ILO participates in trade union seminar on securing pensions in Suriname
The event brought together experts from different fields to share their knowledge and expertise on pension policy, while also providing a platform for participants to exchange ideas and strategies for advancing workers' rights.
7 April 2023
In a time of economic uncertainty, ensuring the security of pensions has become an increasingly pressing issue for workers around the world. To address this challenge, the trade union federation C-47 organized a three-day seminar on 3-5 April 2023, in collaboration with the ILO, aimed at training workers' representatives and exploring urgent measures to secure pensions in Suriname. The event brought together experts from different fields to share their knowledge and expertise on pension policy, while also providing a platform for participants to exchange ideas and strategies for advancing workers' rights.
The main objectives of the seminar were to:
Mr Dennis Zulu, Director of the ILO Decent Work Team and Office for The Caribbean, in his recorded message congratulated C-47 and RAVAKSUR for organizing the seminar. He indicated that the event “allowed trade unions to build their knowledge, share experiences and formulate recommendations in relation to the pension system functioning”. The ILO, recognizes that social protection systems, including pension systems, are essential for promoting social justice and reducing poverty. These systems can help to provide income security and protection against risks such as unemployment, illness, disability, and old age. They also help to promote social cohesion and economic stability.
The main objectives of the seminar were to:
- Discuss the major issues facing pension funds and indicating possible underlying causes, identifying solutions and clear objectives;
- Develop a common position and decide on urgent measures to be implemented immediately to alleviate or redress the threats to the pension system identified earlier;
- Discuss a medium- and long-term strategy for addressing the structural weaknesses and other relevant issues towards establishing a universal, comprehensive, adequate, and sustainable national pension system in Suriname' and
- Discuss institutionalizing an advisory ‘Pension working group’ for each trade union central or for joint the Trade Union Movement as a whole.
Mr Dennis Zulu, Director of the ILO Decent Work Team and Office for The Caribbean, in his recorded message congratulated C-47 and RAVAKSUR for organizing the seminar. He indicated that the event “allowed trade unions to build their knowledge, share experiences and formulate recommendations in relation to the pension system functioning”. The ILO, recognizes that social protection systems, including pension systems, are essential for promoting social justice and reducing poverty. These systems can help to provide income security and protection against risks such as unemployment, illness, disability, and old age. They also help to promote social cohesion and economic stability.