Decent Jobs / Work / Employment
Decent jobs / work
The ILO has defined ‘decent work’.[1]
Wikipedia:
According to the International Labour Organization ILO, Decent Work involves opportunities for work that is productive and delivers a fair income, security in the workplace and social protection for families, better prospects for personal development and social integration, freedom for people to express their concerns, organize and participate in the decisions that affect their lives and equality of opportunity and treatment for all women and men.
This comes rather trippingly off the tongue. However, examination reveals that there are 11 criteria contained in this definition of the term ‘decent work’:
Productive work
Fair income
Security in the workplace
Social protection for families
Better prospects for personal development
Better prospects for social integration.
Freedom for people to express their concerns
Freedom for people to organize (and participate) in the decisions that affect their lives
Freedom for people to (organize and) participate in the decisions that affect their lives
Equality of opportunity for all women and men
Equality of treatment for all women and men
Whew!
Each of these criteria is worthy. Fulfilment of these 11 criteria would indeed be a worthy objective. But the linking of so many worthy objectives to a single adjective ‘decent’ is surely overkill? The fulfilment of all at one time would be difficult. Once you have defined decent work in such a way you have created a stick to beat almost any proposals for employment creation.
Surely a simpler definition of ‘decent’ is required?
‘A fair day’s wage for a fair day’s work’
This is the demand of the Trades Unions.
The word ‘fair’ would include recourse to the law in the event of abuse.
And
The following addendum would address concerns about lack of productivity in both the public and private sectors.
‘A fair day’s work for a fair day’s wage’
A variation of ‘decent work’ has been used in President Zuma’s ‘set of priorities that will guide his office’[2]
The fourth in the list of President Zuma’s goals is:
‘Decent employment through inclusive economic growth.’[3]
[1] ILO's "Decent Work and Poverty Reduction Strategies", 3rd edition 2007
[2] Ferial Haffajee, ‘A bridge too far?’ City Press, Voices, 1 August 2010: 25
[3] The almost inevitable link to economic growth will be discussed elsewhere.
ILO's "Decent Work and Poverty Reduction Strategies", 3rd edition 2007
