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It's World Day of safety and health at work!
The World Day for Safety and Health at Work (28 April) serves to raise awareness about occupational safety and health and gives us an opportunity to talk about the causes of work-related injuries, diseases, and fatalities, and measures to prevent them. This year, on Occupational Safety and Health Day, the focus is on the impact of climate change.
Video
Meet the Technical Specialist: Magnus Berge, Workers' organisations
Magnus Berge, Technical Specialist of the ILO Office for Central and Eastern Europe explains how the ILO assist trade unions so that they can promote better working conditions and rights for workers in the sub-region.
Informal EPSCO
Promotion of social justice essential for sustainable and equitable recovery, ILO tells EU ministers
Speaking to EU ministers of employment and social affairs, the ILO Director-General underlined the need to put social justice back at the centre of policy-making, using concerted and decisive action.
Trade unions
Workers’ rights in Europe in decline, says ITUC Global Rights Index 2023
In July 2023, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) released its 10th Global Rights Index. The report paints a grim picture of workers’ rights around the globe. According to ITUC, Europe is no longer a bastion of workers’ rights.
Three essential questions
What are the proven means to reduce informality?
In our series of interviews with leading researchers, economists and policymakers, we interviewed Professor Ioana Alexandra Horodnic, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" University of Iași, Romania on how informality (including “envelope wages”) affects workers and society, and what measures work best in reducing it.
ILO Director-General discusses bilateral cooperation with the European Commission
During his first official visit to Brussels, the ILO Director-General met the Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal, the Vice-President for Promoting our European Way of Life, and the EU Commissioners for Jobs and Social Rights and for International Partnerships. They discussed ongoing work and the priorities ahead.
Workers' rights
ITUC Global Rights Index 2022 shows that many workers in Central and Eastern Europe have no access to rights
In July 2022, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) released its yearly Global Rights Index. It shows that in Europe, the most frequently violated rights have been the right to strike and the right to bargain collectively. Through ratifications of ILO Conventions, governments of Central and Eastern Europe made obligations to implement workers’ rights. In reality, many workers face obstacles in accessing their rights.
ILO-EU Relations
ILO and European Commission reaffirm mutual partnership at 16th High Level meeting
Conclusions of the 16th High-level meeting between the International Labour Organization and the European Commission (2022)
Information notes: Technology and formalization
The collection of “information notes” on policies and programmes identified as innovative national practices of digital technologies to promote aspects of formalization were gathered for an ILO South-South Knowledge Sharing Forum (virtual) on What works in e-formalization for Asia and the Pacific, 18–20 May 2021.
Youth labour markets in the EU
Three essential questions: Interview with Pola Schneemelcher, Project Manager at Institute for Macrofinance, Berlin, Germany
We interviewed Pola Schneemelcher, Project Manager in the area of labor market and fiscal policy at the think tank Dezernat Zukunft – Institute for Macrofinance. She shared her insights on how youth labour markets in the European Union were impacted by the pandemic, what measures she has seen and whether governments can afford these measures or not. The Dezernat Zukunft is a non-partisan think tank aiming at rethinking and explaining monetary, financial, and economic policy in a comprehensible way.
ILO welcomes renewed EU focus on decent work worldwide for a just transition and a sustainable recovery
The European Commission has adopted a Communication on decent work worldwide, which sets out how the EU will act upon the challenges linked to a just green and digital transition and a sustainable recovery from the pandemic.
Labour rights infringed during the pandemic
Three essential questions to Aleksandar Ristovski, Professor of Labour Law, Skopje
In the third issue of short interviews with important researchers and practitioners from Central and Eastern Europe on burning questions concerning labour and social policies, we talked to Aleksandar Ristovski, Professor of Labour Law at ‘Ss. Cyril and Methodius’ University in Skopje, North Macedonia. We asked him about the restriction of labour rights following the COVID-19 crisis, particularly those of the most vulnerable, and about how to guarantee labour rights as we are building back better.
Job-rich recovery for women
Three Essential Questions: Interview with Réka Sáfrány, President of European Women's Lobby
This is the second issue of short interviews with important researchers and practitioners from Central and Eastern Europe on burning questions concerning labour and social policies. The interviewee this time is Réka Sáfrány, newly elected President of the European Women's Lobby. We asked her about women's labour participation in the region, why the pandemic hit women disproportionally and the most vulnerable within this group of workers.
MEET THE DIRECTOR: What has been the impact of the pandemic in the region?
Markus Pilgrim, Director of the ILO Office for Central and Eastern Europe talks about the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on labour markets in the region, what the ILO has done to mitigate the impact and what the emerging trends are in employment. The pandemic led to a severe economic recession in the region, with about 8% of working hours lost in 2020, an equivalent of 10 million jobs. These losses translated into an increase in inactivity, many people dropping out of the labour market. The ILO CEE Office started to collect solid evidence on the impact of the pandemic in spring 2020, and produced assessment reports in four Western Balkan countries, which led to several policy changes in these countries. In addition, the office designed job and income protection measures, such as a cash transfer project for dismissed Albanian textile workers. The next big thing is the ongoing technological transformation, fair transition towards a digital and green economy, which means a major shift from traditional to new sectors and re-skilling.
MEET THE SPECIALISTS: Alessandra Molz, Skills
Alessandra Molz, ILO Skills Specialist explains how she assists governments, worker and employer organizations in developing quality vocational education and training for young people, and lifelong learning opportunities for adult workers in Central and Eastern Europe. Her work includes skills needs anticipation, identifying skills mismatches, development of new methodologies, such as e-Learning and blended learning, and building bridges between employers and workers, or employers and education. The world of work is changing, young people and adults equally need new skills that prepare them for the future of work.
ILO support for Trade Unions during the pandemic
ITUC Global Rights Index for 2021 shows that COVID-19 impacted workers’ rights in Central and Eastern Europe
The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) has released its yearly Global Rights Index for 2021. The report shows that the COVID-19 pandemic led to an increase in violations of workers’ rights across the globe. In Europe, the most frequently violated rights have been the rights to strike, to go for collective bargaining, and to establish and join a trade union. For Central and Eastern Europe, the index shows a mixed picture. While some countries increased workers’ access to rights, other countries moved in the opposite direction.
Meet the Specialists: Kenichi Hirose, Social protection
Ken Hirose, Senior Technical Specialist for Social protection, Occupational Safety and Health, and Labour inspection shares how he assists ILO partners and constituents in improving the quality of work and safety of workers in Central and Eastern Europe. The challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic at workplaces made ILO services in these areas sought after. In the post-pandemic period, extending social protection coverage to workers in non-standard forms of employment (part-time, undeclared, platform etc) will be a priority.
Meet the Specialists: Iulia Drumea, Employers' organizations
Iulia Drumea, Employers' Organizations Specialist explains how she supports ILO work with Employers organizations in Central and Eastern Europe. Employers organizations work to create a business-friendly environment for their members. The ILO service offer focuses on recommendations Employers can use to influence national policies and regulations on entreprises; assistance to develop better services to members; and advising Employers on how to improve performance and grow their membership.
Meet the Specialists: Daniela Zampini, Employment creation
Daniela Zampini, the Employment Specialist of the ILO Office for Central and Eastern Europe explains what she does to create more and better jobs, how she works with governments, employers, workers, civil society organizations or municipalities, and what achievements she is most proud of. In 2020, due to COVID-19 related lockdowns, confinements, and other restrictions, CEE countries lost on average 8 per cent of their total working hours. Daniela explains how the ILO responded to the crisis.