Thank you, Madam Chair,
Distinguished delegates,
The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown us many curveballs and has been devastating to the world of work, with the equivalent of more than 250 million full-time jobs destroyed in 2020. While there has been signs of recovery, it has been uneven, with the more advanced economies bouncing back faster. On the other hand, recent developments have further increased the possibility of stagflation, posing a big risk to the prospects of a global economic recovery.
As Director-General (DG) has rightly pointed out, what happens to the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) matters to the entirety of the international community. The International Labour Organization (ILO) has strived “to leave no one behind” and member states would be wise to follow its call to cooperate so that we leave no country behind. What the pandemic has taught us is that no one is safe until everyone is safe. It is therefore in the interest of developed countries to help developing countries and LDCs to do well.
At the international level, the Singapore National Trades Union Congress (SNTUC) would like to urge countries to collaborate to the fullest extent possible for the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Waiver negotiations at the World Trade Organization (WTO). This would lead to meaningful and practical outcomes for LDCs. We also urge high-income countries to donate more vaccine doses to LDCs given that only some 5% of people in low-income countries are fully vaccinated. Lastly, developed countries need to urgently deliver the USD100 billion goal of Green Climate Fund to help LDCs’ efforts to achieve low-carbon development and adapt to climate change.
As a member of the international labour movement, the SNTUC has been partnering the ILO Bureau for Workers’ Activities (ACTRAV) since 2006 to help enhance the capacities of trade unionists in the Asia-Pacific region -- especially those from the developing countries and LDCs -- through mutual learning and sharing of best practices on industrial relations and tripartism.
Through such partnerships, we hope that the unions in the region can become a strong social partner in their respective countries and thus be able to overcome national challenges in cooperation with their social partners.
As a unionist from the maritime sector, I am pleased to share that the Singapore maritime tripartite partners worked closely together to make crew change possible in Singapore. With most ports locked down during the height of pandemic in 2020, we supported over 100,000 seafarers during the crew change in Singapore.
Like-minded international tripartite partners including the International Maritime Organization (IMO), International Labour Organization (ILO), International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and the International Maritime Employers’ Council (IMEC) also contributed to the Singapore Shipping Tripartite Alliance Resilience (STAR) Fund during the pandemic to extend assistance to seafarers from developing countries and LDCs, by facilitating crew change and vaccinating frontline workers onboard ocean-going vessels calling at Singapore or signing on to ships in Singapore.
On a related note, we welcome the latest amendments to the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 at this ILC which would also further the interests of seafarers who help to keep the supply chain going.
On the home front, migrant workers have not been forgotten by the Singapore tripartite partners. We understand the pandemic challenges faced by them. Through our Migrant Workers’ Centre, we worked with our tripartite and commercial partners, and even Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), to meet their needs and ensure that their well-being, including their mental wellness are being taken care of.
In conclusion, the SNTUC will continue to work with international labour partners as well as our social partners through our “Regional Centre for the Future of Work”, to find ways to help fellow unionists, especially those from the LDCs, to enhance their capacities so that we can build back better with a human-centred approach in a post-COVID world of work.
Thank you.
