G20 labour & employment ministers finalise declaration for equitable income distribution
New Delhi: The G20 Labour and Employment Ministers (LEMM) said on Saturday that they have approved a declaration that emphasises that creating formal jobs and promoting decent work are the most effective social tools for achieving a fairer and more equitable income distribution.
Led by Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Shobha Karandlaje, the Indian delegation along with Brazil and South Africa approved the ‘Labour and Employment Ministerial Declaration’ after a two-day meeting in Fortaleza, Brazil.
Karandlaje informed that India has generated over 80 million employment opportunities from 2017-18 to 2021-22, averaging over 20 million jobs per year, while the youth unemployment rate has dropped from 17.8 per cent in 2017-18 to 10 per cent in 2022-23, with increased youth participation in the labour force.
She also said that India’s ‘One Nation, One Ration Card’ initiative allows migrant workers to access entitled food grains nationwide.
In addition, the Ayushman Bharat Scheme, the world’s largest government-funded healthcare programme, covers over 550 million citizens, “demonstrating our dedication to health security”, she added.
The delegation of ministers made interventions on key focus areas — like creation of quality jobs and the promotion of decent work, to ensure social inclusion and eliminate poverty and hunger, gender equality, and the promotion of diversity in the world of work.
Karandlaje said India has made significant strides in promoting gender equality in the workplace through robust legislative measures.
The country has leveraged digital platforms through the ‘Digital India Mission’ to open up new avenues for entrepreneurship and employment.
Karandlaje met Gilbert Houngbo, Director General of International Labour Organization (ILO), on the sidelines of the meeting.
She also met Miyazaki Masahisa, Japanese State Minister for Health, Labour and Welfare. The two leaders discussed areas of mutual interest, including the need to further enhance the mobility of semi-skilled and skilled workers from India to Japan.
Karandlaje stressed the need for skilling and reskilling to ensure just and fair transition to greener alternatives, outlining India’s achievement in leveraging technology as a means of improving everyone’s quality of life.