111th International Labour Conference - Recurrent discussion on labour protection - EU Statement

European Union

Statement

International Labour Conference

111^th session

Geneva, 5 - 16 June 2023

________

Recurrent discussion on labour protection

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Geneva, 5 June 2023

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International Labour Conference

111^th session

Geneva, 5 - 16 June 2023

EU Statement - Opening and Discussion Point 1

DP1: What have been the main trends and their implications regarding access to labour protection since the last recurrent discussion on labour protection in 2015? How has such access evolved for workers vulnerable to exclusion from adequate, inclusive, and effective protection and with regard to gender equality? What are the priorities for providing adequate, inclusive and effective protection to all workers?

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

The Candidate Countries Albania*, Bosnia and Herzegovina*, the Republic of North Macedonia*, Moldova, Montenegro* and Türkiye, the potential candidate country Georgia, the EFTA countries Iceland and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, align themselves with this statement.

1. Chair, I would like to congratulate you on your election as Chairperson of this Committee. Our congratulations also go to the representatives of the social partners who have been elected as vice-chairs and with whom we look forward to working closely over the next two weeks.
2. The EU and its Member States welcome this opportunity to contribute to an informed and balanced discussion on labour protection and thank the Office for its comprehensive report.
3. Since the last recurrent discussion on labour protection in 2015, the transformation in the world of work has gained momentum with new forms of employment and new challenges arising for securing adequate effective, and inclusive protection for workers. Labour markets around the world are undergoing major transitions caused by future of work drivers, including climate change, demographic shifts, globalisation, and digital and technological changes, including the development of the Artificial Intelligence, which will affect the structure of economies and labour markets and impact employers and workers. A recent report of a High-Level Group on the future of social protection and of the welfare state in the EU[1] analyses the implications of these megatrends and provides a number of policy recommendations.

4. We concur with the conclusions of the Office’s report that even though progress has been made in respect of the different dimensions of labour protection, important challenges remain. We would like to highlight the importance of tackling labour protection as a whole, considering interlinkages between its different domains, while also keeping in mind its interplay with social protection.
5. We concur with the conclusions of the Office’s report that even though progress has been made in respect of the different dimensions of labour protection, important challenges remain. We would like to highlight the importance of tackling labour protection as a whole, considering interlinkages between its different domains, while also keeping in mind its interplay with social protection.
6. In the context of these transformative changes in the world of work, we would like to emphasise the following elements as needing specific attention:
7. One of the main challenges is ensuring that the situation of all vulnerable groups is adequately addressed in labour protection, keeping in mind the intersectionality of vulnerabilities. During the Covid-19 pandemic we have seen that vulnerable groups are at a higher risk of being more severely impacted by crises. Therefore, it is important that inclusive labour protection systems continue to evolve and adapt in line with the new and continuously changing realities in the world of work and ensuring that no one is left behind.
8. The persistence of significant gender gaps in many aspects of employment and labour protection is a specifically poignant concern. While the situation had somewhat improved in OECD countries, the average gender pay gap still reaches 12 percent there. The global estimates suggest that the gender pay gap worldwide reaches close to 22 per cent, with a wide variation across countries. It is imperative to ensure equal pay for work of equal value, as well as to tackle the underlying reasons for inequality on the labour market, such as the unequal sharing of care responsibilities between women and men.
9. Another persistent challenge is informality. According to ILO’s estimates, around 2 billion workers globally were in informal employment in 2022. The high incidence of informality is not only a major challenge to economic development, but is also detrimental to achieving adequate labour protection for all and thus social justice. We would therefore like to underline the importance of continued work on the transition to the formal economy, while at the same time working on innovative ways to try to improve labour protection as well as social protection coverage for those working in the informal economy.
10. The EU and its Member States emphasise the importance of adequate minimum wages, statutory or negotiated, as not all wage earners are effectively protected against unduly low pay. In about 10 per cent of countries globally, there are no provisions for minimum wage at all, while in some other countries certain categories of workers are excluded from the protection. Minimum wages may also be set at inadequate levels, contributing also to in-work poverty. Apart from minimum wages, employment policies and collective agreements could also be used to reduce inequalities. We look forward to the ILO’s work on contributing to the better understanding of living wages.
11. Ensuring occupational safety and health for all workers will continue to have to be a priority with the changes in the world of work, such as climate change and outbreaks of biological agents, epidemics, and pandemics. In this context, we salute all constituents for including a safe and healthy working environment in the ILO’s framework on fundamental principles and rights at work. We hope that this milestone development will give a much-needed impetus to further work on ensuring occupational safety and health for all.
12. Digitalisation and the use of automated monitoring and management tools bring both opportunities and challenges to the world of work. In order to address the challenges and opportunities presented by digitalisation, we need to proactively evaluate if the labour protection policies in place meet these challenges and adjust these accordingly if necessary, while at the same time enabling for employment opportunities to be realised, including through reskilling and upskilling, whilst given due consideration to workers’ rights in new forms of work.
13. Finally, effective collective bargaining can contribute to designing, improving and ensuring adequate labour protection for all workers.
14. Chair, the EU and its Member States firmly believe that labour protection needs to evolve with the transformations in the world of work. Extending coverage to all workers, determining adequate levels of protection and ensuring compliance are important areas to consider in our discussions.
15. At this committee, we aim to contribute to a set of action-oriented conclusions that should guide and encourage the ILO and its constituents in their efforts to respond to a changing world of work and multiple ongoing crises.
16. We look forward to working with you all and hope to engage in fruitful discussions over the coming weeks.

Thank you, Chair.

[1] https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?langId=en&catId=88&eventsId=2057&furtherEvents=yes

[*Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.]