01/03/2007: The vast majority of the Employment and Social Affairs Committee today adopted a report by Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou MEP (EPP-ED, GR) on promoting decent work for all - the EU contribution to the implementation of the decent work agenda in the world.The decent work concept was proposed by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in 2000. The concept is aimed at formulating a universal political objective of promoting employment and improving working conditions, going beyond respect for fundamental social rights as defined by the eight core labour standards conventions of the ILO. It consists of the following four strategic objectives, with gender equality as a cross-cutting objective:
Job creation, with reference to people with no work at all. Unemployment is at its highest point ever and stands at nearly 192 million worldwide (about 6 per cent of the global workforce). Of these unemployed, the ILO estimates that 86 million (about half the global total) are young people aged 15 to 24- Guaranteeing rights at work
- Extending social protection
- Promoting dialogue and conflict resolution.
The primary goal of the report is the joint configuration of the European Commission's agenda on decent work which forecasts actions to be undertaken with focus on:
Strengthening the contribution of decent work in EU development policy and external aid
Reinforcing cooperation with regional and international organisations, the business community and other parts of civil society
Emphasising the need for decent work for all in its agreements and cooperation with countries outside the EU including candidate, neighbouring, developing and developed countries
Strengthening decent work in an open trade regime
Encouraging countries to formulate a 'road map' towards establishing decent work for all, taking into account the needs and specific situations of partner countries.
The most essential amendments made by the rapporteur and adopted by the Committee, encourage Member States to consider the introduction of a minimum wage as a safety net to stop people being exploited and prevent poverty in employment, to guarantee education for young people as an effective strategy to avoid social exclusion and poverty and finally calls on Member States to provide the responsible authorities for labour inspection with more comprehensive resources so as to carry out their tasks with a view to ensuring that their national labour laws are applied in practice and not evaded.
Mrs Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou said: "The EU can play a very important role in the promotion of decent work for all through its internal and external policies, its social model and through its international engagement. The countersigning of social objectives cannot, in any case, be used for aims of protectionism. Our goal should be the achievement of social progress at all levels and the guarantee of fair distribution to everyone's benefit."The EP plenary vote is scheduled for 24 April.
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