Africa-Press – Angola. The creation of quality jobs and the promotion of safe and healthy working conditions should be priorities in the national policies of the Member States of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries, defended, this Thursday, the Minister of State and Head of President of the Republic, Adão de Almeida.
Adão de Almeida was speaking in the municipality of Catumbela, province of Benguela, on behalf of the Angolan Head of State, João Lourenço, at the XV Meeting of Ministers of Labor and Social Affairs of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries, which takes place at a time when the Republic of Angola exercises the Pro Tempore Presidency of the CPLP.
In addition to Angola, the country hosting the event, delegations from Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe and Timor are also participating in the meeting, who also intervened on the theme “For Social Justice and Decent work for all”.
At the meeting, the CPLP Ministers of Labor and Social Affairs discussed “The participation of Member States in the 111th International Labor Conference, “Creation of an ILO Country Office in Luanda for the PALOP (African Countries with Portuguese Official Language) )” and “Information on the status of the Labor Inspectorate/SHST”.
The event’s agenda, which ends yesterday, with the reading and signing of the Final Declaration, also includes a “Status on the 2021-2025 Action Plan for Combating Child Labor in CPLP Member States”.
According to the Minister of State, national policies must be aligned with the vision of the International Labor Organization (ILO), which recognizes the guarantee of “safety and health at work” as a fundamental element in its Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work .
For this, he said that it is essential that the CPLP promotes dialogue and cooperation among its Member States, so that they can jointly face common challenges in the fields of work and social security, joining synergies and sharing experiences and good practices towards their resilience.
According to Adão de Almeida, for it to be fruitful, cooperation should not be confused with the import or copying of models or solutions, but should rather recognize the differences and particularities of each State.
In the view of the Minister of State, the importance of multilateralism for the functioning of the world order and the importance of cooperation between States through the most different organizational blocks gained additional expression and relevance for humanity.
Thus, he highlighted two recent unforeseen events with a transnational impact: Covid-19 and the military conflict on the European continent between Russia and Ukraine.
“These events – the first of a health nature and the second of a military nature – have in common the negative effects they produce on the global economy”, he stressed.
He recalled that the economies of practically all states were affected, some more than others, many of them entering a negative spiral, as companies were forced to close their doors.
As a consequence, he noted that there has been an increase in the prices of several essential products and many people have been made unemployed
, as well as a sharp and almost generalized decrease in the purchasing power of families.
That official highlighted how the increase in unemployment, especially when structural, negatively impacts on the sustainability of social security systems.
Challenges from governments and partners
At a time when the world is recovering from the pandemic, Adão de Almeida recognizes that governments and partners face challenges, such as the need for economic recovery with a focus on creating and increasing the job offer and projecting a future of job security for generations to come.
It also lists the need to support low-income workers and those in vulnerable situations, ensuring that social security is accessible to all, as challenges.
In his view, the choice of theme and scope for this meeting of the Ministers of Labor and Social Affairs of the CPLP was right, whose role is fundamental in guaranteeing that everyone is and feels protected during this difficult period, which is also one of significant economic crisis. .
However, he stresses that international cooperation, in particular between CPLP Member States, can play a relevant role in sharing and mutual support for the formulation of policies for the protection of jobs capable of guaranteeing job security and stability.
This includes policies that ensure social protection for affected workers, as asserted by the Minister of State and Chief of Civil Affairs of the President of the Republic.
He realizes that, in order to resist the various adverse events that affect them, whether contextual or structuring, companies have adopted the most different measures to remain operational, implying, in many cases, severe measures such as the reduction of their workforce.
It is essential, according to the interlocutor, that we continue to work together in the implementation of economic stimulus programs, to prevent companies’ need for survival and financial strength from becoming a mandatory path for the elimination of jobs.
“More than difficulties, moments of crisis are also moments of opportunity”, he suggests.
It also emphasizes that, if the crisis is seen from this perspective, Governments, companies, families and citizens can continue to work to find the best solutions capable of leading to economic and social prosperity in the countries.
On the other hand, it considers it imperative to reinforce the importance of access to decent and decent work as a fundamental human right and as an essential element for economic and social development.
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