Call to Action for Decent Work, Decent Life

From the genesis the labour movement had sought to create for the working man an environment where dignity, justice and equity were the corner stones.   What in essence trade unions have been seeking to achieve is decent work and decent life.

In July 2006, governments at the UN Economic and Social Council adopted a Ministerial Declaration whose first article states: "We are convinced of the urgent need to create an environment at the national and international levels that is conducive to the attainment of full and productive employment and decent work for all as a foundation for sustainable development".  Their call must be matched by ratification and implementation  of the ILO's standards, at the same time as international agencies use the UN's new toolkit for mainstreaming Employment and Decent Work as a first step towards fostering greater policy coherence and covergence for implementing the promise of Decent Work for All.

Decent work is central to eradicating poverty, improving the lives of women and men and enabling people to live in peace and dignity.  Decent work therefore is about all people having the right to work, to good working conditions and to sufficient income for their basic economic, social and family needs, a right that should be enforced by providing adequate living wages.

Guy Ryder, General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) has written to affiliates on the ITUC's "Call to Action for Decent Work, Decent Life".

The ITUC is appealing to affiliates to add their signatures to the Call to Action on the campaign's web page by clicking on the following link:

 Call to Action for Decent Work, Decent Life

A copy of the Call to Action can be downloaded.

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