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Brussels (IYCW News) – Basma Doka Louis, the African YCW coordinator, read a statement at the International Labour Conference (ILC) addressing one of the main topics in the conference in the social protection committee - A recurrent discussion on the strategic objective of social protection (social security), under the follow-up to the ILO Declaration on social Justice for a Fair Globalization.
In her statement, she emphasized that young workers need to feel valued by living a recognized life. The full implementation of ILO convention 102 and recommendation N. 202 is crucial in order to guarantee a just social protection system for all.
Basma also shared the testimony of a restaurant worker in Australia who was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic: “I was working in the restaurant as a cook. When Covid hit and the government provided a form of crisis social security payment, I was not eligible for it and the business let me go. I had to depend on charity events for food and groceries. It impacted my mental health.” The statement was read out from Egypt in a virtual ILC.
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The International Workers’ Day is a day to commemorate the historic values and achievements of generations of workers. But even as we celebrate the successes and triumphs of workers’ solidarity, we know that the challenges faced by people across the world require collective strength and commitment to carry forward the fight for rights, freedoms, peace, equality and justice.
The economy all over the world has not recovered from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. This has made more evident the persistent, systemic inequalities that are rooted in and shaped by economic, political, social, and cultural structures. This has also unmasked how the health system of every country is weak and the budget too low for an equal access to social protection. In addition, the climate crisis continues to worsen, the terrible situation of the working people and the poor continues to deteriorate as imperialist nations and regional powers pursue their own geopolitical interests with continuous war drives at the cost of the lives of ordinary masses who are confronted with the food crisis and other hardships. The severe economic recession around the world has pushed a drastic number of people into poverty, joblessness and social insecurity. Even those with jobs are suffering from precarity and reduced income.
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Several members of the International Team at the regional level were elected at the virtual International Council held in September 2021. Since then, the International Team has started the integration process to ensure that the tasks and responsibilities of the movement can be transferred properly, and the work can be followed up.
The integration process lasted until February 2022 when Sarah Prenger, the international president, and Orlando Machado, the secretary-general, completed their respective mandates that began in 2016. At the regional level, Nanang Ibrahim (ASPAC) and Luis Vargas (JOCA) also completed their mandates.
All those whose mandates ended had worked hard for 5 years to develop the movement and organize concrete actions at the national and international levels.
As a worker movement, the IYCW expresses its full gratitude to leaders who have completed their mandates after giving their best for the YCW.
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We see all over the world that the reality of women in the workplace and in society is worrying. Young women are a majority in workplaces, for example factory workers, domestic workers, migrant workers, informal workers, mall workers, service sector workers and others.
“I applied for many jobs in different factories but in vain. I ended up deciding to work as a domestic worker for a housing society. Getting a job as a domestic worker is easy compared to factory jobs. But domestic workers are not paid well.” - Pakistan
Women are victims of the world of work and low wages, victims of discrimination in terms of the salary and benefits they receive compared to their male counterparts. They did not escape the wave of work flexibilization, such as the contract system, piece rates, per quota, per day and others. The exploitation of women’s time and labor has become an unchanging reality in the workplace.
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Demonstrators display a banner in the colours of the Ukrainian flag reading "Stop [Russian President] Putin, Stop war" during a protest at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate on January 30, 2022. - Demonstrators criticised Putin's massing of troops near the Ukrainian border and called on Germany to play a more active role in defending Ukraine's interests. John MACDOUGALL-AFP
It is a crucial moment for all of us who believe in democracy to defend it in our society today. Putin’s invasion is not just an attack on Ukraine. It is an attack on freedom. An attack on democracy. An attack on truth.
“Today, I have contacted Martha, the delegate of the IYCW International Council 2016. Her family and herself are fine and have left Lviv to move to Ivano-Frankivsk, while Ana, the former leader of YCW Ukraine fled to Poland but her family is in the Chernigov region where the war is taking place,” said Leizyl, the IYCW international treasurer in Brussels.
Leizyl said that she keeps trying to contact Ana by phone, hoping she will read her message.
