It is revealing to look at the challenge of reducing and eventually eliminating poverty from the perspective of the drive to create decent work for women and men. Such a viewpoint helps to focus the attention of public authorities, from the local to the global level, the social partners and relevant groups in civil society on how to make institutions and markets serve better the needs of those most at risk of being trapped in poverty.
Sustainable pro-poor growth and the governance of the labour market The ILO approach to poverty reduction through decent work, described in Chapter 3, has considerable potential. But a wide process of institutional change is needed to create the conditions in which businesses, trade unions, cooperatives, communities and public authorities act together to overcome exclusion and discrimination and open opportunities for productive and decent work. It is central to poverty eradication for societies and economic systems to be organized in a way that enlarges the freedoms and opportunities of people living in poverty, who need to be able to work in conditions of equity, security and human dignity.
This chapter situates the work of the ILO in the context of the debate about the appropriate institutions for poverty-reducing development. It looks at the importance of the universally accepted values reflected in the ILO’s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. By giving people title over their own labour, these serve as a foundation enabling governments, employers and workers to build fairer and more efficient governance mechanisms for the labour market. The chapter examines how weaknesses in governance result in a large informal economy where development is inhibited by barriers to investment, enterprise development and increased employment in decent conditions. It also discusses how social dialogue can facilitate the formulation and reform of labour laws and collective bargaining systems by helping to balance the twin imperatives of flexibility and security. These are inherent in creating decent work opportunities in a rapidly changing global market. The chapter concludes that the ILO’s tripartite constituency is in a position to mobilize its considerable energy and creativity to connect local action to combat poverty to national strategies for equitable development and the international drive to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.
To learn more about this author, visit International Labour Organization's Website.
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