The Acting Minister of Labor, Migration and Social Security, Magdalena Valerio, spoke at the 108th International Labor Conference held in Geneva (Switzerland).
During her speech, the minister defended the importance of continuing to fight for social justice and decent work, a factor that within the International Labor Organization (ILO) is considered key to fighting poverty and that "today is still as necessary as it was in 1919".
The minister recalled the founding mandate of the Washington Conference of 1919: "If you want peace, cultivate justice" and stressed that these principles must once again be the guide that turns the challenges of the future into a "factor of economic and social progress" "to ensure that progress" does not leave anyone behind ".
In his speech Valerio said that the future of work and the new challenges we face require a collective commitment, "an effort of coherence in policies, both nationally and internationally." Therefore, "the ILO and tripartite dialogue are now more important than ever," said the minister, who stressed that the history of this organization shows that collective action has the capacity to take advantage of changes and turn challenges into opportunities.
These challenges derive from the technological revolution, globalization and environmental challenges, with changing labor markets that exacerbate inequalities and "augment populisms", but which, according to the minister, are not greater than those faced by this Organization in the moment of its foundation, one hundred years ago.
Collective commitment
In his speech, Valerio stressed the importance of the "Centennial Declaration on the Future of Labor" being "robust and lasting", reaffirming multilateral cooperation among countries and placing the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda; in particular, decent work "at the heart of its activity".
In that sense, the representative of the Spanish Government advocated multilateral cooperation among countries as a form of action that. in the current global situation, it considers it absolutely essential to be able to face the strong asymmetries that the economies and labor markets of all countries present.
The minister said that it is necessary to take advantage of technological advances so that each working person can fully realize and defended the idea that work "is not a commodity, but an essential right", founded on the values of "freedom, equality and social justice" "that characterize the Welfare State.
Valerio expressed the need to support people in the transitions of the future of work with greater social protection against new forms of employment and with the recognition of lifelong learning, guaranteed by collective effort. "Investing in the capacities of people and supporting them in transitions will be fundamental to promote sustainable businesses and better jobs," he said.
In her speech, the minister highlighted the commitment of the Spanish Government to gender equality, which has become one of its "hallmarks". He affirmed that "without gender equality, not only will there not be a fair and inclusive future of work, but there will be no future". Valerio said he "followed closely" the discussion of the commission on violence and harassment at work and expressed confidence that the Convention and Recommendation that come out of this Conference on violence and harassment in the world of work will become definitive instruments to end this social scourge.
Meeting with the G-20
After her speech at the 108th International Conference of the ILO, Magdalena Valerio will attend a working dinner of the G20 Labor and Employment Ministers. At the meeting, the minister will express the firm commitment of her Government to continue to increase the active labor force – Spain led in 2018 the creation of employment in Europe – which will allow to better redistribute the benefits of economic growth and ensure that no one is left behind .
For this, it has the full implementation of the Young Employment Shock Plan launched by the Spanish Government, as well as the Long Term Unemployment Plan to help especially vulnerable groups and the Decent Work Plan that seeks to guarantee labor rights and improve working conditions, measures that add to the rise of the minimum interprofessional salary to 900 euros.