No social justice without decent work – ILO

Ukpono Ukpong, Abuja

The Director-General, International Labour Organisational (ILO), Guy Ryder has said social protection systems play enormous role in countering inequality amongst the workers globally.

In a speech at the G20 leaders’ summit in Tokyo, Ryder said that to tackle inequality amongst the workers, appropriate regulations are necessary for the provision of decent work.

He said that clearly, the current efforts have not delivered convergent rising incomes among the world’s workforce commensurate with the objective of balanced and sustainable growth.

While pointing to significant distributive failures such as increasing concentrated wealth, widening gap between the richest and poorest within countries, falling share of labour’s income in developed countries as well below global average in developing countries, persistent gender inequalities, accumulating inter-generational inequalities, and a large portion of the world’s workforce experiencing real wage stagnation, Ryder stressed the need to achieve decent work for all.

“Decent work is a powerful distributive force that delivers both greater equity and social justice.

We need to pay attention to labour markets, because while they are the primary source of income opportunities around the world left unregulated, they often instigate and exacerbate inequalities.

“For example, the risk of unemployment is higher for women and low income workers. Similarly, low-wage jobs are more often correlated with irregular hours, hazardous work and lack of social protection.

This is why appropriate regulation is so important in providing decent work.

“In addition, universal social protection systems play an enormous role in countering inequality.

Therefore to counter income inequality, we need to invest in the institutions that achieve redistribution, through sound industrial relations systems and tax and transfer systems that support sustainable social protection systems.” Said Ryder

Speaking further, the Director-General frowned at the current economic and labour market structures explaining that is not conducive to gender equality.

“We need targeted actions on multiple fronts to close the gender gaps in labour force participation and pay.

This starts with rebalancing the distribution of unpaid care work between men and women, because gender equality truly does begin at home. And we need to continue to fight discrimination and eliminate stereotypes.

“Last week delegates to the ILO’s Centenary International Labour Conference adopted a Convention to address violence and harassment in the world of work, a ground-breaking instrument that provides another important tool in the fight for women’s equal status.

I conclude by urging G20 countries to lead the way in ratifying and implementing this new Convention.” Said Ryder