ILO Director-General Guy Ryder addresses the opening session of the 14th African Regional Meeting. © ILO ABIDJAN (ILO News) – International Labour Organization Director-General, Guy Ryder, has called on African countries to seize the opportunities that exist on the continent to advance towards a human-centred future of work.
He was speaking at the opening of the ILO’s 14th African Regional Meeting in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, which brings together the ILO’s tripartite constituents representing governments, workers and employers from 54 African countries. They will be reviewing the progress made in implementing the ILO’s Decent Work Agenda and charting a course towards a future with decent work in the region.
Ryder referred to projections for economic growth in Africa that are higher than the global average; a ‘demographic dividend’ that will see labour force numbers rising to 60 per cent; the continent’s unique potential for creating renewable energy; and opportunities for development that could be opened up by advances in technology.
‘"Africa has every reason to regard the future with confidence. Young, rich in resources, dynamic and creative, it offers possibilities which in many ways, do not exist in other regions. However, as always, there are challenges.’
"Among these is the need to create twenty-six million jobs every year in Africa to meet the objectives of the UN Sustainable Development Goals . Other challenges, he said, include a social protection financing gap amounting to 68 billion US dollars a year; economic, social and migratory pressures; and the impact of climate change and globalization.
“What we seek is a future of work with social justice as the surest guarantee we can have of peace and prosperity in African and in the world. This is the unfinished business of our 100 year old Organization which we must take forward together.”
During his speech, Ryder focused on the ‘human-centred’ approach outlined in the ILO Centenary Declaration for the Future of Work that was adopted at the International Labour Conference (ILC) in June 2019.
This ‘human-centred’ approach is based on investing in people’s capabilities, the institutions of work that ensure that labour is not a commodity, and in decent and sustainable work, particularly in the green, rural and health care economies.
Ryder also outlined particular priorities for Africa:
The formalization of the informal economy, which accounts for 80 per cent of the workforce.
‘We should not avert our eyes from the reality that in most aspects, the international community is well off-track in delivering the 2030 Agenda and that the planet is fighting back hard in the war that we humans have abusively launched against it. And because decent work is so deeply involved in all of these challenges, we are, very clearly, called upon to do better.’
Ryder referred to projections for economic growth in Africa that are higher than the global average; a ‘demographic dividend’ that will see labour force numbers rising to 60 per cent; the continent’s unique potential for creating renewable energy; and opportunities for development that could be opened up by advances in technology.
‘"Africa has every reason to regard the future with confidence. Young, rich in resources, dynamic and creative, it offers possibilities which in many ways, do not exist in other regions. However, as always, there are challenges.’
"Among these is the need to create twenty-six million jobs every year in Africa to meet the objectives of the UN Sustainable Development Goals . Other challenges, he said, include a social protection financing gap amounting to 68 billion US dollars a year; economic, social and migratory pressures; and the impact of climate change and globalization.
“What we seek is a future of work with social justice as the surest guarantee we can have of peace and prosperity in African and in the world. This is the unfinished business of our 100 year old Organization which we must take forward together.”
During his speech, Ryder focused on the ‘human-centred’ approach outlined in the ILO Centenary Declaration for the Future of Work that was adopted at the International Labour Conference (ILC) in June 2019.
This ‘human-centred’ approach is based on investing in people’s capabilities, the institutions of work that ensure that labour is not a commodity, and in decent and sustainable work, particularly in the green, rural and health care economies.
Ryder also outlined particular priorities for Africa:
The formalization of the informal economy, which accounts for 80 per cent of the workforce.
- The structural transformation of production.
- Economic diversification.
- Creating an enabling environment for the creation of decent jobs.
- Tackling inequality.
- Actions to promote full and equal participation of women in the labour force.
‘We should not avert our eyes from the reality that in most aspects, the international community is well off-track in delivering the 2030 Agenda and that the planet is fighting back hard in the war that we humans have abusively launched against it. And because decent work is so deeply involved in all of these challenges, we are, very clearly, called upon to do better.’
Trade union Congress of Nigeria President, Qadiri Olaleye In his reaction to ILO D.Gs report
The report of the Director-General has given us the opportunity to lay emphasis on some salient workplaces and communities, national economies issues that deserve urgent attention for our continent and the global world of work. Chairperson, as we draw the curtains on the ILO 100 Centenary celebration and set agenda for another centenary framed along the contours of the United Nation Agenda 2030 within the Sustainable Development Goals and importantly, deliberations on the mechanisms for the attainment of the African Union Agenda 2063.
From the above Chairperson, allow me to focus on the workplace, communities and national economies issues that touch on women and their wellbeing and their contributions to work, productivity, wealth creation and progress.
We want to point out that the care economy is growing and will play a critical role in the future of work. Given the gains from medicine and improved sanitation and health care, life expectancy rates across the globe are improving. What this means is that we will have more old and elderly persons in our economies. Similarly, our continent remains a young one and estimates suggest that it will remain so for another three decades. One of the implications of this population growth will be the need for more children and nursing mothers’ care-givers. Chairperson, the benefit of the care economy cannot be overemphasized – it provides the opportunity for us to have more women in the labour market whilst ensuring their children and elderly ones are well taken care of. The care economy also provides societies and national economies the benefits of caring for the different categories of persons needing care necessary to facilitate work, production and productivity. We must take steps to better account for these contributions and to remunerate for them fairly.
Chairperson, violence against women in all kinds and forms notably verbal and physical assaults, sexual harassment and rape, which has now been elevated to a weapon of war, as well as the growing rate of femicide are worrisome development that hampers work, productivity and wellbeing of women in the world of work. This 14th ARM must categorically speak out against all forms of Gender-Based Violence and commit to actions on awareness and education, accountability measures against perpetrators and redress remedies for victims, which can include but not limited to psychological counselling, protective shelter provisions, support for economic empowerment.
Finally, Chairperson, we are having this 14th ARM in the same year that the ILO made a loud, bold and commendable statement through the adoption of Convention 190 on Violence and Harassment (in the world of work). Chairperson, we consider the adoption of this convention as a big feat and firm demonstration of the collective will of the ILO to respond to workplace, community and economy issues that touches on the physical integrity, morale and general wellbeing of men and women, especially the latter who is disadvantage given the asymmetry of power relations that is skewed against them. We, therefore, want to call on the African governments to make the necessary commitment to ratify and apply the provisions of this convention in its full letters and spirit. Chairperson, we also want to say we workers in Nigeria fully support the campaign to make this very important Convention to be part of the existing Fundamental Conventions.
Delegates will discuss the Director-General’s report to the Conference on Advancing social justice: shaping the future of work in Africa , with a view to formulating policy recommendations for inclusive growth and social progress.
The meeting takes place as the ILO celebrates its Centenary and it 60th year since it established its first permanent presence on the African continent.
At the opening session Pascal Abinan, Côte d’Ivoire’s Minister of labour and social protection was elected President of the 4-day meeting. Paul Mavimba (Zimbabwe) was elected Government Vice-Chair; El Mahfoudh Megateli, (Algeria) was elected Employer Vice-Chair and Francis Atwoli, (Kenya) was elected Worker Vice-Chair.
Ayuba Wabba, Global president international Trade union Congress, ITUC and President, Nigeria Labour congress who formed the panelists in discussing presidential approach to the future of work in Africa, call for more function public institutions and the payment of living wages to workers by government and other employers of labour
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