On the occasion of the World Day for Decent Work, 7 October, the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Economic and Social Council announce an awareness-raising campaign on workers’ rights. The campaign is supported through the project Strengthening Social Dialogue, funded by the European Union.
Awareness of labour rights is the first step towards their successful exercise and ensuring the dignity of workers. Decent work involves opportunities for work that is productive and delivers a fair income, security in the workplace and social protection for families, better prospects for personal development and social integration, freedom for people to express their concerns, organize and participate in the decisions that affect their lives and equality of opportunity and treatment for all women and men.
The campaign aims to inform all the stakeholders on the rights and obligations arising from employment and labour legislation – young people who are still in education, employees in all sectors, job-seekers, and employers.
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world of work in previously unconceivable ways. Workers faced number of challenges and violations of labour rights, including the so-called “blank” notice of termination and “amicable” termination of employment contracts, which left workers unemployed and ineligible for unemployment benefits.
Almost every worker and every business have been somehow affected by Covid-19. Estimates indicate that the decline in the economic activity as a result of the crisis in the country, in the last quarters, caused a loss of working hours equivalent to approximately 250,000 jobs. According to the analyses, small and medium-sized enterprises, youth and women are most affected. The fact that one in every four young people is employed in one of the hardest-hit sectors, combined with the impact the crisis has on their education and training, poses a risk for the youth to become a generation that will be constrained by the consequences on the long run.
Other ILO assessments point to the fact that social dialogue can be successfully utilized in the early crisis responses, as a driver of economic and social stability and inclusive growth and development. The ILO promotes decent work and social dialogue to ensure social peace and resilient societies. Hence, the campaign entails education concerning the legally guaranteed rights and obligations that ensure the advantages of decent work.