ILO Commission Member Alain Dehaze Discusses the ILO's Final Report on Employment and Work in the Coming Years
The ILO Global Commission on the Future of Work, a collective of experts from governments, worker representatives, the private sector, and civil society, has released a final report outlining recommendations to make the future of work beneficial for everyone. Alain Dehaze, a member of the Commission and the representative of the world's leading HR solutions partner, found the Commission to be a "shining example of the kind of collective action" needed to address the opportunities and challenges in the world of work.
The Commission's efforts focused on offering policy recommendations to ensure that the future of work is inclusive, sustainable, and decent. The key recommendations include:
- Lifelong Learning and Upskilling: The Commission emphasizes the importance of publicly provided and accessible skills programs designed to help workers acquire "future skills" necessary to adapt to rapidly changing labor markets and technological advancements. Governments are advised to ensure continuous learning and training opportunities so workers can proactively manage career changes and remain employable.
- Support for Work Transitions: Initiatives promote active support for workers facing displacement or imminent job loss, including enhanced mechanisms such as the European Global Adjustment Fund. This fund is proposed not only to support displaced workers but also those at risk of displacement, facilitating smoother transitions between jobs.
- Social Protection Enhancements: The ILO highlights the urgent need to extend social protection to informal, platform, and gig economy workers, recognizing the changing nature of work. This includes steps toward formalizing informal sectors and adopting new standards, such as those related to the platform economy, that cover fair pay, social security, occupational safety, and health.
- Reinvigorating the Social Contract: The overarching theme is a call for updating and strengthening the social contract to reflect current economic and technological realities. This involves collective action to create decent jobs, reduce informality, and ensure economic growth is inclusive and dignified to support full, productive employment.
The "Timetoact" campaign, launched to complement the Commission’s recommendations, mobilizes governments, employers, workers, and other stakeholders to urgently implement these strategies with a focus on equity, sustainability, and fairness in the future of work. Alain Dehaze, who brought the perspective of the wider business community to the Commission's efforts, expressed that it was a personal and professional honor to participate in the Commission.
It is the shared responsibility of governments, worker representatives, the private sector community, and civil society to adopt and implement the Final Report's findings at global, national, and local levels. Urgent action is needed at policy, industry, and individual levels to ensure workforce skills and adaptability in real time. The Commissioners will play a role in disseminating the Report, but the responsibility to act extends beyond them.
The our group, which supports the reinvigoration of the current social contract to offer adequate and fair security, flexibility, and protection for all kinds of work, stands in solidarity with the Commission's call to action. Their latest white paper, titled "Rethinking workforce investments", further underscores their commitment to these initiatives. The time to act is now.
- In light of the ILO Global Commission's report on the future of work, it becomes essential for individuals to invest in personal growth, career development, and education-and-self-development programs to equip themselves with the future-proof skills required in an ever-changing work landscape.
- To ensure the sustainable and inclusive future of work, reskilling and upskilling initiatives should be prioritized, aligning with the Commission's recommendations for lifelong learning and continuous training, so that all workers can adapt to technological advancements and thrive within the modern labor market.
