Global Agreements II:

Decent Work: the promotion of rights at work, employment, social protection and social dialogue

Juan Somavia

The ILO (International Labour Organisation)'s mission is to improve the situation of human beings in the world of work. Today, that mission finds resonance in the widespread preoccupation of people at times of great change: to find sustainable opportunities for decent work. The primary goal of the ILO today is to promote opportunities for women and men to obtain decent and productive work, in conditions of freedom, equity, security and human dignity.

"Decent work means productive work in which rights are protected, which generates an adequate income, with adequate social protection. It also means sufficient work, in the sense that all should have full access to income-earning opportunities. It marks the high road to economic and social development, a road in which employment, income and social protection can be achieved without compromising workers' rights and social standards. Tripartism and social dialogue are both objectives in their own right, guaranteeing participation and democratic process, and a means of achieving all the other strategic objectives of the ILO. The evolving global economy offers opportunities from which all can gain, but these have to be grounded in participatory social institutions if they are to confer legitimacy and sustainability on economic and social policies".

Mr. Juan Somavia, ILO Director-General, 87th session of the International Labour Conference, 1999

In the last two decades the traditional cornerstones of the ILO's activities have changed, shifted by the transformation of the economic and social environment brought about by the emerging global economy. Policies of economic liberalization have altered the relationship between the State, labour and business. Economic outcomes are now influenced more by market forces than by mediation through social actors, legal norms or State intervention. International capital markets have moved out of alignment with national labour markets, creating asymmetrical risks and benefits for capital and labour. There is a feeling that the "real" economy and the financial systems have lost touch with each other.

Changes in employment patterns, labour markets and labour relations have had a profound impact on the ILO's constituents, particularly trade unions and employers' organizations. Globalization has brought prosperity and inequalities, which are testing the limits of collective social responsibility. For the ILO — whose vocation lies at the intersection between society, the economy and the lives of individual human beings — these are seismic changes. But they are also setting the stage for its future role. The very forces which transformed the old framework are creating new demands and new opportunities for social action.

Changing social consciousness and merging political concerns

Changes in technology and production systems have led to changes in social consciousness, and to a new awareness of personal identity and human rights. Increasing consumer choice and access to knowledge and new means of communication have made individuals and social institutions not merely subjects but also potential actors in the process of globalisation. Social preferences influence market outcomes and have an impact on corporate reputations. A good corporate social image is increasingly essential for business success.

The change is not only economic and social. Politically, many countries now find themselves under scrutiny — both by markets and by public opinion — without the benefit of the doubt and the financial subventions of the Cold War era. Problems of human insecurity and unemployment have also returned to the top of the political agenda in most countries. The social dimension of globalisation, and the problems and demands it brings to the world of work, are becoming public concerns. There is growing realization that markets do not function in isolation from their social and political contexts. Social protection and social dialogue, for example, are increasingly seen to be integral elements of the adjustment process itself. The experience of the transition economies; increasing social polarization; the exclusion of Africa; and the recent crisis in emerging markets, have all made evident the need for a strong social framework to underpin the search for a new financial architecture.

The new relevance of the ILO

At this juncture, the ILO therefore finds itself well positioned. Business, labour and governments sit at its table. Its instruments are social dialogue and policies to promote fundamental principles and rights at work, employment, and people's security.

All this gives new public relevance to the facilities the ILO provides to the international community: the global reference point for knowledge on employment and labour issues; the centre for normative action in the world of work; a platform for international debate and negotiation on social policy; and a source of services for advocacy, information and policy formulation. It is a moment when the ILO must once again display its historic capacity for adaptation, renewal and change. The moment of opportunity will not last indefinitely. To take advantage of it, however, the ILO has to overcome two persistent problems:

Moving forward: Setting priorities

The first is an institutional tendency to generate a widening range of programmes without a clear set of operational priorities to organize and integrate their activities. This has diluted the ILO's impact, blurred its image, reduced its efficiency and confused the sense of direction of its staff.. To some extent, the problem arises from the exceptional richness of the ILO's mandate itself.

That mandate, as eloquently expressed in the Declaration of Philadelphia, is to create the conditions of "freedom and dignity, of economic security and equal opportunity" in which "all human beings, irrespective of race, creed or sex, can pursue both their material well-being and their spiritual development". The pursuit of such a vision demands an array of programmes ranging from the promotion of rights at work to institutional development. It requires the scope of ILO activities to extend from the workplace — or the workspace — to the economy as a whole. It requires responding to changing needs which have to be accommodated within frozen budget levels, leading to activities which are inevitably small and often fragmented. It means that the ILO periodically has to refocus its programme, to restate its message in the idiom of contemporary needs, and to mobilize external partnerships for resources and expertise. It means that focus, excellence and effectiveness must guide the management culture of the house.

Moving forward: Creating a sense of common purpose

Secondly, the end of the Cold War weakened the sense of common purpose among the constituents. It was further eroded by the impact of globalisation on all the social actors. The decline of ideology and class conflict, the multiplication of social interaction beyond the workplace, and the trend towards enterprise-level bargaining, have all led to a greater fragility of consensus among the ILO's tripartite membership. It has meant that, while constituents have strong interests in individual programmes, there are not many which attract active support and widespread commitment from all three groups. An ILO without internal consensus is an ILO without external influence.

The two problems are, of course, linked. The clearer the perception of a common purpose and a shared interest in what the ILO stands for, the stronger and wider the areas of consensus will be. The definition of a clear, common purpose is the first step.