World Day for Decent Work 2020: Appreciating the heroes Covid-19 frontline workers

Decent work – two simple words which require legally binding employment contracts guaranteeing decent pay, social protection, a healthy and safe workplace, equal occupational opportunities and non-discrimination, and the possibility to be effectively represented by trade unions.

In 2020, COVID-19 has highlighted the challenges that many, -including but not only-, frontline workers have been being experiencing – ranging from lacking protective equipment and access to a safe and healthy workplace, and deficient social protection coverage for many platform workers and solo self-employed.

On World Day for Decent Work, CESI reiterates that decent work is a human right that trade unions must stand up for every day – for all those who do not see this right being upheld. Decent work and economic growth is also one of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which underlines its importance not only for the cohesion of our societies today, but tomorrow as well.

CESI stresses that decent work is so fundamental that it reflects itself the achievement of further SDG’s as well, notably: No Poverty (Goals 1); Zero Hunger (Goal 2); Gender Equality and Reduced Inequalities (Goals 5 and 10). Ensuring that every person has a decent job is a part of the process to ensure that our societies will meet these SDGs as well.

In order to actively fight for decent work, CESI currently runs two projects:

– Trade Unions for Zero Tolerance towards Third-Party Violence at the Workplace
– Precarious Work: Empowering Trade Unions to Address New Challenges

CESI is also part of the OSHA 2020-22 campaign “Healthy Workplaces Lighten the Load” to share best practices among its membership on how to promote healthy and safe work environments.

It is a privilege for CESI to fight for decent work every day. All workers count!