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LI General Assembly of the OAS

Dialogue of the Heads of Delegation, the Secretary General, the Assistant Secretary General with the Representatives of the Civil Societ, Workers the Private Sector and other Social Actors in the framework of the 51st General Assembly of the OAS

Virtual Dialogue - November 10, 2021.  

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The workers and employers of the region once again had a space to see themselves represented before the governments of the Americas in the framework of the 51^st General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS), through the presidencies od the Trade Union Council for Technical Advice (COSATE), and the Business Commission for Technical Advice on Labor Matters (CEATAL).

During her intervention in the Dialogue of the Member States with representatives of Civil Society, Workers and other social actors, the President of COSATE, Marta Pujadas, outlined some of the concerns of the region’s workers, emphasizing that economic recovery can’t be achieved at the cost of labor rights. She indicated that the pandemic confirmed what the labor sector has repeated for a long time: that inequality and poverty in the region mainly affect women and groups in vulnerable situations. Similarly, she made a strong call for the rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining to be respected at all levels, noting that there are instances in which the governments of the region do not comply with these rights by persecuting union leaders. 

Also representing the workers of the region, Mr. Julio Rosales, spokesman for COSATE, stressed that the economic, political and social situation of the workers in the region, the most unequal in the world, was already very difficult prior to the pandemic, especially due to inequality, informality, and job insecurity. He echoed the workers’ demand that health and safety at work become a fundamental right at work, a debate that is currently taking place at the ILO. He called for equality, decent work, and social cohesion to be placed at the center of the region’s sustainable development plans, in order to overcome gender gaps and discrimination against vulnerable groups.

For his part, the President of CEATAL, Daniel Funes de Rioja, thanked the growing participation that social actors have had within the framework of the OAS. He stressed the importance of having a plan to speed up the region’s socioeconomic recovery. He emphasized five main points. First, that the pandemic had has a huge impact on the region, and that the recovery does not appear harmonious. Second, that the effects of the crisis have revealed vulnerabilities in political institutions and democratic process. Third, that the crisis has created a base for countries to build a better world, where an important role must be assigned to the role of sustainable companies and the role of business organizations to support development. Fourth, to promote employment, the creation of formal companies must be promoted. Finally, in fifth place, he highlighted the role of the OAS.

Intervention by the Chair of COSATE, Marta Pujadas (in Spanish)

Intervention by the Chair of CEATAL, Daniel Funes de Rioja (in Spanish)

Intervention by spokeperson of COSATE, Julio Rosales (in Spanish) 

Video of the full dialogue