Over 20 speakers from different countries in the region will participate in a technical symposium, convened by the ILO, to reflect on key themes that are shaping both the present and future of work.

News | 14 November 2023

To commemorate the 30th anniversary of its flagship annual publication Labour Overview, the International Labour Organization (ILO), Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean and the ILO Office for the South Cone of Latin America will host the Regional Symposium “Three Decades of Labour Performance in Latin America and the Caribbean: Advances and Prospects”, which will take place in Santiago, Chile, on November 15 and 16, 2023.

The Labour Overview report has documented the labour context in the region over the past three decades, depicting significant changes in Latin America and the Caribbean in demographic, economic, and social terms. Currently, the region still faces challenges such as high informality, insufficient productivity, and distinct economic cycles that affect businesses, labour conditions, and the situation of workers and their families.

In this context, the regional symposium aims to explore the main challenges presented by the future of work in the region and the adaptations that will be necessary in labour institutions and policies to address transformations such as digitalization, automation, the gig economy, and just transitions.

The event will feature a high-level opening session with the participation of the Regional Director of the ILO for Latin America and the Caribbean, Claudia Coenjaerts; the former President of the Republic of Chile, Ricardo Lagos Escobar; and the Minister of Labour and Social Welfare of Chile, Jeannete Jara.

Subsequently, José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs, Executive Secretary of ECLAC, will delve into the new productive paradigms and technological changes in the region, and Manuela Tomei, Deputy Director-General of the ILO, Governance, Rights, and Dialogue Cluster in Geneva, will address the promotion of decent work and social justice in a global context marked by various crises.

The first day of the symposium will also include a panel discussion featuring the President of the Central Workers’ Union (CUT) of Chile, David Acuña, and the General Manager of the Confederation of Production and Commerce (CPC), Fernando Alvear.

More than 20 speakers from different countries in the region will participate during the two-day symposium, which includes four discussion panels. Key issues to be addressed include economic, productive, and social opportunities in a transforming world of work; labour protection in the context of technological changes; the impact of climate change and environmental degradation on the world of work; and the transformation from informal to formal economy, along with the challenges of measuring employment and its implications for the adaptation of labour institutions and policies in this context.

The Regional Symposium “Three Decades of Labour Performance in Latin America and the Caribbean: Advances and Prospects” will be a unique opportunity to analyze the challenges of the labour world and promote dialogue among key actors in the region.

For more information about the symposium, including registration and agenda details, please visithttps://panoramalaboral.info/inicio/