Don’t use labour weaknesses for political gains: Moment to ILO
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen has urged the International Labour Organisation (ILO) not to use labour weaknesses as a tool to achieve political gains.
"Please don't use labour weaknesses, if there be any, as a tool to achieve political gains, rather try to help and assist to overcome those weaknesses with generous support and financing," Momen said while speaking at a national seminar on "Fundamental principles and rights at work: Bangladesh's 50-years journey with the ILO" at the Foreign Service Academy today (October 19, 2022).
Momen asked the ILO to join Bangladesh in its forward-looking efforts without dragging them into the unfortunate past that otherwise only helps serve some vested national and international interests and agenda.
Momen said he publicly made these observations in the spirit of Bangladesh's "constructive engagement" with ILO and in their mutual interest.
He reiterated that the government of Bangladesh remains willing to facilitate appropriate course-corrections in the labour and employment sectors in response to its socio-economic context at any given time.
The foreign minister said the government would expect the relevant international partners including ILO to acknowledge the value of local level knowledge and insights without taking a one-sided prescriptive approach that one model fits all.
He said the government remains determined to navigate the current cost-of-living crisis in the wake of the war in Ukraine by continuing its efforts to create decent jobs for the young workforce and by expanding the reach of social safety nets to help poor households offset the inflationary pressures.
"It is critical that the international financial institutions provide the required fiscal space to developing countries like ours by taking certain proven policy measures in the face of a likely global recession," he said.
Momen recalled ILO's resurgence and relevance in the international policy discourse during the global financial crisis of 2008-09.
"We would wish to see ILO living up to its expected role as we countenance yet another multiple crisis period."
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