international news

4/6/2018

STATEMENT FROM DELEGATE LEADER OF WORKERS GERARDO MARTÍNEZ

107TH INTERNATIONAL LABOUR CONFERENCE - ILO

MR. CHAIRMAN,
WE WORKERS ARE SEEING FAST AND FAR-REACHING CHANGES AFFECTING OUR WORLD. ONE OF THESE CHANGES IS THAT OF GLOBALIZATION IN WHICH CAPITAL HAS THE ABSOLUTE POWER OF FREE CIRCULATION. 

CAPITAL IS ALWAYS USED WITH A VIEW TO ACHIEVING THE HIGHEST LEVEL SHORT-TERM PROFITABILITY WITHOUT TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE PRICE PAID BY SOCIETY. THE CONSEQUENCES AND THE EFFECTS OF THIS ARE EVER MORE RELEVANT, FOR INSTANCE THE SKYROCKETING INEQUALITY BETWEEN DIFFERENT REGIONS IN THE WORLD BUT ALSO WITHIN EACH INDIVIDUAL COUNTRY.

ACCORDING TO A RECENT INTERNATIONAL REPORT, 82% OF THE WEALTH GENERATED HAS BENEFITED THE RICHEST 1% OF THE GLOBAL POPULATION ONLY. THUS, WE CAN ALSO SEE STATES THAT ARE COMING INTO PRESSURE TO DISMANTLE THEIR SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEMS BY PARALYZING THE REDISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH AND HAVING A STABILIZING EFFECT ON SOCIETY. 

ARMED-CONFLICTS AND SITUATIONS OF EXTREME VIOLENCE ARE DEVASTATING ENTIRE REGIONS IN THE WORLD. 

THESE PHENOMENA ARE GENERATING MIGRATIVE FLOWS THAT REPRESENT A SERIOUS ISSUE FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR PEOPLE. TO ALL THIS, YOU HAVE TO ADD THE EXISTENCE OF AUTHORITARIAN POWERS THAT CARE VERY LITTLE FOR PUBLIC FREEDOM AND FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS. THE ILO’S MANDATE TO FURTHER PROMOTE SOCIAL JUSTICE IS NOT JUST AN ABSTRACT NOTION OR AN EMPTY CONCEPT WITH WHICH WE CAN EMBELLISH STATEMENTS OR SPEECHES. NO, IT’S A VERY CONCRETE PRINCIPLE THAT IMPLIES A FAIR DISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH, LABOUR CONDITIONS THAT RESPECT HUMAN DIGNITY AND A HEALTHY WORK LIFE BALANCE. 

A GROWING INFORMAL SECTOR, MORE PRECARIOUS JOBS AND THE LACK OF DECENT WORK IN GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAINS ARE A WARNING SIGN THAT WE CANNOT IGNORE. THEY REFLECT THE INCREASE OF INEQUALITY AND THE FAILURE OF GLOBALIZATION TO PROVIDE SOCIAL WELFARE. 
THE SITUATION OF WOMEN IN THE WORLD GOES BEYOND THE WORLD OF WORK THAT INCLUDES THE SOCIAL, POLITICAL AND CULTURAL FIELDS AS WELL. IT’S A QUESTION THAT RELATES TO HUMAN DIGNITY.

WHAT WE HAVE BEFORE US IS A CROSS-CUTTING FORM OF INJUSTICE AND WE MUST ALL TACKLE IT TOGETHER: EMPLOYERS, WORKERS AND GOVERNMENTS. IT IS A SITUATION OF PERSISTENT INEQUALITY. 

THE AMERICAS ARE ALSO GOING THROUGH A PERIOD OF UNCERTAINTY IN ALL AREAS. THIS IS EXACERBATING BY WHAT CEPAL CALLS “;THE CULTURE OF PRIVILEGE” WHICH IS CHARACTERIZED BY THE CONCENTRATION OF WEALTH IN THE HANDS OF FEW, DISPARITY IN TERMS OF EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES AND BY THE FACT THAT INEQUALITY IS BECOMING A COMMON PLACE AND THAT THERE ARE HEGEMONIC POWERS, AMONG OTHER THINGS. 

I BELIEVE THAT WE MUST TRANSFORM THIS “;CULTURE OF PRIVILEGE” INTO A CULTURE OF WORK THAT WILL FOSTER SOCIAL JUSTICE IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT NOBODY IS LEFT BEHIND AS IT IS EXPRESSED BY THE AGENDA 2030.

THAT IS THE PATH TOWARDS THE TRULY ACHIEVEMENT OF THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS. THESE GOALS ARE THE BRIDGE BETWEEN THE PAST AND FUTURE OF LABOUR RELATIONS WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF A FAIR TRANSITION. AGENDA 2030 IS NOT JUST A GOVERNMENT-LABEL COMMITMENT. WE ARE ALL ENTITLED TO HAVE A DUTY TO BECOME INVOLVED AND TO BUILD AND MONITOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THESE GOALS. 

WE NEED TO ACHIEVE AN INSTITUTIONALIZED SOCIAL DIALOGUE IN ORDER TO PROMOTE A CULTURE OF COMPROMISE AS POPE FRANCIS POINTED OUT. 
WE TRADE UNIONS ARE WORKING TOWARDS THAT END. WE NEED TO GENERATE SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIES ALONG WITH SOCIAL PROTECTION, SAFE JOBS AND DECENT WAGES. 

IN ARGENTINA, WE ARE EXPERIENCING GREAT LEVELS OF ANXIETY AND GRIEF. THE MACROECONOMIC CRISIS IS DEEPENING THE CHASM AND FEEDING INTO A LACK OF HOPE. WE DO NOT WANT THIS TO HAPPEN, IT SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING. ONCE MORE WE ARE IN THE CLAWS OF THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND. MARKET REACTS, RURAL AREAS REACT, AND WE WORKERS ALSO REACT BY DEFENDING PRODUCTIVE DEVELOPMENT, NATIONAL INDUSTRY AND A CULTURE OF WORK. OR DOES SOMEBODY EXPECT THAT THE COSTS OF THE MISTAKES MADE BY BUT NOT IMPOSED UPON THE ECONOMIC GOVERNANCE OF OUR COUNTRY AND THE ADJUSTMENTS IMPOSED BY THE IMF WILL BE PAID JUST BY WORKERS? NO, WE THE WORKERS ARE THE VICTIMS OF INFLATION, LOSS OF RESERVES AND ECONOMIC PARALYSIS. BUT WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER SECTORS? THE UNIQUE PATH FORWARDS IS THAT OF SOCIAL DIALOGUE IN WHICH WE ALL VIRTUOUSLY STRIVE TO OVERCOME THESE DIFFICULT TIMES AND TO TRANSFORM THEM INTO SOLUTIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENTS.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

				
	

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