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Andean Labor Ministers approve
action plan for creating jobs and
guaranteeing labor rights
Cartagena de Indias, May 21 '99.
The Labor Ministers of the Andean
Community today approved the
Declaration of Cartagena de Indias
and an Action Plan for the purpose
of strengthening social and labor
integration, guaranteeing respect
for workers' rights, boosting the
conversion of the production
system, and promoting the creation
of jobs.
The
meeting, which ended after two
days of work in the Colombian city
of Cartagena de Indias, was the
first of a series of meetings that
are to be held at the highest
level from May 23 to 27 as part of
the XI Andean Presidential Summit
and the celebration of the 30th
anniversary of the subregional
integration process.
In
the course of the deliberations,
approval was given to the
Colombian initiative of submitting
to the XI Presidential Summit a
proposal to create an Advisory
Committee of Andean Community
Labor Ministers.
The
Council would undertake the study,
revision and updating of the Simón
Rodríguez Agreement, the
social-labor institution of the
Andean Integration System that has
been dormant for the past decade,
as well as address employment and
worker issues.
The
Andean Ministers have prepared an
Action Plan to move ahead with
labor matters in the meantime.
Three working groups are to tackle:
a) basic rights, the free
circulation of workers, productive
employment, and professional
training; b) social security; and
c) the updating of the Simón
Rodríguez Agreement.
The
first group will promote the
ratification and fulfillment of
the International Labor
Organization (ILO) agreements,
give a boost to the adoption of
Community provisions on job safety
and health, execute programs for
the prevention of accidents and
common occupational diseases,
carry out actions to do away with
child labor and establish programs
to promote the freedom to create
and join trade unions and to
engage in collective bargaining.
It
will also review Andean provisions
in order to propose policies and
instruments that will guarantee
the free circulation of migratory
workers and their families and
respect for their rights.
Other tasks to be performed by
this group have to do with
fighting unemployment and
temporary employment and
strengthening professional
training systems to bring them
into line with the skills in
demand today.
The
second group will prepare programs
for reinforcing the surveillance
and control of occupational health
and professional risks, while the
third will analyze the Simón
Rodríguez Agreement in order to
adjust it to existing needs.
The
Advisory Council of Ministers is
intended to approve the draft
Protocol of Amendment for updating
the Simón Rodríguez Agreement
before the year is out. The Andean
Labor and Business Advisory
Councils will be invited to take
part in the prior consultation
process.
CAN
Secretary General Sebastián
Alegrett gave his full support to
the creation of the Advisory
Council of Labor Ministers on the
grounds that it fits in well with
the process of strengthening
Andean institutions in an effort
to guarantee that ministerial
bodies are given a larger role at
the decision-making level.
Alegrett considers that the
treatment of social and labor
issues in CAN is in consonance
with the need to promote a "true
community of nations," rather than
restricting integration to a "mere
business club." An increase in
trade is necessary, but not enough,
he explained, after propounding a
political, economic, cultural and
social union.
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