GERARDO MARTINEZ, ARGENTINE WORKERS TITULAR DELEGATE’S STATEMENT

On behalf of the Argentine workers I want to congratulate to Mr. President on your election and to the Director-General on his Report to the conference.

The Conference confirmed the most authentic values embodied by the ILO: freedom. equity and human dignity.
Memory, in practice, is the proof of “decent work”. National Decent Work Programmes are the instrument to develop concrete action adapted to every country real situation, and help to plan what needs to be done.

My country, after the 2001 crisis, successfully implemented its first Plan for job recovery, and from year 2003, with an applied economic and productive model which left behind neoliberal recipes, achieved a level of growth with social insertion by putting into practice the National Decent Work Programme.

All Decent Work dimensions were present in all debate commissions:
The strengthening of ILO capacity will be useful to assess strategic objectives,
qualifications for productivity improvement, growth and employment are the fundamental support to be inserted in the working world that is why I do assert that training, certification and the raise of qualifications must be integrated and related to productivity in order to generate a sustainable relation by and between work and worker.

We must strengthen an integral strategy of decent work in the rural sector, thus we will improve workers labour conditions by allowing countries to favorable growth for the most ruined sectors.

It is vital to deal with the Labour Clauses in Public Contracts -Convention 94- so as its update ensures, within a frame of fair competition, fair working conditions for all workers.

Our ILO and the trade union movement celebrate sixty years of Convention 87 which undoubtedly set “the mission” for workers organized in trade unions all around the world, with neither ideological nor political limits.

Mr. President, My country faces the challenges to achieve and inclusive model, where everybody are leaders. Social dialogue, tripartism and collective bargaining are the devices that cope with workers and society demands.

More than 1000 Conventions have been signed annually with a really wide coverage so as to get a better income distribution.

In front of pending issues, fight against unregistered job must be reinforced, a preventive culture installed, the unemployment, poverty and social exclusion removed.

Within the sectoral crisis that my country is going through, there are people who bank on keeping a concentration model, and, on the other hand the people who have the strong decision, by overwhelming majority, of defending a model of equal wealth distribution containing the most unprotected social sectors.

I think a solidarity and fair country demands social dialogue and institutional participation for the debate and design of its policies and strategies.

For this reason we propose the creation of an Economic and Social Development Council, to reach consensus in Government policies at long term so as to determine a predictable Argentina with inclusion and development.

The creation of the new Trade Union Confederation of the Americas is a transcendental and vital reality that strengthens the union movement in defense of the workers rights of our continent.

Mr. President, Our people claim for more health, education, social security, equal opportunities, eradication of Child Labour and respect for human rights.

Consequently, together with the new progressive Governments we will go on fighting against neoliberal policies which harshly punished our countries, consolidating and strengthening democratic institutions and the active unions’ participation, for that reason it is required and needed a socially responsible business sector.

During the integration processes vital wages, compatible with workers dignity, taking as reference systemic productivity to remove asymmetries and reach social equity, must be guaranteed.

I am sure we will face the global society with more power and we will change nowadays sadness for the happiness of a much fairer society.

There is a lot of work to do, workers are the leaders and the unions are their voice and strength.
 
Thank you very much.
 
Geneva, June 9, 2008