Pope Francis advocates for organization of workers' unions

Pope Francis is championing the right of all workers to unionize, as economic activity is poised to increase when the pandemic threat eases.

Francis said efforts to rebuild economies after COVID-19 setbacks must aim at a future with "decent and dignified working conditions," originating in collective bargaining. He called the "right to organize in unions" one of the fundamental protections for workers. He lamented that many migrants and vulnerable workers are often excluded from national health plans. During the pandemic, "this exclusion complicates early detection, testing, diagnosis, contact tracing and seeking medical care for COVID-19 for refugees and migrants, and thus increases the risk of outbreaks in these populations," Francis said.