–at consultation on establishment of Regional Tripartite Social Dialogue Mechanism

By Svetlana Marshall

CONSULTATION on the establishment of a Regional Tripartite Social Dialogue Mechanism and a Social Protection Floor opened on Monday at the CARICOM Secretariat with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) calling on regional leaders to take up the mantle and be wary of naysayers.“There are some voices that claim that social dialogue is damaged, not effective; that industrial relations are disturbed and that it is not worth the investment,” ILO Director of the Decent Work Team and Office for the Caribbean, Claudia Coenjaerts, said.

But she warned against drawing wrong conclusions. “We must be careful not to draw the wrong conclusions; too much is at stake. We must instead rehabilitate the model and commit to – now more than ever – ensure that our complex, intertwined, and far-reaching policy choices are based on evidence, representativeness, and consensus,” she added.

Although tripartism is painstaking, both at the national and regional levels, Coenjaerts said the region and its people must recognise, understand, and address the challenges in an effort to move the process forward.

Indonesia, Brazil, and even Barbados and Jamaica, though faced with many challenges, have undertaken social dialogue with some level of success, the ILO Caribbean Director pointed out.

She called on countries to analyse those success stories.

In the area of Social Protection, Coenjaerts underscored the importance of reducing poverty, thus simultaneously improving people’s standards of living.

“Social protection is about reducing poverty and inequality, but it is much more than that; it is critical for inclusive growth, as its boosts human capital and productivity, supports domestic demand, and facilitates structural transformation of national economies,” she explained.

In moving the process forward, the ILO Caribbean Director said, it is important to analyse social protection systems with emphasis on social insurance and social assistance.

The one-day regional consultation was facilitated under the 10th European Development Fund CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) Economic Integration Programme, and saw in attendance the Assistant Secretary-General of the Human and Social Development of CARICOM, Dr. Douglas Slater; President of the Caribbean Employers’ Confederation (CEC), Wayne Chen; and First Vice-President of the Caribbean Congress of Labour (CCL), Jennifer Isaacs-Dotson, among other officials.

Chen, in brief remarks, reiterated the CEC’s commitment to enhancing the process of social dialogue at the national and regional levels, and to the development of robust social protection for all the region’s citizens. “As employers, we recognise our vital role in providing the decent and sustainable jobs and economic opportunities which are essential for economic growth, wealth creation, and improved living standards for citizens of our region,” he said.

Cognizant of the situation within the market economy, Chen said, concerted, effective and coordinated actions are needed to protect the already fragile social fabric. “The whole world is open for business; some will swim and some will sink. We, as small developing nations, have to quickly learn to swim well; learn how to work together to develop a well-trained, adaptable, and productive workforce, with efficient enterprises and state policies that foster them,” he added.

Chen posited that while the region must be mindful of its needs, it must also be mindful of the cost of a robust social safety net, and its impact on overall competitiveness. “A fine balance has to be achieved, as we are competing against countries and regions with lower wages and standards of social protection. Finding this balance will only be possible with meaningful and effective social dialogue.”

Like the ILO, the CEC underscored the importance of the tripartite social dialogue mechanism and social dialogue. This creates a platform for Governments, the private sector, labour, and civil society to discuss and address socio-economic issues.

Based on Monday’s consultation, recommendations will be made to the Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD). It is believed that such a mechanism would lend support to successful implementation of the CSME, particularly in the areas of labour and migration.

The social protection floor refers to a range of interventions aimed at ensuring the welfare of citizens and communities. These include employment generation, labour standards, and providing a safety net for families and households. A regional social protection floor would provide the policy and framework in which member states can further develop national social protection floors.