Worker rights are the cornerstone of a fair, just and prosperous society, as they ensure that employees have access to safe working conditions, Employment and Labour Deputy Minister, Boitumelo Moloi, told a BRICS meeting on Tuesday.

The BRICS meeting, organised by the Department of Employment and Labour, is being held under the theme, 'Ensuring decent work, dignity and respect for all', in Muldersdrift, west of Johannesburg.

It is being attended by five member states, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, along with the International Labour Organisation (ILO), African Union, as well as Zimbabwe, Botswana, Eswatini, Namibia and Malawi as invitees.

The meeting looks into issues of human dignity, as the world tries to recover from COVID-19, the energy crisis and stagflation.

Moloi told the 140 delegates in attendance that worker rights are essential for individual workers, as well as the health and stability of the broader economy.

“Therefore, worker rights, productivity and decent work are intrinsically linked. A happy worker is a productive worker,” she said.

Moloi urged BRICS countries to lead the way in promoting and protecting worker rights by implementing ILO conventions.

In so doing, she said, the member States should demonstrate their commitment to a fairer, more equitable society, and create sustainable and inclusive growth conditions.

She further encouraged member States to optimise the relationship between productivity and decent work, promote and protect workers’ rights to improve poor working conditions, wages and protection against health and safety hazards.

In a message of support from the ILO, Claire Harasty: the Special Adviser to the Deputy Director-General for Policy at the ILO, said labour rights at work are indispensable in seeking to achieve equality and justice.

“Sustainable enterprises promote good working conditions for employees, and my organisation is ready to accompany BRICS in achieving its goals,” Harasty said.

African Regional Labour and Administration Centre (ARLAC) representative, Dr Locary Hlabanu, said: “Decent work sums up the totality of the mandate of my organisation and by extension the ILO. There is a need for governments and social partners to create an enabling environment for social protection.”

Meanwhile, the Director-General of the Department of Employment and Labour, Thobile Lamati, said the Muldersdrift session paves the way towards the upcoming technical meetings to be held in May, June and September this year.

The final outcome of these processes will give birth to a declaration to be adopted by the Ministers and Heads of State.

Source: South African Government News Agency