Context: May 1 is widely known as the Labour Day, a day when we celebrate the contribution of workers worldwide. It is a moment of pride, celebration and hope. Three years after the COVID-19 crisis, followed by inflation, conflict, and food and fuel supply shocks, we badly need this. But the promises of renewal made during the pandemic, of ‘building back better’, have so far not been delivered for the great majority of workers worldwide.
Labour Day & its Concerns
- The erosion of hard-won labour rights Reverse the hard reality, mistrust Globally, real wages have fallen, poverty is rising, and inequality seems more entrenched than ever.
- Enterprises have been hard hit.
- Many could not cope with the cumulative effects of recent unexpected events.
- Small and micro-enterprises were particularly affected, and many have ceased operations.
- People feel that the sacrifices they made to get through COVID-19 have not been recognised, let alone rewarded.
- Their voices are not being heard clearly enough.
- This, combined with a perceived lack of opportunities, has created a disturbing level of mistrust.
Way forward
Realise the Declaration of Philadelphia 1944: Our policies and actions must be human-centred, to allow people to pursue both their material well-being and their spiritual development in conditions of freedom and dignity, economic security and equal opportunity.
Focusing on ‘decent work’
- To set out guiding principles for our economic and social systems, that they should not be turned exclusively to hitting specific growth rates or other statistical targets, but to address human needs and aspirations. This means focusing on inequality, poverty alleviation and core social protection.
- The most effective way to do this is by providing quality jobs so that people can support themselves and build their own futures — ‘Decent Work for All’, as Sustainable Development Goal 8 terms it.
- It means realistically addressing the long-term structural transformations of our time;
- Ensuring that new technology creates and supports employment;
- Pro-actively facing the challenges of climate change and ensuring we offer the jobs,
- Skills training and
- Transition support necessary for workers and businesses to benefit from the new low-carbon era;
- Treating demographic changes as a ‘dividend’ rather than a problem, with supporting action on skills, migration and social protection, to create more cohesive and resilient societies.
- We also need to reassess and refashion the architecture of our social and economic systems, so that they support this change of course towards social justice, rather than continuing to channel us into a policy ‘doom loop’ of inequality and instability.
- Reinvigorate labour institutions and organisations so that social dialogue is effective and vigorous.
- Review laws and regulations affecting the world of work, so that they are relevant and up-to-date and able to protect workers and support sustainable businesses.
- Labour rights are in free fall Create a global platform to make all this happen, we need to recommit to international cooperation and solidarity.
- We must enhance our efforts and create greater policy coherence, particularly within the multilateral system.
Improve Global Coalition for Social Justice.
- This coalition will create a platform to bring together a broad range of international bodies and stakeholders.
- It will position social justice as the keystone of the global recovery so that it is prioritised in national, regional and global policies and actions.
- It will ensure that our future is human-centred.
Recall and fulfil the promises made under different ILO conventions
| Sr. No. | Convention | Convention number | India’s Position |
| 1. | Forced labour convention, 1930 | 29 | Signed& Ratified |
| 2. | Freedom of association and protection of the right to organise convention, 1948 | 87 | Not Signed |
| 3. | Right to Organise and collective bargaining convention, 1949 | 98 | Not Signed |
| 4. | Equal remuneration convention, 1951 | 100 | Signed& Ratified |
| 5. | Abolition of forced labour convention, 1957 | 105 | Signed& Ratified |
| 6. | Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 | 111 | Signed& Ratified |
| 7. | Minimum age convention, 1973 | 138 | Signed& Ratified |
| 8. | Occupational Safety and health convention, 1981 | 155 | Not Signed |
| 9. | The worst form of child labour convention, 1999 | 182 | Signed& Ratified |
| 10. | Promotional Framework for occupational safety and health convention, 2006 | 187 | Not Signed |