Decent Work Crucial For Development

21 September 2010

By Jaya Ramachandran

IDN-InDepth NewsAnalysis

BRUSSELS (IDN) - Decent work can serve as a catalyst to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), according to a new report, which comes at the mid-way point of a United Nations gathering of heads of government and state in New York, convened to review progress made in the past ten years to alleviate poverty.

The report entitled 'Decent work and the Millennium Development Goals – A Promising Partnership' looks at the implementation of the International Labour Organisation's Decent Work Agenda and its success in contributing to achieving all the MDGs.

Decent work comprises four strategic objectives: fundamental principles and rights at work and international labour standards; employment and income opportunities; social protection and social security; and social dialogue and tripartism.

These objectives hold for all workers, women and men, in both formal and informal economies; in wage employment or working on their own account; in the fields, factories and offices; in their home or in the community.

The report released September 21 by the 'Global Network' wants the heads of government and state to renew their commitment to the Decent Work Agenda.

The Global Network aims at achieving the objective of decent work for all. It works to empower women and men who are activists in non-government organisations (NGOs), trade unions, associations of informal workers and grassroots movements to build capacity, exchange experiences and coordinate joint actions, at both regional and international level.

The project is coordinated by SOLIDAR and the International Federation of Workers’ Education Associations.

Prospects for achieving the MDGs are currently looking slim; but this Global Network report shows that national implementation of the Decent Work Agenda has enabled households in developing countries to break the cycle of poverty by improving access to income, social security, education and health.

In Cambodia, for example, employees in International Labour Organisation (ILO) Better Work apparel factories earn an average wage of 77 U.S. dollars, whereas the average monthly income of an entire household in rural areas is 40 dollars. Families and even relatives now have sufficient income to keep their children at school. In addition, health and safety in factories has also improved.

"Despite this and many more success stories, decent work has never been a mainstream development strategy," says Elizabeth Tang, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions and Co-Chair of The Global Network.

She adds: "And whilst many developing countries have taken a first step towards change by putting in place decent work country programmes, national commitments are simply not enough if global commitments do not follow."

Better Work is a unique partnership programme between ILO and the International Finance Corporation (IFC). Launched in February 2007, the programme aims to improve both compliance with labour standards and competitiveness in global supply chains.

Another example, according to the Global Network report, is in Jordan where a Better Work Programme started in mid-2008 has already achieved significant results. 25 factories in the free trade manufacturing zones, representing 50 percent of the labour force and over 80 percent of the exports have joined the programme. Working conditions have improved and overtime work has decreased.

"Under the pretext of the financial crisis and with the austerity measures that many countries have put in place, we see many European governments not respecting their aid commitments. And yet the latest figures from Eurostat say that 64 percent of Europeans believe that governments should increase aid in line with their promises or even beyond this. Shouldn’t EU leaders be listening to their public?" asks Conny Reuter, SOLIDAR Secretary General.

"It is crucial that the leaders present at the UN MDG Review Summit show a renewed commitment to the Decent Work Agenda and redistributive growth strategies that would put people first," adds Keith Sonnet, Deputy Secretary General of UNISON and Co-Chair of the Global Network.

COUNTRIES AND ORGANISATIONS

The Global Network currently operates in 36 countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and Middle East. In Africa it is composed of 10 organisations from 10 countries: Burkina Faso; Ghana; Kenya; Mozambique; Nigeria; Namibia; South Africa; Swaziland; Zambia; Zambia; and Zimbabwe. In the Arab countries it comprises of 11 organisations in 6 countries:Jordan; Lebanon; Mauritania; Morocco; Palestine; and Tunisia.

The Global Network Asia has 10 organisations from 9 different countries: Philippines; Hong Kong; Korea; Thailand; Bangladesh; India; Pakistan; Cambodia; and Sri Lanka. In Latin America it has members in Argentina; Bolivia; Brazil; El Salvador; Colombia; Chile; Ecuador; México; Peru; and Uruguay.

The Global Network actions take place within the framework of decent work focusing on three main fields: trade and investment, migration and social protection. It also produces and disseminates research reports.

PROJECTS

The Global Network is currently working on three projects:

1. Globalising Decent Work -- The project, funded by EuropeAid, aims to contribute to reinforcing the capacity of men and women from trade unions and labour organisations to act together and in alliances with others for the achievement of Decent Work. It aims to:

-- Develop and implement advocacy strategies ensuring that Decent Work is the outcome of international, regional and national trade policy and instruments in the areas of migration, social protection and trade and investment.

-- Reinforce the capacity of trade unions and labour organisations, NGOs and social organisations to work together and in alliances

-- Mobilise public support amongst citizens to lobby governments to implement Decent Work commitments

-- Ensure the voices of the most marginalised groups in the developing world (women, migrants, informal economy workers) are heard within government and the wider community.

2. Migration and Decent Work -- The project, funded by EuropeAid Co-operation Office (AIDCO), aims to contribute to the recognition, understanding and popularisation of the link between Decent Work, migration and development. It aims to:

-- Demonstrate that deficits in Decent Work are part of the driving forces in cross-border migration (migration out of necessity).

-- Mobilise European citizens' support for ensuring that Decent Workis put at the centre of development cooperation policies as a condition to give people in developing countries the choice to live in or leave their countries (migration out of choice).

-- Engage citizens in advocating a rights-based approach to labour migration and for policy coherence for development.

-- Reinforce the capacity of national and European actors to develop joint national and European advocacy and awareness-raising initiatives to ensure that Decent Work is the outcome of international, European and national policy and instruments in the areas of migration and development cooperation in close partnership with southern organisations.

3. Realising Social Protection and Decent Work for All -- The goal of this project, funded by UK Department for International Development (DFID) under the Civil Society Challenge Fund and managed by SOLIDAR and UNISON, is to contribute to the eradication of poverty by ensuring the provision of social protection for all, as put forward in the ILO's Decent Work Agenda.

The project aims to empower trade unions and social organisations to work in alliances and advocate for social protection in line with the Decent Work Agenda, and will particularly benefit people and organisations representing women, workers in the informal economy, migrants and people affected by HIV/Aids. (IDN-InDepthNews/21.09.2010)