A proposal to extend the Decent Work Agenda and address the current global crisis (12 June 2019, Global)
A proposal to extend the Decent Work Agenda and address the current global crisis
This declaration aims at providing a set of concrete proposals to help shape the “future we want” for the world of work. It addresses conditions which men, women, youth and, regrettably, many children, face when engaged in work, whether at home, in the workplace and wherever work takes place. Moreover, it proposes some steps to change work itself, so it can become a better expression of human dignity. This is the only condition for work to be a powerful force of change of our societies, communities and families.
The document is proposed by a global group of researchers and opinion leaders, gathered together in the project “The Future of Work, Labour after Laudato Si’”, coordinated by the International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC). Its goal is to shape a resource base for advocacy and dialogue with social partners, leaders of the world of work and of other faith communities. It promotes dialogue in order to link individuals to communities, the local to the national and international level in the context of the ILO Centenary. Contributors are part of groups associated with Catholic institutions and organisations (CERAS, Universidad Iberoamericana Puebla, ICMC, Lupina Foundation, Observatoire de la Finance, UNIAPAC, Aggiornamenti Sociali) in dialogue with a group of Catholic Inspired Organisations (IYCW, Kolping international, MIJARC, CIJOC and MMTC). They prepared this document as an outcome of the Research Seminar “The Future of Work, Labour after Laudato Sì. Building common perspectives on labour after Laudato Si” which took place in Rome in 2019, hosted by the Vatican Dicastery for the Promotion of Integral Human Development.
Context and background
Today, we are confronted with a complex global crisis which is both social and environmental (Laudato si’, paragraph 139). This situation occurs in the context of globalization – affecting not only the economy but also cultures and communities – and of accelerated technological change – in particular, the development of robotization and artificial intelligence. Of the many ongoing trends, the following are worth mentioning: growing inequalities, demographic growth, increase in the number of ageing population (in many parts of the world), and growing migratory flows. Urgent action is needed to prevent this global crisis from breeding fear and rejection, nurturing violence between and within communities, and untold suffering for growing portions of humanity.
Decent work for all is not only the cornerstone of the International Labour Organization’s (ILO’s) widely-shared philosophy based on the double convictions that social justice is the best path toward lasting peace, and that “labour is not a commodity”. It is both an essential foundation of human dignity and the primary path to ensure that every man and woman, their families and respective communities enjoy access to a life of fulfilment with the possibility to contribute to the common good and to the care for creation.
Decent work for all means dignity in all domains of human activity, for workers in non-formal or precarious forms of employment as well as in formal employment relationships; it means dignity at home, on the way to work and in the workplace; it means dignity in countries of origin, of transit, and of destination. It also means freedom and liberation for people forced to work against their will and children subjected to enduring the harshest form of work conditions.
Work takes place everywhere, it is not restricted to the formal “labour market”. At the global level, half of all active time is devoted to domestic and family economy (in the broad terms), one third of active time is employed in the so called informal economy, and only the remaining 20% in the formal work environment. In each of these environments, stakeholders, those engaged in work, counterparts, legal and contractual reference, are different.
Deficits in access to decent work probably are most acute in rural areas, in the informal sector, and in family-related activities. New forms of labour-related injustice arise from deteriorating environmental conditions and are exacerbated by the fact that those who are facing environmental injustice are also suffering from social discrimination. The introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics in many sectors can impact the organization of work, specifically at the local level. It may result in major dislocation and job loss, and/or skills and task consolidations. All these issues result in obstacles to decent work in most job-related situations. Addressing these deficits is part of the global responsibility of the international community. A renewed ILO has a strong role to play in this regard.
In this context, decent work for all means decent remuneration and the legal protection for all. It means the right to organize and to collective bargaining, as well as access for all to institutionalised social dialogue. It means freedom to work, to protection and support throughout one’s entire life course, when in good health conditions as well as in times of sickness. It means support and protection in times of great technological, social and environmental transformations, including through social security, and active policies to reinforce the skills and training of the workers.
Extending the Decent Work Agenda is the essential challenge of the day. Four dimensions of work must be simultaneously addressed:
- Work is a social reality: it is the co-operation with many others towards a common goal; it is an expression of solidarity and shared risks and meaning;
- Work is an economic reality: it generates value and makes it available for the whole society;
- Work is an ecological reality: it affects and modifies nature and the environment, and may protect or destroy them;
- Work is also a spiritual reality. It contributes to personal development, self-fulfilment and accomplishment.
As Laudato si’ #125 puts it, “Underlying every form of work is a concept of the relationship which we can and must have with what is other than ourselves”. Work is decent when this manifold relationship is decent!
An extended Decent Work Agenda retains a great transformative power for peace and social justice as well as in the protection of creation. For these reasons, we suggest the following proposals.
Proposals to expand the Decent Work Agenda
Proposal 1. A right to work and contribute positively to integral human development.
In all domains of human activity and in every work area and context, decent work must include the right to work in a way that contributes positively to integral human development and does not damage humankind and the environment. In other words, work is not decent if its output is death or suffering for people, or pollution and degradation of the environment, even when all standards of protection of workers are met. Fair wage, participation, work safety and the right to unionise are not enough to define decent work.
Proposal 2. A new economic model.
Social and environmental justice also include an intergenerational dimension and are the cornerstones of lasting peace. Expanding the Decent Work Agenda requires a reshuffling of the economy toward a different way of functioning and other forms of circulation of wealth. Long term sustainability – environmental, social and economic sustainability – is an essential priority rather than short-term profit maximisation. This alone will contribute to the inclusion of the billions of marginalised and exploited people and to treat today’s youth and future generations fairly, leaving them a decent world. Several approaches coming from different traditions and milieus offer promising inspiration to imagine a different production cycle, where resources are not consumed and disposed, but re-used, or different ways to distribute the added value produced by economic activity.
Proposal 3. Integrating the ecological and the Decent Work Agenda.
The Decent Work Agenda needs to integrate the requirements of ecological and social transition at all levels: micro, meso and macro. Among the focus areas requiring attention, we prioritise the following: the improvement of the health and security of workers, their families and communities; the need to mitigate environmental hazards and to promote investments toward greener and safer forms of production; the care for those in need; and finally, on the promotion of just employment policies to accompany the transition toward a greener economy.
Proposal 4. Extending social protection for all workers and their communities.
The pace and magnitude of change intensifies the need for wider and extended protection for workers and their communities. Social protection includes financial protection, social welfare, education and training. In times of high mobility and flexibility a particular need arises in securing portability in social protection schemes. Special attention has to be given to the welfare of women during pregnancy and nursing as well as young people not having reached physical maturity.
Proposal 5. Support and sponsor the connection between social justice and peace.
A decent and sustainable work agenda should consider peace, as absence of violence in all its forms, a key goal to guarantee the well-being of all. As the ILO Constitution states very clearly, peace can only be achieved only in relation to social justice and should take the form of an economic system that provides everyone access to all economic and non-economic resources, through work that is meaningful for the individual and for the community, as well as for future generations. Social dialogue, in its extended sense, and the reinforcement and protection of those taking part in it, should be one of the priorities of public policies, as a key tool for non-violent resolutions of conflicts.
Proposal 6. Attention to migrants, the positive impact of labour.
The extended Decent Work Agenda must pay special attention to migrants and refugees – internal and international – especially where the interface between urban and rural environments plays a special role. People on the move contribute both to their home regions and countries and well as to their host communities through their work. In this regard, ILO has a key role in advocating for greater global governance ensuring a fairer and more equitable labour migration, which has long been one of world’s most successful anti-poverty strategies. Thus, we call on the International Labour Organization during its Centenary year and long into the future to prioritise attention on, and safeguard, the positive impact of migrants’ and refugees’ labour on economic development across the range of high-, middle-, or low-income countries, and at global through local levels.
Proposal 7. Business contribution to promote inclusive and sustainable economic development, employment and decent work for all.
Business need to play a more significant role to help address socioeconomic changes, face the great challenges of the present and the future and support the implementation of more responsible and comprehensive sustainable development. This can be pursued by creating decent work and contributing to the employability of workers, enabling them to face the challenges posed by new technologies, and by making the economy more inclusive. For business this means engaging in social dialogue and adopting an ethical framework based on respect for human dignity, equality, justice and equity as pillars of Corporate Social Responsibility. Business should be at the service of the common good and helping to build a better society.
Proposal 8. Reinforcing ILO means of action.
Taking full account of the achievements of its first hundred years, the ILO has a unique opportunity to reinforce its central means of action – its normative agenda, its engagement for social dialogue at the global and national levels, and its research and statistical priorities – to fully promote decent work in all forms of human activities in every work area and context. For the ILO, adaptation of its means of action shall specifically enable the Organisation to address the challenges of artificial intelligence and protection of the environment. More and more, social, environmental and technological issues are intertwined. Research into decent work indicators linked with sustainability and public wellbeing should also be boosted.
Proposal 9. The role of the ILO and its tripartite constituents in the UN system.
Moreover, at the level of world economic and social governance, the role of ILO within the multilateral system can be increased. The Decent Work Agenda can be promoted through a wide range of alliances and coalitions, expanding on the basis of the tripartite constituents – national governments, organisations of employers and of workers –, reaching out to local governments and communities, with the support of civil society organisations, including faith-based organisations, their members and their leaders. A specific goal is to give space to organisations representing people living and working at the margins, who are often out of reach for the actors of the formal labour market. Their voices need to be heard too.