In an address to the informal meeting of the Ministers for Employment and Social Affairs (EPSCO), the Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO), Gilbert F. Houngbo, called on the Ministers, representatives of the EU institutions and European social partners to place fair employment at the heart of social justice, which is essential to economic security, social cohesion, and peace.
Speaking at the Opening plenary session of the informal EPSCO, Houngbo warned that persistent gender inequality, in-work poverty and barriers to employment need to be addressed urgently. “Social justice and fair employment are the foundation of social cohesion and an investment in countries’ long-term stability and prosperity,” Houngbo said.
The meeting focussed on “Fair, inclusive and future-oriented employment and social policies” and was organized and chaired by the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU.
While the EU policies anchored in the European Pillar of Social Rights reflect the four pillars of the ILO Decent Work Agenda, significant challenges remain. Urgent action is needed to address persistent gender inequality, especially gender pay gaps; continuing barriers to employment – particularly for young people, migrants, and persons with disabilities; and in-work poverty, which is affecting millions.
Houngbo emphasized that fair employment must be rooted in international labour standards, and he urged Europe to complete the ratification of the ILO’s two fundamental occupational safety and health conventions, Convention No. 155 and Convention No. 187.
The Director-General welcomed the EU’s renewed focus on job quality for fair employment, including ensuring adequate social protection, fair wages, opportunities for skills development and reducing inequalities.
With the cost of living rising and poverty remaining persistent, he argued that living wages are essential to advance social justice, noting the recent ILO tripartite agreement on the importance of achieving living wages. The DG also referenced the EU Directive on Adequate Minimum Wages (2022) and its validation by the European Court of Justice last November as an important contribution to that objective.
Turning to structural change in Europe, the Director-General said that demographic shifts and the green and digital transitions are necessary and urgent, and policymaking is essential to ensuring that these transitions are just and sustainable. Without deliberate policies, he explained, the risks of exclusion, regional disparities and social resistance will grow.
He called for fair employment and just transitions to ensure that economic transformation is socially sustainable, and he stressed that social dialogue is indispensable for designing effective policies and maintaining trust during periods of change.
“Countries with strong dialogue systems are consistently better equipped to manage shocks and recover inclusively,” he added.
Houngbo highlighted the Global Coalition for Social Justice, established two years ago, as a key milestone for advancing social justice internationally and thanked EU governments for their support, noting that most EU Member States are now partners.
In concluding, the Director-General encouraged the Ministers to reaffirm their commitment to social justice, democratic resilience and shared prosperity, in the spirit of the Doha Political Declaration, which renews global commitment to social development and cooperation.
The Minister of Labour and Social Insurance of Cyprus, Marinos Moushouttas, thanked the ILO for its support to the meeting and for ensuring that the dialogue is based on international standards, with respect for social justice.
