Employment and Labour Director-General calls on BRICS to act as a bloc in international forums

The Director-General of the Department of Employment and Labour has called on BRICS member states to use their collective strength in multilateral forums to pursue matters of common interest and defend the turf.

Mr Thobile Lamati was delivering the closing remarks at the end of the four-day session of the Second Employment Working Group (EWG) Meeting attended by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

“In the face of the rapidly evolving geopolitics and the expanding BRICS performance, we must stick together as a show of unity, solidarity and camaraderie. It is high time we formalise our bloc within the ILO, G20 and other international bodies,” he said.

Mr Lamati said BRICS would make this recommendation to the BRICS Summit and or to the Ministers of Employment and Labour.

The meeting was held under the theme: “Ensuring Decent Work, Dignity and Respect for all”.

The South African Presidency put forward the four priorities for discussion:

Building sustainable enterprises, innovation and enhancing productivity;

Promoting labour rights at work and reducing decent work deficits;

Universal access to social protection and ensuring minimum basic income grant;

Promoting decent work and closing the skills gap in the informal economy.

The meeting also saw the South African Presidency suggesting the development of a BRICS wide Productivity Ecosystems for Decent Work, which has unanimous support from the BRICS member countries.

The EWG endorsed this proposal to optimise the relationship between productivity and decent work to boost economic growth and develop sustainable enterprises for job creation and poverty reduction.

It aims to deepen co-operation and trade relations within the BRICS bloc and facilitate bankable projects acceptable to the New Development Bank. This initiative demonstrates the strategic approach of the labour and employment track in addressing political changes and fostering cooperation within the BRICS economic partnership.

Source: Government of South Africa