equitable opportunities for decent work drive economic growth.
05 Dec 2023
There has been considerable progress made toward the Sustainable Development Goals, but not enough. According to the UN’s 2023 Special Edition Sustainable Development Goals Report released this summer, “progress on more than 50 per cent of targets of the SDGs is weak and insufficient; on 30 per cent, it has stalled or gone into reverse.” The polycrisis, which includes climate change, conflict in various parts of the world, and social unease, it reported, is hindering progress. As a result, the international body is calling on its members to “redouble efforts” in the years ahead. This includes efforts in the direction of achieving decent work and economic growth.
The concept and implications of decent work, however, needs to be thoroughly understood and agreed to begin with. The International Labour Organization (ILO) defines decent work as “productive work for women and men in conditions of freedom, equity, security and human dignity”. In general, work is considered as decent when:
- it pays a fair income
- it guarantees a secure form of employment and safe working conditions
- it ensures equal opportunities and treatment for all
- it includes social protection for the workers and their families
- it offers prospects for personal development and encourages social integration
- workers are free to express their concerns and to organize
Considering this, it should be clear that decent work is rooted in developing a world based on equity. And this, in turn, is at the very heart of Randstad’s vision and mission. During the pandemic our industry was classified as essential in order to ensure that industries like transportation, health care, and the services industry could continue to operate. Furthermore, it has become evident that diverse forms of work like temporary agency work are well-regulated because our workers are provided with decent work, access to social protection and learning and development wherever and whenever needed.