The Conclusions of the G8 Meeting on Labour and Employment
30/03/2009
Addressing the human dimension of the crisis is important for economic, social and political stability. Such are the terms in which the conclusions of the G8 Labour Ministers’ Meeting in G8 format on 29 and 30 March stress the necessity of stepping up economic, social and employment policies in response to the downturn in jobs provoked by the crisis.
“Macroeconomic policies have to be flanked by social and employment policies that avert unemployment and the risk of social exclusion and make for rapid re-entry into the job market,” the conclusions drawn by today’s meeting on labour and employment read.
The statement stresses the necessity of actively promoting policies setting out to shore up the labour market so as to cut unemployment, and also of fostering the development of skills so as to help people maintain their employability potential. It attributes fundamental importance to ensuring that there is an effective system of safety nets in place to help crisis-hit workers and their families, and to enabling the labour market to respond to structural changes.
The labour ministers also call on the international organisations, “primarily the International Monetary Fund, the OECD and the ILO, to take the labour market and the social impact into consideration in their work alongside the governments, and to share the lessons learned.”
The conclusions also emphasise the importance of actively involving both sides of industry in addressing the world crisis’s impact on employment. Strong, effective social dialogue, taking in greater worker participation in the economic restructuring process, might mitigate the impact of the crisis on both workers and employers, in addition to achieving a high level of economic growth and improving living standards.
The labour ministers’ meeting will continue tomorrow, taking in six other countries (Mexico, China, India, Brazil, Egypt and South Africa). The Social Summit will end in the afternoon with a press conference given by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and Labour Minister Maurizio Sacconi.
Conclusions from the G8 Labour and Employment Meeting
(pdf file format)
