The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has called on governments to act now to reverse the slow-down in employment growth, and make up for the jobs lost; saying it was “absolutely essential to give priority to decent work and to investment in the real economy and for this to happen we need determined global cooperation.”
The call, made at the G20 summit of labour ministers in Paris, France, comes on the eve of the conference to hold in this country with Empowering Africa’s Peoples with Decent Work as a theme. The conference, to will hold from 11 to 14 October, in Sandton Convention Centre, will look at the strides that have been made since the 11th African Regional meeting in Addis Ababa, which set targets for the Decent Work Agenda in Africa and to set out future priority actions for the region to achieve the same.
The Minister of Labour, Mildred Oliphant, who is hosting the meeting, said the conference was important for the country in particular and the continent in general.
“The theme of this conference fits in with our mandate as a department which enjoins us to create a labour market that is conducive to Investment, Economic Growth, Employment Creation and Decent work,” she said.
Speaking from the G20 meeting Paris, Oliphant said yesterday the government was committed to creating decent work opportunities. To this end, the department has set sectorial determinations for vulnerable workers like the farmworkers and domestic workers which sets out minimum wages.
She pointed to a shared interest between labour and government to help fight job losses saying this was welcome and it is something that she encourages. She also added that some interventions like the department of rural development of training youths and giving them a stipend was part of that strategy to address unemployment.
According to the ILO and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, at current employment growth rates of 1 per cent, it won’t be possible to recover the estimated 20 million jobs lost in the G20 since the crisis began in 2008.
The report also shows how social protection has played a significant role during the crisis in some countries by protecting the poor and other vulnerable people, by helping to stabilise demand for goods and services, and by empowering people to seize economic opportunities. Beyond the crisis, nationally shaped social protection floors have proven to be an effective tool for reducing poverty and inequality, as well as boosting inclusive and sustainable economic growth. - Ends
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