As is well-known, SDG8 is devoted to full and productive employment and decent work for all. The Elgar Companion to Decent Work and the Sustainable Development Goals, edited by Madelaine Moore, Christoph Scherrer, and Marcel van der Linden, unpacks this as a host of methodological, policy and political challenges.
Questions include:
How is unemployment measured? What would constitute a decent workplace? What is decent work in light of declining wage shares, wealth Inequality and the quest to move from minimum to “living wages”. Do digital labour platforms contribute to development? (How) does decent work relate to the right to social protection?
On this latter challenge, at the panel, I presented 5 arguments for universal social protection – social protection that is not coupled to employment but rather available as a universal right.
- It is common sense. 2 billion people work in the informal economy and have little or no social protection coverage. Formalisation will take much time, especially in light of the increasing casualisation of labour.
- There is the social justice reason. Hunger and income poverty are increasing – instead of decreasing as promised by the SDG agenda. The number of refugees and internally displaced is on a steady rise, and the climate catastrophes will lead to many more displaced persons who will not be covered by social protection as they have no choice but to relocate.
- There is the political reason. Massive income and wealth inequalities and structural social exclusion undermine social cohesion, threatening the social contract.
- There is the well-rehearsed fiscal case. Social protection expenditures can feed a virtuous cycle of increased consumer spending, investment and employment. Progressive taxation to fund social protection can support income and wealth re-distribution.
- Most importantly: it is a human right. Social protection is a right, established by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and many global, regional and national commitments.
The full chapter is here.
Like this:
Like Loading...
ILO conference on regulating for decent work
As is well-known, SDG8 is devoted to full and productive employment and decent work for all. The Elgar Companion to Decent Work and the Sustainable Development Goals, edited by Madelaine Moore, Christoph Scherrer, and Marcel van der Linden, unpacks this as a host of methodological, policy and political challenges.
Questions include:
How is unemployment measured? What would constitute a decent workplace? What is decent work in light of declining wage shares, wealth Inequality and the quest to move from minimum to “living wages”. Do digital labour platforms contribute to development? (How) does decent work relate to the right to social protection?
On this latter challenge, at the panel, I presented 5 arguments for universal social protection – social protection that is not coupled to employment but rather available as a universal right.
The full chapter is here.
Share this:
Like this: