L20 event focuses on social security

Tribune News Service

Amritsar March 19

The Labour20 (L20) engagement group’s inception meeting today began discussions on key issues concerning the global workforce to provide direction to the G20 nations and institutions to focus on reaching out to the last human being.

Trade union leaders, labour studies experts and delegates from 22 nations at the meeting have been preparing to call for universalisation of social security and put women at the centre of the future of work.

The L20 event had delegates from previous presidency Indonesia and the next presidency Brazil, apart from trade union representatives from China and other G20 nations. Hiranmay Pandya, L20 Chair and national president of the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), said in tune with the spirit of G20 in 2023, the force of the world is one family.

Arun Maria, former member of the Planning Commission, also advocated to bring back the “family spirit” in the economy.

He said many communities, including women, the youth, farmers, factory workers and tiny enterprises, contributed to economy and were concerned about their future well-being. In his key-note address, he also pointed out that millions of women work and earn as farmers, labourers, domestic help and sanitation workers, but economists didn’t value their contribution to economy.

BMS former national president CK Saji Narayanan emphasised on evolving a global mechanism for portability of social security in view of the latest trends in labour migration worldwide.

In the second session of the day, the focus area of “Universalisation of Social Security” was discussed which was presided over by All-China Federation of Trade Union’s International Liaison Officer Wu Chuanhua and moderated by Dr Praveen Sinha, president of the National Labour Law Association.

Dr Sinha noted that social security issues were important concerns for the G20 as the fruits of development had been monopolised by the developed nations, while the Global South had less benefited.

Important concern for G20

Social security issues are important concerns for G20 as the fruits of development have been monopolised by the developed nations, while the Global South had less benefited