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The International Specialised Catholic Action Movements (Miacs) represent more than 500 movements around the world with a great diversity of countries and backgrounds. One year of exchanges about the impacts of the Covid on the respective members resulted in the common conviction that “a system that cannot solve these problems […] must change”. The pandemic brutally aggravates pre-existing problems such as unemployment, inequalities between genders, between rich and poor within and between countries as shown by various surveys carried out by Midade, Fimarc and the IYCW.
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Young workers have been particularly affected by the pandemic that hit all continents in 2020. Governments and actors of society have to unite to support them, as requested by the International Young Christian Workers (IYCW) based in Brussels and active on all continents.
With the title “The impact of Covid-19 on young workers,” the International Young Christian Workers (IYCW) has published, in about twenty pages, an analysis based on the See-Judge-Act method of the movement. It was presented at the beginning of a webinar that brought together over a hundred participants from more than 30 different countries on Saturday, December 12, despite the time differences. They included current and former YCW leaders, but also partners and supporters from all over the world, from Australia and Venezuela to Belgium, from Gabon to Argentina, from Sri Lanka and Canada to Tanzania, including members of other movements and organizations, such as the International Labour Organization (ILO).
An In-Depth Study
Quoting testimonies of YCW members from Egypt, Peru, Haiti, Germany, Japan, Brazil and the Philippines, this analysis first shows that due to the spread of Covid-19, young workers were among the first victims and they lost their sources of income, but also that the digitization of the (working) world has accelerated with both positive and negative consequences. The survey goes on to indicate that gender inequalities and injustices are even more pronounced and that migrants are particularly impacted, especially in refugee camps where it is, to say the least, difficult to respect social distancing! The lack of social protection is even more blatant, health is endangered as it is not being guaranteed at work, and reactions within the society vary greatly, with on the one hand many actions of solidarity and, on the other hand, many questions as to the real societal priorities.
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Today, November 25, as we celebrate the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, we, the International Young Christian Workers, want to highlight the issues that young women are facing all over the world, from harassment to violence, discrimination and femicide, and we want to let those young women know that their cry has been heard.
"My boss wanted me to be alone with him all the time so he could kiss me by force. He was very aggressive. It became very difficult to say no to him. I didn't say anything because I had no choice and I needed the job. He ended up firing me because I was resisting him. That day I went home crying because I realized that I was unemployed again". - Gabon
In the last decades, humanity took steps toward the elimination of violence against women, but throughout this year only, all those steps have been demolished and humanity has taken hundreds of steps backward.
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“My name is Ganis Rengganis, I am 28 years old. I am married and have 1 child. I work in a book printing company in the Solokan Jeruk area, Bandung Regency, Indonesia, I have worked in this company for 6 years. Every day I work from 8 am to 5 pm. The monthly salary I received in this company was Rp. 1,500,000 or $ 100 USD. If my family and I were sick, I was forced to pay my own expenses to the doctor, because as long as I worked, the company did not enroll me and my family in health insurance.
I also didn’t have the social insurance and other rights that I should get. Of course, that wage was not sufficient for the necessities of life for me and my family, especially since I have a 2-year-old child. I was forced to work in this company with a wage below the minimum wage, because in our area it was very difficult to find jobs, especially for men, if there are jobs where the companies are better, we have to pay a very large amount of money to get to work in big company.
If we protested to employers, they would not hesitate to scold the workers and were threatened with layoffs. Most workers are afraid of the attitude of employers like that, and we are afraid of losing our jobs, so there is no other choice, we only work according to the employer's orders, even though in a state of pressure and discomfort.
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In Rome, on a day like today, on 25th August 1957, the International YCW held a World Assembly which brought together more than 30.000 young people, appointed by their fellow workers from 87 countries and territories, from all continents.
Since 1925, the YCW movement was growing around the world. Following several actions, mostly international meetings, the year 1957 saw the official birth of the IYCW, in Rome. This gathering was aimed at bringing forward the young workers’ demands, from every country in the world, and to show a public testimony promoting awareness-raising and education of young people through a movement that is of, between and for young workers.
All the delegates attending the assembly solemnly committed themselves to be at the service of all their co-workers in order to, as Cardijn himself said it many times, “Achieve temporary happiness and eternal salvation together, for all the young workers in the world”. The assembly was also an opportunity for the delegates to meet by continents, in regional Congresses, in order to identify common problems and propose more suitable solutions.
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“Hi, my name is Ana, I’m 25, from Apurimac, and currently living in Lima. I started to work at the early age of 8 in the family of a lawyer in which I was allowed to study but with duties to fulfil in the house. When I was 14, I started to work full time in the home of a 84 year-old lady and her son where my duties were washing clothes, cooking, cleaning the house, doing the shopping, helping the lady for certain things for two years. This family allowed me to continue my studies at night but at the same time they would always tell me: "you are useless." When I wanted to leave this house, they threatened me, "if you leave, I will report you to the police." For a while they scared me and I stayed a little longer out of fear. Sometimes when I made mistakes or I was answering back, they would pull my hair from my shoulder or simply push me. They paid me 80 soles a month and with time they increased it and I managed to earn up to 200 soles. They wouldn't give me any compensations, bonuses or holidays. Sometimes they didn't let me go out on Sundays.”
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Today, one Need is More Obvious than Ever: Social Protection for All to Ensure Dignity in Life and Work
Today is the 134th anniversary of the International Day of the Working Class. We are commemorating it by demonstrating or meeting online instead of walking together out in the streets. This shows what we are experiencing every day: our whole lives and societies are impacted by the global Covid-19 pandemic. What are young workers’ experiences in this situation? Please read some testimonies below.
“Hello to all co-workers! From now on, my husband and I are without work, without pay. I just finished my contract last February 29th in a food factory. My husband was asked not to go to work because of the lockdown due to Covid-19. I was supposed to work in the factory again, but it was postponed because of the closure. We'll have to wait until the virus pandemic is over. This situation is difficult because we can't work and we can't afford to buy food. There are relief items, but it is not enough for all our daily needs. We really need money, but of course we have to put up with this and stay home. The hardest part is seeing your children hungry. It's okay for us adults, we're willing to sacrifice, but it's very sad for children to experience something like this.” - Philippines
