The IYCW Calls for Social Justice that will Guarantee a Life with Dignity for All

The IYCW addressed the 111^th Session of the International Labour Conference held from 5^th to 16^th June 2023 calling for social justice that will guarantee a life with dignity to empower people, and to transform societies in a just and sustainable manner based on the principles of equality, justice, solidarity, and participatory democracy.

‘Social justice for all’ is one of the core concerns of the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Geneva. In the IYCW statement, we brought a testimony of a young woman worker in a factory which reflected the reality of thousands of young people who face harsh working conditions and cannot make their dreams and aspirations come true because of the lack of opportunities, relinquishing these priorities to meet their immediate needs.

In order to make sure social justice will become a reality for everyone, the IYCW calls for the following:

• The need for decent work and income that provides a long term perspective to start a family and reach better balance between our jobs and family life.
• Social protection is integral in achieving social justice. Social protection should be for all workers! It should not be limited to employed wage workers but should also cover workers in the informal economy and vulnerable groups such as migrants, domestic workers and platform workers.
• Stop the privatisation and commercialisation of common goods and services and promote public services and social and solidarity economy.
• Ensure the full participation of civil society, workers, and let the voice of the young people be heard in state processes to fulfil their democratic mandate.

Moreover, in the Committee on Achieving a Just Transition Towards Environmentally Sustainable Economies and Societies for All which we also actively followed, we put forward the importance of including the voice and participation of young people because we believe that we are the ones who will be there for the whole transition, and we will suffer the biggest part of the effects on our lives. It is crucial to involve us and our ideas in all the decision-making steps. Young people’s proposals, ideas and reflections need to be heard. We therefore called to listen to the voices of young people when making decisions on all the aspects of this transition. To go further than handing out band-aids to those who are suffering from the changes, measures that drive real change need to be taken towards a fair distribution of wealth in the world.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) concluded its 111^th International Labour Conference (ILC) with the adoption of a new recommendation on quality apprenticeships, while delegates also passed resolutions on a just transition and labour protection, and adopted the report on the application of international labour standards.