Wayne Prins, president of the World Organization of Workers (WOW), expressed concern about the systemic shortage of workers that is occurring in virtually all developed economies in the world.
In this way he made reference to the European seminar held a few weeks ago in The Hague, Netherlands, by the World Board and the European trade unions, a day that was very productive and gave rise to a positive debate about this reality that requires a solution with the definition of the problem.
Prins added that: “Thanks to holding this debate, we managed to understand that the systemic shortage of labour is due to complex multi-causal problems, whose main explanatory factors lie in the aging of the population, economic growth (the increase in creation of jobs), and insufficient national birth rates to fill newly created jobs, as well as to replace retiring workers.
What was expressed in the WOW newsletter, corresponding to the month of December 2023, specifically states that: “Among the possible solutions is immigration (the contribution of new workers to the economy); optimizing the existing workforce through greater participation and improved productivity; the promotion of technology to facilitate the work performed by people; and job training for new workers to integrate them into the workforce.”
In the auditorium, in addition to the highest representatives of the European trade union community that make up WOW and experts from international organizations linked to the world of work, Wayne Prins pointed out that: “The speakers from the European continent and Canada affirmed that these challenges are common to almost all WOW members in Europe and North America. Obviously, overcoming these challenges is not easy, and solutions require the cooperation of all parties – unions, employers and governments.”
In the same way he declared that: “As trade union leaders we are very well positioned to play a leadership role that allows us to achieve certain solutions with a potentially notable impact. We can advocate for policies and practices that enable greater participation of women in the workforce, enabling them not only to have a family of their own, but also to have rewarding careers as workers. We can also participate in the education and training of workers, equipping them with the skills for which there is demand and which will become their livelihood. Finally, we can support immigration policies to help newcomers fully participate in the workforce and become contributing citizens in their host country.”
In the climax of his message, the president of WOW added that: “The challenges of rich economies contrast strikingly with the problems that persist in emerging economies. When we talk to our colleagues from Africa, Latin America and Asia, we continue to hear terrible stories of poverty and violent oppression. Stories of workers who, despite their long working hours, are still unable to cover their basic daily needs, as well as journalists who fear for their lives. This is the harsh reality for many of our members. Regardless of the challenges we face, our central core of interest continues to be the dignity of each and every worker, and our noble vocation and purpose is the achievement of decent work that allows all workers to cover their needs, as well as those of their families. This goal keeps us motivated in our efforts to help workers around the world.
Source: http://wowlatinoamerica.net/noticias_det.php?Itemid=3750 (original Spanish)
