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Add to Preferred SourcesMore than 50 Heads of State and government, alongside global employers’ and trade union leaders, have been taking part in an online discussion looking at the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the world of work.
The Global Summit is part of a five-day virtual event organized this month by the International Labour Organization (ILO), to examine issues that include countering the economic and social impact of the crisis.
In a video message, UN Secretary-General António Guterres told leaders that they are essential to global efforts to “build back better” after the pandemic.
“Together, we can emerge from this crisis stronger, with decent jobs and a brighter, more equal and greener future for all”, he said.
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the extreme vulnerability of millions of workers and businesses worldwide. It has led to a 14 percent drop globally in working hours during the second quarter of this year: equivalent to the loss of 400 million full-time jobs, according to data from the ILO.
Furthermore, most of the world’s workers – a staggering 93 percent – continue to live in countries that have implemented some form of workplace closures.
“But let’s be clear: it’s not a choice between health or jobs and the economy”, UN chief. “They are interlinked. We will either win on all fronts or fail on all fronts.”
He underscored the importance of global solidarity as no country can solve the crisis alone.
Responses that stimulate the economy and employment. Solutions that support enterprises, decent jobs, and incomes. Approaches that safeguard workers and expand social protection. Plans that promote gender equality and reinforce social cohesion. Proposals that protect the most vulnerable and invest in essential workers — such as those in health and care services — who are on the frontlines of the response. And above all, initiatives that are grounded in unity and solidarity.
Over two days, government, employer and worker representatives and academia from across five regions of the world – Africa, the Americas, the Arab States, Asia-Pacific, and Europe – discussed the huge costs of the COVID-19 pandemic to their economies, labour markets, and societies.
Original source: UN News
Published on 08 July 2020