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Labor Ministers Discuss Employment, Equity, Social Dialogue and Protection of Workers' Rights

The XVIII Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labor (IACML), held in Medellin, Colombia continued today with a debate between the representatives of the governments of the member states of the Organization of American States (OAS) on employment and equity, two of the main themes to be adopted as part of the Declaration of Medellin: "50 Years of Inter-American Dialogue for the Promotion of Social Justice and Decent Work: Progress and Challenges towards Sustainable Development."

The event included the participation of the Minister of Labor and Employment Promotion of Peru, Nancy Laos, who presented the policies and instruments for the promotion of employment and social inclusion that the Peruvian government has adopted as well as the lessons learned, such as the need to promote training for employment and entrepreneurship. She also addressed the challenges that from her perspective, impede progress in employment equity and advocated that they be addressed through measures such as strengthening mechanisms for disseminating information on job opportunities, job training, the connection between supply training and labor demand, and the promotion of youth entrepreneurship.

For his part the Secretary of Labor and Social Welfare of Mexico, Alfonso Navarrete, cited a report by the International Labour Organization (ILO), which confirms that in August 2012 at least 127 million people were working in the informal sector in Latin America. Faced with this challenge, he said his country has adopted measures of shared responsibility between government branches to incorporate to the formal sector 200 thousand workers now working in the informal sector. "I am convinced that we are far from achieving our goal that the benefits of these measures are equitably distributed among the population. This is a huge challenge for all of our governments, and a fundamental task in meeting the needs of the population."

The Minister of Labor and National Security of Bahamas, Shane Gibson, analyzed the evolution of national employment services, and predicted that "in the future it will be highly important to have systems in place to facilitate a deeper integration of labor, employment and social policies and a consolidated labor intermediation market that allows for a stronger participation of public, private and non governmental organizations." Minister Gibson recommended meeting the challenges of the labor market with special attention to the disconnect between the labor supply and demand and vulnerable groups.

The Deputy Secretary of Labor of the United States, Seth Harris, noted that over the past decades, "remarkable advances in information technology have made life easier and increased the productivity of workers throughout our Hemisphere," and pointed out that this trend has dramatically expanded competition in labor and product markets worldwide. "This technological evolution has increased productivity, but it has also created hardships for workers who struggle with decreased job security and higher barriers to joining the formal economy," he said and emphasized the need to establish effective international rules to protect workers and to take concerted action on unemployment insurance, which will mean "to fulfill a long overdue responsibility to address the needs of some of our own region’s poorest and most vulnerable populations."

For his part, the Minister of Labour and Development of Micro and Small Enterprises in Trinidad and Tobago, Errol McLeod, spoke of the important role played by labor ministers and said that "in a global community in which economies are increasingly melded by the forces of technology and cooperation for the development of globalization, in this context, social dialogue has particular importance." He further highlighted that social dialogue "is multidimensional in its purpose and focus," and praised the essence of these negotiations: to provide an opportunity for stakeholders to sit on the same table to exchange views.

The Deputy Minister for Labor and Inspection of Colombia, José Noé Ríos Muñoz, highlighted the commitment of his government to keep a pact to promote the participation of trade unions and social organizations in the development of business proposals. "We are helping communities to become organized through cooperatives, pre-cooperatives, unions and agricultural associations. Organize and participate is our motto" he reported. This means, he continued, that "all our farmers, municipal or regional associations, producers' associations, community boards, women, youth, victims of the armed conflict, agricultural unions, indigenous or African descent to share their needs and priorities."

In closing the discussion, the Deputy Minister of Labor and Development of Panama, Dario Falcon, alluded to the issue of protection of workers and the promotion of social dialogue by noting that one of the great advances that the government has establish contact between employers and employees and as part of the active labor-related initiatives that the ministry has undertaken. "The conviction that social justice is essential to achieve universal and lasting peace should be a priority for our governments," he said.

A gallery of photos of the event is available here.

For more information, please visit the OAS Website at www.oas.org.

Reference: E-433/13