World Day for Decent Work

Catholic church organizations are Moving for a Decent Work in support of this Day that has the motto for 2020: New Social Contract for Recovery and Resilience, from the International Trade Union Confederation.

«CHURCH FOR DECENT WORK» CALLS FOR «MOVING» TOWARDS A NEW PRODUCTIVE SYSTEM PUTTING PEOPLE AT THE CENTER

• CDW's Manifesto for the day encourages become active against the increase in precariousness caused by the social impact of the pandemic and in defense of decent and accessible work
• CDW demands decent conditions for jobs that are essential to life

The Christian-inspired entities that are promoting initiative Iglesia por el Trabajo Decente (Church for Decent Work) (ITD) in Spain are making a strong appeal to celebrate the World Day for Decent Work on October 7 by "moving" and raising their voices "in our neighborhoods, among labor unions and government institutions" to demand a new productive model that, in the midst of the social impact of the pandemic, guarantees decent and accessible employment.

In the Manifesto for this Day under the slogan "We move for decent work", which ITD convenes in Spain for the sixth consecutive year, denounces the precariousness suffered by millions of workers "increased by the health emergency caused by the global pandemic of COVID-19" and has highlighted "the structural weaknesses of the welfare state in Spain and the need for decent work for the development of a fraternal society".

Millions of people are being left behind

"This crisis -says ITD- has taught us that we can consume less and better, that the service of those less valued trades, socially and economically, support life and community care". They denounce, in that regard, that "the reality in which we find ourselves is making visible the consequences of a productive model incapable of generating employment with high added value and characterized by high rates of labor precariousness".

ITD identifies the symptoms of the seriousness of the situation, such as the rampant job destruction, with skyrocketing figures of the Record of Temporary Employment Regulationand unemployment; social protection that is not reaching those who are entitled to it and worse, as in the case of the minimum vital income or the benefit for domestic workers, and what leaves thousands of people without the possibility of access for exercising their activity in the underground economy; and the persistence of too many jobs considered essential that maintain working conditions so precarious that they border on indecency.

The latest figures provided by National Institute of Statistics and CC.OO.confirm so:

• There are 3,368,000 unemployed people (15.3% unemployment rate). Among those under 25, it is 39.6%; among those over 55, 11.6%. The male unemployment rate is 14.13%, while the female rate is 16.72%.
• 34% of the unemployed have been seeking employment for more than one year and 22% for more than two years.
• The number of temporary workers suffers the greatest quarterly decline (671,900 fewer, or 16.22%), while the number of workers with permanent contracts shows a more moderate quarterly drop (-2.91%, with 361,400 fewer permanent workers). The rate of temporary employment stands at 22.35%, almost 4 points less than at the beginning of 2020 (26.1%).
• There are 1,063,000 inactive people (they have stopped looking for work due to confinement and the situation) and 1,150,000 households with all their active members unemployed.

Alongside this, the report Analysis and Perspectives 2020 by the Fundación FOESSA states the notable increase (30%) of families in a situation of severe poverty (67.8%), with an income of less than 370 euros per month for one person and less than 776€ for two adults and two minors.

It also points out that only 1 out of every 4 households can sustain themselves from employment; 60% of severely excluded households have seen their psycho-emotional state worsen during confinement, while 26% consider their physical state to have worsened; and that one out of every three households (34%) is reducing the school performance of their children by not being able to keep up with the pace set (when this has existed) by the school.

Solidarity and unity in adversity

This serious deterioration of employment and, therefore, of life, "is leading -the Manifesto states- to multitudes being forced to turn to public social services, to the social resources of Church organizations, or to the help of parish and neighborhood communities in order to survive. It is here that the greatest experience of solidarity and common support has been manifested that we have discovered in this extraordinary circumstance, an experience of unity in adversity that has made us move for the common good". Therefore, "we must value human work to the extent that it dignifies us as daughters and sons of God, co-responsible for the care of life and creation".

A day of protest

Faced with this situation, ITD invites to "move in community, join efforts, seek support and continue to demand decent work". To this end, it urges "to adopt the necessary measures to make decent work an accessible reality for all people, with conditions that allow a dignified life to be maintained and social protection to reach all those who need it". In a concrete way, ITD demands:

• Opt for a new productive system, capable of generating jobs with high added value putting people at the center.
• To achieve social and labor recognition of jobs that are essential to life, with decent working conditions that allow people to escape from poverty.
• Recognize the right to social protection without being subordinated to working life.
• Guarantee the minimum vital incomeas a reality for the people who need it, providing the institutions with the necessary resources for its management.
• To ensure domestic workers receiving the extraordinary subsidy and that their right to unemployment benefit is recognized as it is for the rest of the working population.

The organizations promoting the ITD initiative have organized an agenda of protest and celebration events, both in virtual spaces and in all squares and parishes of the dioceses, complying with security protocols.