US Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh to highlight good jobs, worker protections, responsible supply chains with labor ministers in Germany

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh will participate in the Group of 7 Labor and Employment Ministers’ Meeting on May 24 in Wolfsburg, Germany. The G-7 is the premier forum for its democratic, industrial member countries to coordinate economic and security policies.

In Germany, Secretary Walsh and other G-7 Labor Ministers plan to adopt a communiqué identifying shared priorities to create good jobs, increase skills training for underserved communities, ensure safe workplaces, and prepare and protect workers amidst climate change. Secretary Walsh is scheduled to deliver remarks highlighting the Biden-Harris administration’s efforts to raise labor standards in the global economy through strong enforcement of trade commitments and of the prohibition of imports made with forced labor and forced child labor. 

“I look forward to joining my G-7 colleagues in Germany next week to discuss how, in collaboration with our global partners, the Biden-Harris administration’s policies are spurring economic growth, advancing workforce development and job training, and supporting workers in the wake of the pandemic,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh. “In this moment of war and inflationary and supply chain pressures that affect the entire global economy, this is a critical opportunity to collaborate on maintaining our shared progress towards worker safety, health and financial security.”

At this year’s meeting, member countries plan to condemn Russia’s war on Ukraine, and to commit to actions to address the war’s impact on labor and employment conditions.

Bilateral meetings with Secretary Walsh and his G-7 counterparts are planned, as well as a Joint Declaration of Intent with German Labor Minister Hubertus Heil, to strengthen U.S.-German cooperation on international labor issues, including the promotion of occupational safety and health around the world. Relatedly, participants will discuss ways to support programs that protect vulnerable workers from rising heat stress and other challenges linked to climate change.

Learn more about the department’s international work.