Focus on re-employment of pandemic hit workers: BRICS trade union forum

BRICS countries should focus on the re-employment of pandemic-hit workers and immediate steps should be taken to strengthen the economies, a trade union forum said on Thursday.In a joint declaration to the BRICS Labour Employment Ministers Meeting LEMM, BRICS Trade Union Forum TUF called for the exchange of information and opinions as the trade unions of the five countries are handling a massive challenge caused by the pandemic.We emphasize that the drastic world crisis resulting from the pandemic has hit our BRICS countries in full.


PTI | Mumbai | Updated: 15-07-2021 21:42 IST | Created: 15-07-2021 21:42 IST
Focus on re-employment of pandemic hit workers: BRICS trade union forum
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BRICS countries should focus on the re-employment of pandemic-hit workers and immediate steps should be taken to strengthen the economies, a trade union forum said on Thursday.

In a joint declaration to the BRICS Labour & Employment Ministers' Meeting (LEMM), BRICS Trade Union Forum (TUF) called for the exchange of information and opinions as the trade unions of the five countries are handling a massive challenge caused by the pandemic.

''We emphasize that the drastic world crisis resulting from the pandemic has hit our BRICS countries in full. There is a worsening of unemployment and the exponential expansion of poverty. ''The impact of the pandemic has been sectoral and hence sectoral recovery has to be planned. Promoting re-employment of the workers should be the priority. Industrial activities need to be brought to normalcy,'' BRICS TUF said in a statement.

Supportive loans to individual units, supply of raw materials and logistics, promoting capital and industries in the BRICS countries are among the measures that have to be undertaken, besides utilising the enormous opportunities in trade, business between BRICS countries, it added.

''Measures to enhance equitable and sustainable growth in trade will facilitate employment and inter-country worker mobility. "Economies needs to be strengthened to encourage employment-intensive industrialisation, expand opportunities informal sector and create high productive jobs. Immediate steps need to be taken, including worker-oriented developmental package,'' the statement said.

According to the union, BRICS countries should adopt processes that induce economic recovery, with a policy of employment generation, without abandoning the precautions and guidelines given by the WHO. It also welcomed the four priority areas by the Labour Ministerial -- social security agreements among BRICS nations; formalisation of the labour market; increase in women participation in the labour force; and occupational safety and health of the workers. BRICS TUF comprises national trade unions from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

The joint declaration of the forum was presented by BRICS TUF president Hiranmay Pandya through a video conference to the BRICS LEMM during July 14-15.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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