Delegates attend the opening session of the International Labour Organization's 17th Asia and the Pacific Regional Meeting in Singapore on Dec 6, 2022. The forum will run until DEc 9. (JAN YUMUL / CHINA DAILY)
Delegates to ILO regional meeting urge new ‘social contract’ that puts people before profits
Post-pandemic recovery will require better social and healthcare protection for workers that ensures the development of “human-centered growth”, according to delegates at a regional forum in Singapore.
Delegates to the International Labour Organization’s 17th Asia-Pacific Regional Meeting (APRM) noted that 1.3 billion workers in the Asia-Pacific region have no social protection.
Delegates to the International Labour Organization’s 17th Asia-Pacific Regional Meeting (APRM) noted that 1.3 billion workers in the Asia-Pacific region have no social protection
“We want everyone to be able to share equally in the benefits of a future of human-centered growth. Today, labor standards, employment policies and social protection matter more than ever,” ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo said at the opening session on Dec 6. The meeting will run for four days.
Houngbo said that during booming economic times it is “easy to forget certain groups” such as scheduled workers and micro entrepreneurs “scrapping a living” outside the umbrella of formal institutions and protections.
“They are, quite frankly, surviving — but they are certainly not thriving. Such disadvantaged groups tend not to ask for assistance. This is why, in the name of social justice, we must be the voice and we must step up on their behalf,” he said. Houngbo urged delegates to extend social protection that can make their lives more secure.
According to the ILO, the Asia-Pacific and Arab regions account for 60 percent of the global workforce, with less than two in five of those economically active being women, and 60 million workers existing in “extreme poverty”. ILO said the youth unemployment rate in the Asia-Pacific region is at 15 percent, but the number rises to almost 26 percent in the Arab states.
ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo fields questions from reporters at a press conference on the sidelines of the opening of the International Labour Organization's 17th Asia and the Pacific Regional Meeting at the Raffles City Convention Centre in Singapore on Dec 6, 2022. (JAN YUMUL / CHINA DAILY)
“We have a long way to go toward a human-centered recovery,” said Karen Batt, federal secretary of the Community and Public Sector Union/State Public Services Federation in Australia. Batt said that apart from the pandemic that led to joblessness, workers are also dealing with inflation.
“We can’t go back to the pre-pandemic status quo” of an economic system that puts profits before people, Batt said at a panel discussion. She said the economic model that promoted deregulation and privatization has slashed funding for social protection, promoted inequality and undermined workers’ rights.
“A policy agenda for a human-centered recovery requires a new social contract and a rewriting of the rules of the economy to … ensure that people are at the center,” Batt said.
READ MORE: ILO: Global jobs recovery delayed by pandemic uncertainty
Singapore President Halimah Yacob said the pandemic disrupted Singapore’s labor market, with the slowing economy leading to job losses. But the “high level of trust” among the government, unions and employers has enabled the city-state to overcome these challenges, she said, referring to Singapore’s tripartism collaborative framework. She said tripartism and social dialogue will also help in uplifting the plight of lower-wage workers, accelerating digitalization and responding to the evolving nature of work.
“Despite a challenging environment of high business costs, inflation and economic uncertainty, our priority remains — to strengthen our social compact where every worker holds a decent job and has a stake in the economy. Only then can we develop a sense of shared purpose across all segments of our society, and weather the economic uncertainty ahead,” Halimah said in her special opening address.
Houngbo said economic growth in the Asia-Pacific “has not been inclusive” and that it still has a long way to grow toward achieving gender equality. He also said that small and medium enterprises are the backbone of economic growth and called for a more SME-friendly environment.
Singaporean President Halimah Yacob delivers a speech at the opening session of the International Labour Organization's 17th Asia and the Pacific Regional Meeting at the Raffles City Convention Centre in Singapore on Dec 6, 2022 (JAN YUMUL / CHINA DAILY)
“But labor productivity has stagnated in the region. Therefore, innovation and effective employment policies, including skills and training, are needed to boost productivity and share prosperity,” Houngbo said.
Delegates to the 17th APRM also elected officers of the meeting. Singapore’s Manpower Minister Tan See Leng was elected chairperson. Arti Ahuja, India’s secretary of labour and employment, was elected vice-chairperson representing government delegates. Robert Yap, president of the Singapore National Employers Federation, was elected as vice-chairperson representing employers, and Mary Liew, president of Singapore’s National Trades Union Congress, was elected vice-chairperson for workers.
READ MORE: ILO: Women hardest-hit in pandemic job market
The ILO’s APRM takes place every four to five years. The previous event was held in Bali, Indonesia, in 2016. The current, ongoing APRM was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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