ACTRAV's support for trade unions in the Caribbean: Promoting decent work and social protection to address economic, demographic and ecological transformations

The Caribbean is a diverse region with significant economic potential and growth opportunities. Gross National Income (GNI) per capita varies from around US$800 to over US$30,000 and most countries rely primarily on tourism, while some on commodity exports.

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the Caribbean substantially with a GDP contraction ranging from 16-20 per cent in some countries in 2020. An uneven recovery started and the worsening global economic environment in 2022 slowed the momentum and average growth in 2022. As recovery continues, levels of debt-to-GDP start to trend down for most countries. However, rising price levels and a challenging global environment pose significant challenges as countries work to strengthen fiscal balances, revitalize growth and build resilience against natural disasters resulting from climate change, to which the Caribbean countries are extremely vulnerable.

Building fiscal and financial resilience and investing in preparedness through decent jobs and social protection to address ongoing structural challenges and economic, demographic and ecological transformations [1] are critical to reducing vulnerability and safeguarding the environment. Informality stands at 47.6 per cent in the CARICOM region, and only 23 per cent of the population in the region is covered by some form of social protection, which is much lower than the world average of 52.3 per cent.

A comprehensive and integrated approach, supported by enhanced inter-ministerial coordination and collaboration, social dialogue, participatory approaches and multilateral cooperation, will help create decent work and achieve universal social protection. This approach should prioritize a macroeconomic framework that focuses on the creation of decent employment opportunities as an explicit policy goal, boosting wages and productivity, through a pro-employment structural transformation and economic diversification as a pre-requisite for a mor resilient economy and increased fiscal space. As the number of contributors to social protection systems increases, so too does the system's financial sustainability, while the need for social assistance diminishes. For example, a focus on youth employment and supporting school-to-work transition will be crucial to ensuring long-term success. This will contribute to sustainable, inclusive, fair, resilient, and prosperous economies, especially by increasing employment rates, reducing unemployment and inactivity, and fostering formalization.

In the Global call to action, adopted by the International Labour Conference in 2021, governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations of all ILO Member States committed to placing the aim of full, productive and freely chosen employment and decent work, the needs of the most vulnerable and hardest hit by the pandemic, and the provision of adequate social protection to all workers to build forward better from the crisis.

In this regard, workers’ organizations are not passive bystanders but have an important role to play in the design and implementation of economic policies, including macroeconomic policies and sectoral policies, as well as employment, formalization and social protection policies and strategies. Aligning pro-employment economic policies with social protection reforms, while upholding the fundamental principles and rights at work and ensuring environmental sustainability, will create an integrated approach that fosters inclusive sustainable economic growth, reduces inequalities, and provides decent employment opportunities for all, particularly for vulnerable populations. Workers’ organizations should also engage actively in national debates on resource mobilization for formalization and for financing non-contributory social protection schemes through, for example, progressive taxation and wealth policies. To that end, they need to know the interlinkages between macro-economic, social protection policies and environmental policies, and which policy options are the best for their country, be aware of the various financing mechanisms and understand the implications of each option for jobs and social protection for decent work. This requires in addition a high-level strategic vision and the ability to negotiate and generate consensus for the transformative changes necessary to fashion a better future that includes decent work through social protection and a safeguarded environment for all.

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[1] Just transitions refer to a number of ongoing structural challenges and transformations, and the need to support countries in creating decent jobs and extending social protection whilst harnessing opportunities presented by ongoing economic, demographic and ecological transformations into better prospects for those who are today excluded from decent jobs and social protection

The series of virtual capacity-building workshops are intended for participants including leaders and representatives of women and youth committees and activists from trade unions from the Caribbean countries, who are in charge of decent work, particularly social protection and just transition, and related topics, including the trade union representatives on the Board of Directors of the national social security agencies.

The webinars will be prepared and coordinated by:

Ursula Kulke, Senior Social Protection Specialist, ACTRAV with the support of Ian Orton, Social Protection and OSH Specialist, ILO DWT/CO Port of Spain and Vera Guseva, Workers’ Activities Specialist, ILO DWT/CO Port of Spain, as well as Lene Olsen, Senior Programme and Operations Specialist, ACTRAV, Michael Watt, Economist and Specialist in Workers’ Activities, ACTRAV, and Khalid Maman Waziri, Technical Officer, ACTRAV.

ILO HQ social protection specialists as well as external experts will be invited to make contributions on specific topics.

Technical support will be provided by ILO DWT/CO Port of Spain – Suzanne Joseph, Senior Information Technology Assistant and Averlon Toussaint, Communication and Information Management Assistant.

The series of workshops will be delivered virtually by ZOOM and in English. The first session will have a duration of 3 hours, while the following 7 sessions will have a duration of 2 hours. The ZOOM link and a detailed agenda of each session will be provided beforehand to participants.

• Setting the scene – The need for integrated policy approaches: Building blocks of a pro-employment macroeconomic framework that promotes decent work creation and universal social protection
  • Structural transformation through economic diversification
  • National employment policies
• The importance of social protection for climate action and a just transition

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• The state of social protection worldwide, and the ILO’s two-dimensional social protection policy based on ILO social security standards and the different financing mechanism

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• Fostering formalization through social protection: A comprehensive approach to decent work and just transition

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• Old-age, disability and survivors’ benefits in light of ILO’s pension policy

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• Family-friendly social protection

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• Gender-responsive social protection and linkages to other policies, including care policies

• OSH-related risks and compensation of employment injuries through employment injury benefits schemes

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• Unemployment insurance schemes as a means to reduce informality, support workers’ reintegration in the formal labour market, and support youth employment and school-to-work transition.