (Day 1): Welcome coffee, coffee breaks, lunch, and dinner provided.
Note: Alcoholic drinks at dinner are at guests’ expense.
Dinner: The dinner will be held at Sidedoor Restaurant, 18b York St., Ottawa, starting at 7:00 PM.
RSVP required: Attendance at the dinner is limited to 40 participants. Those wishing to attend must RSVP in advance. Unfortunately, we will not be able to accommodate additional attendees.
12 December (Day 2): Coffee breaks and lunch provided.
Interpretation
Simultaneous interpretation will be available in English, French, and Spanish for all sessions.
For in-person participants, devices will be provided by the Canadian Labor Congress (CLC) to access simultaneous interpretation.
Online participants can access simultaneous interpretation in their chosen language through the Zoom interface.
Attendees
Brigitte | Alepin | Expert tax advisor | |
Marco | Antonio Chicaroni | President | Sinafresp - Sindicato dos Auditores Fiscais da Receita Estadual de Sao Paulo |
Gabriel | Casnati | Tax, trade, digitalization coordinator | PSI |
DT | Cochrane | Senior Economist | CLC |
Francelino | das Chagas Valença Junior | Presidente | Fenafisco |
Antonio | de Lisboa Amâncio Vale | Secretário de Relações Internacionais | Central Única dos Trabalhadores - CUT Brasil |
Gary | Feist | Corporate Tax Auditor | North Dakota United/AFT/AFL-CIO |
Dean | Flowers | President | Public Service Union of Belize |
Lisa | Freeman | Senior Researcher | CLC |
Francisco | Gabriel Nicolia | Diretor de Comunicação | SINAFRESP |
Sarah | Ganter | Dialogue on globalization | Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung |
Jonathan | Gauvin | Chief of Staff | New Democratic Party |
Livi | Gerbase | Researcher | CICTAR |
Michele | Girash | National Political Action Officer | PSAC |
Juan Gabriel | Herrera Chico | Vicepresidente Nacional | Sinedian |
Daniel | Kostzer | Chief Economist | ITUC-CSI |
Elizabeth | Kwan | Senior Researcher | Canadian Labour Congress |
Scott | Levine | Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Tax Affairs | U.S. Treasury |
Edgar | Lopez-Asselin | Coordinator | Collectif Échec aux paradis fiscaux |
Angella | MacEwen | Senior Economist | Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) |
Sandra | Massiah | Sub regional Secretary for the Caribbean | Public Services International |
Andrew | McNeill | National Representative | National Union of Public and General Employees |
Katrina | Miller | Executive director | Canadian for Tax Fairness |
Cyprian | Montrope | Vice President | St. Lucia Trade Union Federation |
Mercy | Nabwire Oula | National Treasurer | Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists Dentists Union |
Venkata | NARASIMHAN | General Secretary | All India National Life Insurance Employees Federation |
Minh | Nguyen | Economist | Centrale des syndicats du Québec |
Joel AKHATOR | ODIGIE | General Secretary | ITUC-AFRICA |
Séverine | PICARD | Coordinator of the NUTJ | NUTJ |
Jennifer | Porcari | Director, Public Employees | AFT |
Chris | Roberts | Director Social and Economic Policy | CLC |
William | Ross | Researcher | Collectif Échec aux paradis fiscaux |
Radhakrisna | Sadien | President | State and Other Employees Federation |
Antonio "Tony" | Salvador | Tax justice consultant | Third World Network (tax counsel for SENTRO Labor Philippines) |
Ian | Thomson | Manager of Policy and Advocacy | Oxfam Canada |
Rosana | Veloso | Auditora Fiscal da Receita Estadual | Sinafresp - sindicato dos auditores fiscais da Receita Estadual de São Paulo |
Ethan | Young | Subregional Secretary, North America | Public Services International |