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OECD must tackle job insecurity to promote growth: ITUC

Xinhua, June 3, 2015 Adjust font size:

The world's most advanced countries and emerging economies have to do more to improve revenue, and create more secure job positions in a bid to decrease income inequality and bolster growth, said the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).

"The global economy is stagnating, workers and their families are struggling, and inequality is rising, yet world leaders and international institutions continue to ignore a large slice of the solution: wages and social protection," said Sharan Burrow, ITUC's general secretary.

Burrow called on member countries from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to urgently "address income, investment, and inclusiveness to stop a workers security crisis."

According to an ITUC survey released at OECD's ministerial council meeting here Wednesday, millions of workers in producer economies complained of low incomes and low job security in supply chains dominated by multi-national companies with their headquarters in OECD countries.

The poll's figures showed 66 percent of people in three main producer countries - Indonesia, the Philippines and Turkey - which together export more than 400 billion U.S. dollars of products to global markets, struggled to survive.

Half of all workers said their job has become more insecure in past 12 months with 58 percent of them expecting someone in their family to lose their job in the near future.

"A new global security issue is emerging in producer countries, where job security is stalling global growth," the ITUC general secretary stressed.

In a separate statement, the Trade Union Advisory Committee (TUAC) urged OECD member countries to raise middle and lower household incomes to boost demand and purchasing power, and halt the increase in precarious, informal, or irregular work.

The committee also pointed to the need to deal with the current "training gap" by investing in public education and quality apprenticeships together with social partners, and to pour more money into public infrastructure that creates green and decent jobs. Endit