Redefine priorities, ILO head tells govts

THE head of the International Labor Organization (ILO) urged economies to redefine their priorities that focus too much on financial policies but lack sensitivity to human needs in getting jobs and lifting themselves out of poverty.

ILO Director General Juan Somavia said the global financial crash of 2008 “was not just an unfortunate accident on a safe road” but rather a “pile-up” of policies based on globalization model that has “gone out of control.”

He made the call at the 101st International Labor Conference in Geneva from May 30 to June 14 where discussions focused on youth employment crisis, social protection floors, Myanmar, situation of workers in occupied Arab territories, euro-zone crisis and basic labor rights.

“There has been too much ideology in defining policies and too little human sensitivity to the individuals, families, communities,” Somavia said. “Too much financial, too little social,” he added.

According to the ILO chief, the lingering financial crisis has opened the minds of government leaders to seek creativity and redefine priorities.

Somavia said growth can no longer be a criterion for the world economy. “Creating quality jobs, especially for youth, reducing poverty and informal work, promoting growth of middle classes, as well as providing fair access to opportunities, should from now on also be criteria to measure macroeconomic success,” he added.

The Philippines, which faces a 7-percent unemployment rate, is not spared from the lingering financial turmoil in the US and the euro zone with decline in exports revenues decreasing job opportunities in both developed regions. It is also faced with a growing number of those vulnerably employed who now number 17 million out of a total work force of 35 million.

Somavia said governments should intensify measures that result in long-term growth and productivity, including retaining persons in employment, sustaining enterprises and accelerating job creation and job recovery and combined with implementing social protection particularly for the vulnerable labor.

Prince Felipe of Spain, meanwhile, told delegates to the ILO conference that the economic crisis is having “ painful consequences” for the world of work, saying measures are needed to boost growth.

He added that Spain is committed to adopting measures to ease the impact of the economic crisis.

“We fully realize that in order to achieve progress, we need to fight actively against unemployment so that our young people can obtain sustainable and decent work.

“While there is no single solution to tackle the challenge of youth unemployment, it is essential to take an integrated approach, which combines macro- and micro-economic interventions and that focuses on supply and demand in the labor market, as well as on the quality of jobs,” Prince Felipe said in his speech at the ILO meeting posted on the ILO web site.

Spain’s unemployment rate of 11 percent was the highest since the creation of the euro zone in 1999.

The Spanish government has asked the European Union for up to €100 billion ($125 billion) to provide a capital buffer for the nation’s ailing banks. –ESTRELLA TORRES / REPORTER, Businessmirror