The 109th (2021) International Labour Conference (ILC) will be held in two parts: Part I from 3-19 June 2021 and part II from 25 November – 11 December 2021.

The International Organisation of Employers shared some preliminary inputs for employers and highlights on the most relevant issues at stake.

Among the discussions with greatest impact, it is worth of note the General Committee on ILO Response to Covid-19 (Covid Response Committee – CRC).

This Committee has been tasked by the Governing Body with the negotiation of an outcome document on “a global call to action for a human-centered recovery from Covid-19 crisis that is inclusive, sustainable and resilient”. The draft submitted to the ILC (see appendix, page 27) is the result of an informal tripartite drafting group in which the IOE (the Secretariat of the Employers’ Group) participated in support of the employers’ group – one of the three constituents of the ILO.

During these preparatory meetings, the IOE underlined the importance for the Employers’ Group of taking into account small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs), business continuity, ways to enhance productivity, sustainability, and resilience. Development and promoting skills and efforts to tackle informality are two other priorities for the group.

“The global economy requires urgent measures, particularly on policies and interventions that reach the real economy. There needs to be an acknowledgment of the important role of the private sector for recovery, and recognition of the role of the social partners. Any references to a “human-centred” recovery must be clearly qualified as sustainable and resilient”.

ILO future action, should reference to:

• The development of a productivity strategy;
• proper skills strategy;
• urgent need to push the agenda for improved business environment;
• recognition of the role of the private sector;
• urgent need to strengthen the role of employer organisations as critical for business continuity and to build back better.

The 2019 ILO Centenary Declaration for the Future of Work remains the basis for proceeding with this negotiation.

The debates on social protection recurrent discussion will be held on the basis of a Report entitled “Building the future of social protection for a human-centred world of work” and guided by a set of questions focusing on:

1. Realising universal social protection
2. Strengthening social protection systems
3. Ensuring equitable and sustainable financing for social protection systems
4. Reinforcing ILO means of action to achieve universal access to comprehensive and sustainable social protection.

To address these questions, employers will be sharing their viewpoint, outlining themes such as sustainability of social protection schemes, flexibility in the type of (contributory and non-contributory) schemes, social protection as a way to facilitate transition and the implication of diverse forms of employment on social protection.

The Committee on the Application of Standards (CAS) will discuss, among other topics, the Committee of Experts on the application of Conventions and Recommendations (CEACR) 2020 General Survey and its Addendum. The General Survey examines three Conventions and five Recommendations, namely, Employment Policy Convention 1964 (No. 122), the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (Disabled Persons) Convention 1983 (No. 159), the Home Work Convention 1996 (No. 177), the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (Disabled Persons) Recommendation 1983 (No. 168), the Employment Policy (Supplementary Provisions) Recommendation 1984 (No. 169), the Home Work Recommendation 1996 (No. 184), the Employment Relationship Recommendation 2006 (No. 198), and the Transition from the Informal to the Formal Economy Recommendation 2015 (No. 204).

In this discussion, employers’ key considerations will be shared:

• Private sector led economic growth is the best path to sustainable and inclusive recovery from the pandemic.
• Businesses will not restart operations spontaneously and economies will not be able to return to previous levels of prosperity without persistent and adequate support, as well as through creating an enabling business environment. [...] An enabling business environment is essential for creating a stable, predictable, and incentivising environment for investment, innovation and employment creation.
• To ensure a quick economy recovery, employment relationship policies need to recognise new diverse forms of work, ensure financial sustainability and open access to social protection, and address the serious challenges of informality with innovative solutions based on solidary and incentives.