EESC Plenary session
ILO joins EESC Plenary debate on achieving decent work worldwide
22 September 2022
Earlier this year, the European Commission has adopted a Communication on decent work worldwide, which sets out how the EU will act upon the challenges linked to a just green and digital transition and a sustainable recovery from the pandemic. The ILO Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia joined the Plenary session of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC). During the session, the Committee adopted its opinion to the Commission’s strategy to promote decent work within and outside the EU.
Achieving decent work for all remains a worldwide challenge. The financial, energy and food crises triggered by the war in Ukraine hamper more than ever our efforts to make the world of work more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable.
“It is unacceptable that decent work is still a far-off reality for millions of workers. We need not only an international response to current crises, but also one that places decent jobs and social protection at its centre,” said Heinz Koller, ILO Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia, addressing the Plenary session.
The EU has always played a significant role in promoting decent work among its member states and third countries, including through trade agreements.
The Regional Director thanked the EU for its efforts to promote the ratification of ILO Conventions. He welcomed in particular the EESC’s proposal to fully take into account the two ILO Conventions on Occupational Safety and Health which are now part of the fundamental principles and rights at work, and its proposal to integrate these Conventions into the next GSP regulation for 2024-2034.
Mr Koller underlined the importance of all five fundamental principles and rights at work. Regarding discrimination, he recalled that fighting all forms of discrimination in employment and profession, including the gender pay gap, remains crucial as inequalities within and across countries are increasing. In 2021 there were still 20 million fewer women in employment than before the pandemic, compared to 10 million for men.
Today, the gender pay gap remains at about 20 per cent globally, with an EU average of 13 percent. “In this connection, let us hope that the EU Directive on Adequate Minimum Wages, which has just been approved by the European Parliament, and the proposed EU Directive on Gender Pay Transparency, which is currently being negotiated, will contribute to improve the situation in countries,” said the Regional Director.
He also stressed the need to promote youth employment and green employment, and to the address labour market shortages which are affecting the EU labour market, by focussing on lifelong learning, skills development and reskilling.
“The ILO and the EU are close allies on these issue because we fight for the same values. I see a large space for pursuing our exchanges and collaboration in the future,” Mr Koller concluded.
The EESC acknowledged the ILO’s role in promoting decent work worldwide. At the end of the Plenary session, the members of the Committee adopted its Opinion on decent work worldwide, underlining that the EU must use all its policies, both internal and external, to promote and ensure decent work worldwide.
Achieving decent work for all remains a worldwide challenge. The financial, energy and food crises triggered by the war in Ukraine hamper more than ever our efforts to make the world of work more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable.
“It is unacceptable that decent work is still a far-off reality for millions of workers. We need not only an international response to current crises, but also one that places decent jobs and social protection at its centre,” said Heinz Koller, ILO Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia, addressing the Plenary session.
The EU has always played a significant role in promoting decent work among its member states and third countries, including through trade agreements.
The Regional Director thanked the EU for its efforts to promote the ratification of ILO Conventions. He welcomed in particular the EESC’s proposal to fully take into account the two ILO Conventions on Occupational Safety and Health which are now part of the fundamental principles and rights at work, and its proposal to integrate these Conventions into the next GSP regulation for 2024-2034.
Mr Koller underlined the importance of all five fundamental principles and rights at work. Regarding discrimination, he recalled that fighting all forms of discrimination in employment and profession, including the gender pay gap, remains crucial as inequalities within and across countries are increasing. In 2021 there were still 20 million fewer women in employment than before the pandemic, compared to 10 million for men.
Today, the gender pay gap remains at about 20 per cent globally, with an EU average of 13 percent. “In this connection, let us hope that the EU Directive on Adequate Minimum Wages, which has just been approved by the European Parliament, and the proposed EU Directive on Gender Pay Transparency, which is currently being negotiated, will contribute to improve the situation in countries,” said the Regional Director.
He also stressed the need to promote youth employment and green employment, and to the address labour market shortages which are affecting the EU labour market, by focussing on lifelong learning, skills development and reskilling.
“The ILO and the EU are close allies on these issue because we fight for the same values. I see a large space for pursuing our exchanges and collaboration in the future,” Mr Koller concluded.
The EESC acknowledged the ILO’s role in promoting decent work worldwide. At the end of the Plenary session, the members of the Committee adopted its Opinion on decent work worldwide, underlining that the EU must use all its policies, both internal and external, to promote and ensure decent work worldwide.