Asian nations urged to protect workers<\/p>\n
BANGKOK (Reuters): The United Nations' labor rights watchdog
\nurged Asian governments on Tuesday not to forget workers' rights
\nas they sorted out the region's economic crisis.<\/p>\n
William Simpson, director of technical cooperation for the
\nInternational Labor Organization (ILO) secretariat in East Asia,
\ntold Reuters that workers' rights should be built into the
\neconomic reforms now underway in many Asian countries.<\/p>\n
\"We want to see in place a minimum of social conditions and
\nminimum standards for working conditions -- basic worker rights
\nwhich we think should be enjoyed universally,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"These are not 'Western' values, but universal values and
\nshould be supported by everyone. These should be Asian values.\"<\/p>\n
If workers participated in decision-making about changes, this
\nwould ease painful economic and social reforms and help avoid
\nlabor strife. But if workers' rights were ignored, many of the
\nregion's problems could only worsen, he said.<\/p>\n
\"This is an opportunity for many of the countries that are
\nrestructuring their economies,\" Simpson said in an interview.<\/p>\n
\"But there is a huge risk of workers' rights being forgotten
\nin the process because weak trade unions cannot look after
\nthemselves and are not strong enough or competent enough to
\npromote and defend their own interests,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Simpson said the ILO was pressing the International Monetary
\nFund to support workers' rights in Asian economies supported by
\nIMF bailouts.<\/p>\n
The IMF has marshalled over $100 billion in the last 18 months
\nin bailout packages for Asian economies hit by recession,
\ncurrency devaluations and financial crises.<\/p>\n
Most of the money has gone to restoring confidence in debt-
\nridden financial systems, and the IMF has supported fiscal
\nreforms involving tough austerity measures.<\/p>\n
Whatever the long-term merits of these policies, the short-
\nterm effect has been to raise unemployment and poverty in many
\ncountries, increasing the risk of social strife.<\/p>\n
But Simpson said protection of workers' rights supported
\nrather than undermined economic reforms.<\/p>\n
\"The ILO is saying to the IMF that there should be no
\nincompatibility between economic development and social
\nprogress,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"If there were strong trade unions, they would make sure that
\nbefore there were mass dismissals, the employers would sit down
\nand work out ways of keeping to a minimum the number of people
\nthey would have to lay off,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"Strong trade unions should mean less labor strife, not more.
\nIf you have strong, competent and responsible trade unions they
\ncan contain social unrest,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"Trade unions should be consulted by the World Bank and the
\nIMF on anything that affects workers and their families.\"<\/p>\n
\"Of course the rights of workers are squeezed when times are
\nhard, but they should not be squeezed beyond the minimum. No
\nmatter what the circumstances are, there should be a minimum
\nprotection for workers and their families,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"We are already seeing a deterioration of child labor
\nconditions, safety provisions and health levels.\"<\/p>\n
\"Because these things are expensive, employers say 'We can't
\nafford to have them'. We would say, 'You can't afford not to have
\nthem'. A safe worker is a more productive worker,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Simpson said economic reforms could be made faster and more
\nefficiently where trade unions and employer groups were in place.
\n\"It is not too late to cure the weaknesses of the past. We have
\ngot to start somewhere and we have got to start now,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/asian-nations-urged-to-protect-workers-1447893297",
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