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Labour calls on goverments to address 575m global jobs gap

By Gloria Nwafor
07 October 2021   |   4:00 am
To address the 575 million global jobs gap and to formalise at least half of informal jobs by 2030, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) has called on every government to develop jobs plans as the only way to reach the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal 8.

•As unions mark World Decent Work Day
To address the 575 million global jobs gap and to formalise at least half of informal jobs by 2030, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) has called on every government to develop jobs plans as the only way to reach the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal 8.

This, ITUC said is pertinent as trade unions and workers’ rights supporters globally today commemorates World Day for Decent Work with the theme ‘Just Jobs’.

The union called on governments to adopt national jobs plans based on dialogue with unions and employers.

ITUC General Secretary, Sharan Burrow said governments must have one overriding priority, and that is jobs. She said they needed to recommit to full employment as it provides the basis for economic security and for social justice.

Noting that the global labour market is broken, she lamented that governments have failed to regulate work and lost sight of the objective of full employment.

According to her, work is even more precarious than it was before the pandemic and this requires the rules to change so that people are protected from growing exploitation and rampant insecurity.

She maintained that jobs are absolutely central to recovery and to building the resilience needed globally to deal with the pandemic and other existential threats.

“Trade unions are calling on governments to get around the table with unions, employers and others to set ambitious targets to create and retain jobs as a matter of urgency. And then they need to meet those targets by ensuring the creation of climate-friendly jobs to stabilise the planet and deliver a zero-carbon economy.

“There must be a strong focus on employment in the vitally important care sector and in infrastructure. Our jobs demand is achievable, in particular if governments pursue tax policies that are equitable instead of designed to allow a tiny number of people to hoard hundreds of billions of dollars by avoiding tax. That revenue could kick-start job creation.”

“Job creation is central to the new social contract, along with rights, social protection, equality and inclusion. The World Day for Decent Work will amplify the just jobs call, and as our campaign brief points out, to tackle the crisis of informality,” she said.

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