Labour and Social Protection Cabinet Secretary Florence Bore is leading Kenya’s delegation to the 112th session of the International Labour Conference that kicked off Monday in Geneva, Switzerland.
The CS accompanied by the Principal Secretary for Labour and Skills Development Shadrack Mwadime attended the opening session of the international gathering by Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO), Gilbert Houngbo.
The 11-day conference brings together workers, employers, and government delegates from the ILO’s 187 Member States to address a wide range of issues that have a long-term impact on the world of work.
“We are gathered in Geneva as Governments, workers and employers from the 187 Member States with the aim of building a human-centred world of work and Social Justice for all” CS Bore noted.
In the meantime, Houngbo is warning that crises could jeopardize “positive and encouraging advances” in the global labour landscape, highlighting the organization’s commitment to navigating the complexities.
“All regions, to varying degrees, have returned to the level of economic activity seen in the pre-pandemic period. Effective action by central banks to curb inflation has also contributed to this positive development… This could, I very much hope, provide some relief for the recently battered purchasing power of workers,” said Houngbo during his opening speech.
ILO projections indicate a global unemployment rate of 4.9 per cent for both 2024 and 2025, marking a modest decrease from the 5 per cent recorded in 2023.
Presenting his report, Towards a Renewed Social Contract, the Director-General said, “The report does not impose preconceived ideas but aims to stimulate a productive and fruitful debate” about “making social justice the foundation of lasting peace, shared prosperity, equal opportunities, and a just transition.”
The CS is scheduled to address the conference later in the week and also take part in high-level bilateral meetings that will pave the way for increased opportunities for Kenyans.
Meanwhile, the Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE) boss Jacqueline Mugo has been elected President of the International Organization of Employers at its headquarters in Geneva.
This follows the election of COTU Secretary General Francis Atwoli as the Vice President of the global International Trade Union Confederation in Brussels, Belgium last year.
Atwoli who doubles up as the President of the Organization of African Trade Union Unity (OATUU) chaired a preparatory meeting ahead of the opening ceremony.
