CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY

Transcription

1 Vice-Eersteminister en Minister van Werk, Economie en Consumenten, Belast met Buitenlandse Handel Vice-Premier Ministre et Ministre de l Emploi, de l Economie et des Consommateurs, Chargé du Commerce Extérieur TOESPRAAK DOOR KRIS PEETERS VICE-EERSTE MINISTER EN MINISTER VAN WERK, ECONOMIE, CONSUMENTENZAKEN, Director-General Ryder, Dear colleagues, Ladies and gentlemen, BELAST MET BUITENLANDSE HANDEL ILO - plenaire 31 mei 2018 The fight for gender equality is a fight for a fairer society and a stronger economy. The great and positive correlation between women s rights and the performance of societies and economies, cannot be denied. A 2015 publication from the Hasselt University in Belgium stated that board members of listed companies see a positive impact on the company s performance when more women are part of the Board of Directors. 1

2 And what is true for the Board is also true across the board. Gender balance on the work floor and an equal treatment of men and women are drivers for prosperity. This is why I applaud the ILO for choosing women at work as the central topic of this year s gathering. Over the years, Belgium has taken numerous steps to close the gender divide on the workfloor and in people s pay checks. In the past few years, we have for instance introduced mystery calls through which social inspectors can actively investigate discrimination on the labour market. We supported social partners in updating outdated pay scales that increased the gender pay gap. And we also have a tool called Break@Work. This is available to every citizen and gives them a personal overview on the existing leave schemes. This not only provides clarity, but it also shows the consequences for one s career and pension. It can and should help create a mentality shift. 2

3 We need to rethink stereotypes and traditions. Men are still spending 1.5 hours a week more on paid work than women. In Belgium, 44% of women work part time compared to 11% of men. This is why I am working on a federal action plan for women at work, together with colleagues in the Belgian government. This action plan will be focused on breaking with gender stereotype roles and on bridging the pay gap that in large part is due to the difference in part time work. The action plan will also include a new legal framework for positive action, encouraging employers to organize specific actions to give more opportunities to disadvantaged groups. Gender equality also means that women feel safe at work. Violence and harassment at work must be condemned, stopped and prevented. Belgium has a robust legal framework in place to protect its workers. Employers need to create a safe and secure working environment. They need to assess the risks and provide measures to protect their workers from work-related violence and other undesirable behavior. 3

4 This is why we welcome and support an ILO Convention and Recommendation that focuses on the protection against violence and harassment in the world of work. Safety should indeed be the alpha and omega of any workplace. We need to ensure that people who leave their families in the morning to provide for them, return safe and sound in the evening. Many of the accidents and incidents on the work floor can be prevented. The most tragic example in the past few years was of course the Rana Plaza catastrophe in Five years on, it is clear that we still need progress in this field. This is why this fall we will organize a conference in Belgium on due diligence in the textile industry. During that conference we will call upon industry to strengthen their efforts and to sign the renewed Bangladesh agreement. 4

5 Ladies and gentlemen, With this conference, the ILO once again shows its huge added value. We are talking about pressing issues, looking for common ground and doing so in a unique tripartite formula. The ILO is doing ground breaking work on the Future of Work, for instance. This is a topic that is close to my heart. The outcome of the ILO s work on this issue will be decisive for the relevance and the future of this organization as well. In Belgium, the social partners and the government are looking for the right way to deal with the digitalization of our economy and the disruption caused by the platform economy. This is by definition a topic that crosses borders, which is why the ILO is the right forum to discuss these issues. A recent study showed that Belgian workers believe digitalization and robotization will not destroy jobs, but will make their work easier and more interesting. We hope our efforts and those of the social partners will lead to realizing this optimist belief in practice. 5

6 Today, I plead for a continuing key role for the ILO on this topic and on many others. We support the necessary reform process of the UN system in order to make it more accountable, efficient and future oriented. We believe this reform offers an opportunity to the ILO to further develop and consolidate its specific role in the UN family. Moreover, we support the ambition for the ILO to play a role in post-conflict situations. In those places, it is not enough to rebuild the government and the checks and balances, there is also a need to re-establish civil society through social dialogue. The ILO needs to play a hands on role in that respect. Belgium supports the work of the ILO. We will continue to advocate for a strong ILO and play our part in keeping this organization strong, relevant and alive and kicking. I thank you. 6