ILO European regional meeting to examine employment and social consequences

LISBON (ILO News) - The 8th European Regional Meeting of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) begins its work here Tuesday faced with the challenge of forging a "decent work" response to the financial and economic crisis and mounting job losses and social hardship.

"We are seeing a dramatic deterioration in output and employment levels across the region", said ILO Director-General Juan Somavia. "The social and political repercussions of a deep and prolonged recession are daunting. Our priority attention must turn to halting the slide into a full-blown social recession."

The marks of the financial and economic crisis on working women and men are visible across the 51-state region, according to an updated assessment of the impact of, and policy responses to, the crisis prepared on the eve of the meeting 1.

The new assessment says that the crisis has brought a reversal in the promising declining trend in unemployment observed in South-Eastern European (non-EU) countries and member States of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) after 2000.

A recent ILO study on Global Employment Trends 2/ also shows that if growth slows more rapidly in 2009 and recovery efforts are delayed until 2010 the region of South Eastern (non-EU) Europe and CIS countries could see the unemployment rate rise from 8.8 per cent in 2008 to 9.8 per cent in 2009, while in the European Union and other developed economies the unemployment rate could face an increase of 1.5 percentage points, from 6.4 per cent in 2008 to 7.9 per cent in 2009.

Government, workers and employers representatives attending the meeting are expected to assess different stimulus packages under implementation and discuss appropriate economic, employment and social policies aimed at incorporating the ILO's Decent Work Agenda as a key component of policy responses.

"Today, swift and bold measures are required to protect workers and families most exposed and support demand through investment and enterprises. Governments, workers and employers will use this meeting to compare policy responses and build consensus on the best ways forward", said Somavia.