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TUC calls upon DFID to do more to protect workers' rights in developing countries.

Report type
Research and reports
Issue date

In its submission to the IDC, the TUC points out that despite its declared intention of helping people to work their way out of poverty, DFID has paid scant regard to the protection and promotion of their employment rights and overlooked the opportunity to enhance the impact of its interventions through collaboration with multilateral UN agencies like the ILO.

                                                                                      TUC Submission to
                                                                  The IDC Inquiry into Jobs and Livelihoods

Summary


• Inclusive and equitable economic growth is the most important determinant of jobs and livelihoods. A host of factors play a role in improving employment and livelihoods. Training, education and skills development, access to information as well as efficient communication systems improve employment prospects.


• Access to finance for small and medium businesses as well as for men and women to set up in business is conducive to creation of jobs and livelihoods. Appropriate and adequate social protection systems need to be in place to ensure the welfare of the vulnerable sections of society, enhance their resilience and sustain aggregate demand.


• Despite DFID concern over, and interest in, the need for economic growth and job creation in its development interventions, an assessment of published outcomes in its priority countries fails to provide sufficient evidence of unqualified success and points to the need for more clarity and rigour in reporting. The juxtaposition of piecemeal information on outcomes of disparate nature often lumped together under “economic development and/or wealth creation” hardly lends itself to a proper assessment of development impact.


• DFID, despite its declared intention of helping people to work their way out of poverty, has paid scant regard to the protection and promotion of their employment rights and overlooked the opportunity to enhance the impact of its interventions through collaboration with multilateral UN agencies like the ILO. DFID and the ILO stand to gain from close collaboration in Decent Work Country Programmes.


• DFID initiatives to foster the private sector as an effective way of spurring economic activity and promoting growth and creating employment are welcome. However, the use of Official Development Assistance (ODA) funds to set up alternatives to vital public services such as health and education in developing countries cannot be justified and could undermine the existing services.


• DFID has often overlooked the opportunity to enhance the impact of its aid programmes through engagement with trade unions in developing countries, despite its recognition of the role of labour in development. There is scope for DFID to help develop sustainable capacity in trade unions in developing countries to enable them to play a catalytic role in improving economic and social welfare of workers, their families and communities through collective bargaining and in promoting democr

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