In June ILO’s annual International Labour Conference (ILC) adopted a strong Global Call to Action, calling for a human-centred recovery from the COVID-19 crisis. The plan was adopted with the unanimous support of government, trade union and employer representatives and fast-tracks implementation of the ILO Centenary Declaration.
The Global Call to Action commits countries to ensuring that their economic and social recovery from the crisis is “fully inclusive, sustainable and resilient”. The plan addresses ITUC’s five workers’ demands of job creation, especially for the environment, rights, universal social protection, equality and inclusion. Supply chain responsibilities of multinational companies are also addressed in the plan. The demand for universal social protection was reinforced in the resolution on social security. Important elements in that resolution include: social protection as a critical factor for recovery and resilience against future crises; the need for greater international solidarity in funding social protection and the engagement of the ILO in initiating and establishing a Global Social Protection Fund; as well as coverage of all workers in the formal and informal sectors, and increased action to formalise informal work.
The Conference Committee on the Application of Standards discussed ways of promoting employment and decent work and adopted strong conclusions on several countries where workers’ rights are under attack, including also Belarus.
Since the start of the COVID-19 situation, La Strada International has been calling for more attention for the challenging situation of trafficked persons and those vulnerable for trafficking, exploitation and abuse and for targeted measures to ensure the protection and support and prevent discrimination and unequal treatment. The COVID situation has had a particular negative impact on marginalized communities, including thousands of migrants that work in Europe in low paid and exploitative jobs, supporting European countries to plug their labour shortfalls. Many of these are women, men and children in an irregular and precarious situation.