Intervento di Mabel Grossi, Delegata sindacati CGIL, CISL e UIL (Italia), Sessione plenaria della Conferenza internazionale del lavoro

© OIL

© OIL

Director General, Chair, distinguished delegates, guests,

I bring this contribution on behalf of the three Italian trade union confederations, CGIL CISL and UIL. We are gathering at this year’s International Labour Conference facing with a more fragmented and polarized world. A world that seems to have returned to considering war as a normal tool for resolving international disputes.

Too many other issues are contributing to the increase of global inequality, insecurity and injustice: the deregulated system of hyper-globalisation, financialisation and neoliberalism; new forms of precarious and insecure work, industrial production relocations, the defunding of public social infrastructure, and a general — not even so concealed — attack against trade unions and freedom of association.

Authoritarianisms — in their various forms — always assert themselves on weakened, fragmented, divided societies; and democracy can thrive only if social justice can be fully established. Italian trade unions insist that an inclusive, cooperative and equitable multilateralism is more necessary than ever. The ILO DG’s initiative for a Global Coalition for Social Justice is a renewed opportunity that gives greater recognition to a global common than to global power blocks, and that places human rights and environmental conservation before capital and war.

Peace is a core value of trade unionism: the precondition for realising any form of justice and equality. Italian unions believe the ILO should take a more active role in engaging its tripartite constituents in promoting global disarmament and industrial reconversion, giving full effect to ILO Recommendation 205. CGIL, CISL and UIL strongly believe in the ILO tripartism. The ILO should promote a much stronger supervisory mechanism with a sanction-approach when violating fundamental conventions. We are concerned with the ongoing violations of human and trade union rights in Myanmar, Saudi Arabia, Belarus, Argentina, Tunisia, and call for further ILO attention and support to trade union in these countries.

At the same time, we are also worried by the persistence of violence and harassment against women and the ongoing incidence of forced labour in the world. Women and migrant workers are the first to pay the price of segregation, and we strongly call for this year’s General Discussion to recognize care as a human right. Following last year’s discussion at the ILO committee on the application of the standards, we welcome the Italian government’s commitment to engage in tripartite discussions to improve the labour inspectorate in our country, and we look forward to continuing our cooperation in this regard.

Also, Italian trade unions strongly welcome the ILO Vision Zero fund to promote effective implementation of occupational health and safety in workplaces, and welcome the commitment of the Italian government to join and support this fund. More still needs to be done in Italy to give real effect to the ratification of ILO Conventions No. 155 and No. 187, and we can no longer accept the increasingly persistent work-related deaths, occupational injuries and illnesses in Italy and in the world.

We call on the Italian government to start to move in the direction of a concrete and adequate minimum living wages: as the ILO DG points out, it is the key to deliver decent living standards for workers and their families.

Let me conclude saying few but important words on the ITC in Turin. Welcoming its new Director, Italian trade unions strongly believe in the value of publicly-funded training and education for workers around the world, and we call on the ILO to continuing to invest adequately in the structure.

In our societies today, there are different forms of injustice.

But there is only one form of social justice: the one that guarantees safe and decent work, same rights and same opportunities for everyone. Everywhere.

Thank you.