14-Jul-2022: Shri Bhupender Yadav attends BRICS Labour and Employment Ministers’ Meeting 2022
The Union Minister for Labour & Employment, Shri Bhupender Yadav attended the BRICS Labour and Employment Ministers’ Meeting today held under the Chinese Presidency. The Ministers of the member countries viz. Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa participated in the meeting. Discussions were held on three priority issues, namely, Promoting Green Jobs for Sustainable Development; Developing Skills for Resilient Recovery; and Protecting Workers’ Right in New Forms of Employment.
During the session on discussion among BRICS Ministers, Shri Bhupender Yadav elucidated the steps taken by India to provide relief to workers during the pandemic. Shri Yadav highlighted various initiatives taken towards providing free ration, enhancing the number of days of assured employment under MNREGA, collateral free loans provided to 2.9 million street vendors to help them resume their businesses under PM SVANidhi Yojana during the pandemic.
As regards the priority issues discussed in the meeting, the Minister said that Climate change is necessitating a shift towards more sustainable development and green jobs. He further informed that a Sector Council for Green Jobs has been set up in India to develop strategy and implement programs for Skill development in green sector. The variety of Decentralized Renewable Energy livelihood opportunities which are being developed in India, including myriad solutions like solar dryer, biomass powered cold storage/chiller, were also enunciated. In addition, the Minister also stressed upon the measures taken to harness the potential of Blue Economy and Agro-Forestry in India.
Various skill development initiatives undertaken by the Government were also highlighted by the Minister during the meeting. Further, various steps such as e-Shram Portal, conducting of All India Surveys of Migrant Workers and Domestic Workers taken by the Government of India towards welfare of informal sector workers were also highlighted.
The Minister also informed about the legislative initiatives taken by India such as the Code on Social Security, 2020, which defines the new forms of workers i.e. gig and platform workers and the steps taken to provide social security benefits to such workers were also emphasized.
One of the significant outcomes of the aforesaid meeting was the adoption of the BRICS Labour & Employment Ministers’ Declaration. The Declaration recognized the need for promoting green jobs for sustainable development, strengthening of cooperation in skills development and; protection of workers’ rights in new forms of employment.
15-Jul-2021: Union Minister for Labour & Employment Bhupender Yadav chairs 7th BRICS Labour & Employment Ministers’ Meeting
Union Minister for Labour & Employment Shri. Bhupender Yadav chaired the BRICS Labour & Employment Ministers’ Meeting today under India’s Presidency. Ministers of the member countries viz. Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa participated in the meeting.
India organized the BRICS Labour & Employment Ministers’ Meeting to exchange views on the impact of Covid-19 on global labour market, enhance information sharing, discuss and agree upon specific areas of cooperation between BRICS Member countries. Discussion on four priority areas of cooperation took place namely, Promoting Social Security Agreements amongst BRICS Nations; Formalisation of Labour Markets; Participation of Women in the Labour Force; and Gig and Platform Workers: Role in the Labour Market.
The significant aspect of the meeting was the adoption of the BRICS Labour & Employment Ministers’ Declaration. The Ministerial Declaration recognized that the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the efforts made to address unemployment, decent work deficits and inequality. It also illustrates the strong determination of BRICS Member countries to recover with stronger national economies, inclusive labour markets and social protection systems.
In his welcome address, Shri Bhupender Yadav stressed on enhancing the intra-BRICS solidarity and promoting sustained, inclusive, full and productive employment and decent work for all. He highlighted the path breaking reforms by Government of India in amalgamation, simplification and codification of its labour laws into four labour codes, namely “The Code on Wages 2019”, “The Code on Social Security 2020”, “The Industrial Relations Code 2020” and “The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code 2020”. The new Labour Codes provide integrated pathways towards robust formalization of the labour market, increasing participation of women in the labour force and enhancing the role of gig and platform workers in the labour market. The Minister further emphasised on need for signing of Social Security agreements amongst BRICS nations to promote welfare of the international migrant workers.
On the issue of “Promoting Social Security Agreements amongst BRICS Nations”, BRICS Ministers have resolved to carry out exchange of information among BRICS countries on employment and social security for cross-border labour flows and initiate social security agreements between BRICS nations within a reasonable timeframe. On the issue of “Formalisation of Labour Markets”, Member countries reiterated their commitment to enhance the transition from informality to formality as a means towards improving living and working conditions, productivity and job growth and strengthening efforts to reduce poverty through access to quality employment and social protection. BRICS countries also agreed that the sustained participation of women in the labour market and strategies for the promotion of women participation in remunerative, productive and decent work are top priorities in the national policy agenda. To enhance the role of gig and platform workers in the labour market, the BRICS Ministers supported the development of the digital economy, including digital delivery of services, while acknowledging the role of digital platforms in providing resilience to national economies in the face of crisis such as COVID-19.
27-Jul-2017: BRICS Labour and Employment Ministers’ meeting 2017 held in Chongqing, China.
Indian delegation participated in the BRICS Labour & Employment Ministers’ Meet, held on 26-27th, July, 2017 at Chonqging, China. China is the chair for the BRICS Labour & Employment Ministers’ Meet for the year 2017.
The meeting concluded with the adoption of the BRICS Labour and Employment Ministerial Declaration by the BRICS Labour and Employment Ministers on 27th July 2017 in Chongqing, China. The Declaration covered a variety of areas that are of critical importance to all BRICS countries including India and called upon strengthening collaboration and cooperation on these through appropriate institutionalization . These areas consisted of : “Governance in the Future of Work”, “Skills for development in BRICS”, “Universal and sustainable social security systems”, “BRICS Network of Labour Research Institutions”, “BRICS Social Security Cooperation Framework” and “BRICS entrepreneurship research”.
The BRICS countries should collaborate to address the challenges of the ‘Future of Work’ emerging in the area of non-standard forms of employment like part-time work, temporary work, fixed term contracting and subcontracting, home based work, etc. that are changing the character of the labour markets in the BRICS countries. Networking of labour institutes of BRICS nations could create mechanisms for regular exchange of information and creating further areas of cooperation in this and other common areas.
India has always adhered to the principle of CBDR in Global Supply Chain and was pleased that the BRICS countries echoed this policy stand. Technology could be a critical enabler for creating efficient and transparent labour governance structure and that in India ICT has been deployed to ensure effective, timely and efficient delivery of services and for creating simpler and transparent compliance structure in all areas including financial inclusion, social security, employment generation and skilling.
Skilling not only increases the employability of the workers but also the productivity of the employers which leads to a cycle of increased production, increased revenue stream and increased GDP of the country. India endorsed the BRICS Action Plan for Poverty Alleviation and reduction through Skills which inter alia includes policy recommendations to integrate poor into overall national plan for vocational training, improving lifelong vocational training and learning systems, promoting high quality apprenticeship systems, strengthening collaboration between Governments, sectors and enterprises for research initiatives, and leveraging the network of BRICS National Research Institutes for creating such alliances.
India complimented the Chinese Presidency for taking forward the commitments made collectively by BRICS during the previous presidencies in a very articulate manner. India supported the proposed institutionalization of Social Security Cooperation Framework for BRICS as it will help us understand strategies being followed by fellow BRICS countries towards universalisation of social security especially in respect of on standard forms of works. Minister said that asymmetry in labour market information is big challenge for all of us. In this context the network of National Labour Institutes presents significant possibilities for integrating research and information sharing. The network will also help us to form common positions on relevant labour and employment issues. Encouraging innovation and Entrepreneurship is a key priority for India. India expressed her desire to work with BRICS partners in strengthening the BRICS Entrepreneurship Initiatives.
The BRICS Labour and Employment Ministerial Declaration would now be presented to the Leaders/ Head of the State summit scheduled to be held on 3-5th, 2017 Xiamen, China.