G20 Labour and Employment Ministerial Declaration: rising like Phoenix from the Ashes…?
Bettina Schaller
Global World of Work Executive | President of World Employment Confederation | SVP Head Group Public Affairs at The Adecco Group | Labour Market Advocate and Activist
As every year, the G20 Labour and Education Ministers met for a Summer meeting – this time round in Sicily as Italy holds the G20 Presidency for the year. It was a special edition on this 23rd of June 2021, with health and safety measures abounding in a context of hope as the vaccination campaigns continue to unfold across the World.
The Pandemic has shown: it is time to also accelerate the coordination on Education, Employment and Social Policies to address the Social and Employment challenges to come. Of the overwhelming mass of issues, three main topics were on the table and at the heart of the Ministerial Declaration:
As an active member of the B20 Employment & Education Taskforce, aimed at bringing the Business perspective to the G20 process, The Adecco Group has been closely involved in the development of the 3 Recommendations that the Business Community sees as most crucial this year:
We highly welcome that the Ministers’ Declaration coincide with the B20 Policy Recommendations. One construction site remains: the need to structurally bring Labour Markets into the present, and put in place future-proof instruments. Ministers thus missed the opportunity to put shine the light on improving labour market policies and regulatory frameworks to drive productivity and growth.
More, better, and equally paid jobs for women
The Ministers said it unequivocally: Women were at the frontline in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and have been disproportionately affected by its consequences, with greater job losses, higher occupational exposure to the virus and higher burden of unpaid caregiving responsibilities. Thus, the Ministers reiterated the aim to reach the Brisbane Target (2014) of reducing the gender gap in labour market participation rates by 25% by 2025 and agreed on the G20 Roadmap towards and Beyond the Brisbane Target. Among other objectives, the Roadmap highlights the need to tackle informal work, including by women in domestic work and to promote opportunities for technical and vocational education and training (VET), notably in STEM and information and communication technologies.
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Over the years we have been fervent advocates for vocational education training (VET), apprenticeships and work-based learning schemes as they are the perfect tools to bridge the gap between education and labour market. Not only do they offer benefits for the learners and trainees as well as employers, but importantly, they are a key instrument to address the ever-widening, Covid-fuelled skills gap. We will continue to serve workers and businesses with bespoke training solutions, as last exemplified at the EU Skills for Industry Event hosted by the European Commission.
Social protection systems in a changing world of work
The social protection systems were another major topic of discussion during the meeting. The Ministers acknowledged that the world of work is in transformation, new forms of work are appearing, and the current social protection systems do not offer an adequate protection for all. They agreed that the regulatory framework needs adapting to the new forms of work and committed to collaborate with relevant Ministries and social partners to make contributory systems more accessible, inclusive, and sustainable and to strengthen the social protection floors.
More than an update of the social protection systems, The Adecco Group calls for a New Social Contract in which all parties, employees, employers and governments alike assume their responsibilities and see their expectations fulfilled. The Adecco Group is driven by the conviction that future frameworks will need the engagement and participation of all, and Governments, employers and social partners should re-design regulation to ensure that all work opportunities are secure and sustainable for workers and business. One step forward is to facilitate a gradual shift towards the individual, portable and transferable build-up of social accounts, such as individual learning accounts. This would help to put all forms of work on an equal footing and fuel opportunity and choice in an increasingly diverse world of work.
Working patterns, business organisation and production process in the Digitalisation Era
To respond to the times, Ministers also touched upon remote work and its regulatory framework. They highlighted that the emergence of the new forms of work should be accompanied by appropriate legislations and agreed on a set of G20 Policy options to enhance the regulatory framework for remote working, starting with ensuring that remote work offers the same opportunities to all and guarantees the health and safety of workers.
Recognizing the potential and the challenges that the long term implementation of remote work face, and striving for making this new form of work inclusive, sustainable and fair, The Adecco Group just recently published a White paper on: “How to make remote work work for everyone”, comparing the Policy response to remote work across 16 countries. As so often, the picture differs, so we call on Governments to take actions and frame remote work to make it clear and transparent.
This Ministerial Meeting was an important one as it sets the tone for the priorities in the coming months. The Heads of State will gather in Rome in October 2020. They will be fed by all the working groups that accompany the G20 process, from Health to Trade & Investment to Development to the Digital Economy to Antic-Corruption to Energy Transition and Climate Sustainability to Environment to Culture to Tourism and to Agriculture. All areas need to re-emerge after the Pandemic. The World of Employment and Education needs to rise like a Phoenix from the Ashes!