COVID-19: Economic, social recovery require policies that promote decent work, address poverty —ILO DG

ECONOMIC and social recovery from COVID-19 pandemic will require policies that promote decent work, address poverty and inequalities, and also encourage a green recovery, the Director-General, International Labour Organization (ILO), Guy Ryder, has said.

Besides, he stated that COVID-19 crisis recovery policies must be human-centred and address pre-existing world of work challenges as well as the impact of the pandemic.

Ryder made this known in his statements to the World Bank and International Monetary Fund’s Spring Meetings. He told members of the Development Committee and the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC), who convened during the 2021 Spring Meetings of the World Bank Group (WBG) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Citing the sharp increase in poverty and inequalities seen since the pandemic began, he also warned delegates that without comprehensive and concerted policy efforts, “there is a very real risk that the COVID-19 crisis  will leave a legacy of widening inequality and social injustice.”

Coherent, multilateral action is essential to ensure that economic and social recovery is as human-centred as the impact of the pandemic itself, he said, pointing out that the ILO Centenary Declaration for the future of work, adopted unanimously by ILO member states in 2019, offered an internationally-agreed roadmap to more inclusive and resilient societies.

“There is a very real risk that the COVID-19 crisis will leave a legacy of widening inequality and social injustice.

“Accelerating implementation of this roadmap should be made a top priority of public policy and international cooperation,” he said.

In his written statement to the Development Committee, Ryder said the response to COVID-19 should prioritize the creation of decent work. He cited four components needed for a human-centred recovery that would also build resilience against future shocks. These include strengthening occupational safety and health systems, where the vast human impact of poor safety and health practices is estimated at an economic cost of four per cent of global GDP per year.

In addition, poor and vulnerable people should be supported, including with better social protection.

YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

We Have Not Had Water Supply In Months ― Abeokuta Residents

In spite of the huge investment in the water sector by the government and international organisations, water scarcity has grown to become a perennial nightmare for residents of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. This report x-rays the lives and experiences of residents in getting clean, potable and affordable water amidst the surge of COVID-19 cases in the state…

Selfies, video calls and Chinese documentaries: The things you’ll meet onboard Lagos-Ibadan train

The Lagos-Ibadan railway was inaugurated recently for a full paid operation by the Nigerian Railway Corporation after about a year of free test-run. Our reporter joined the train to and fro Lagos from Ibadan and tells his experience in this report… Three dies, five injured as INEC loses staff to motor accident  ;  Three dies, five injured as INEC loses staff to motor accident  ;  Three dies, five injured as INEC loses staff to motor accident.