Ufa hosts the first BRICS meeting of Labour and Employment Ministers

UFA, 25 January 2016. /Bashinform News Agency, Elmira Sabirova/. Ufa hosts a meeting of the Ministers of Labour and Employment of the BRICS countries. This event is organized for the first time in the history of the BRICS member-states cooperation, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. During the discussion, the participants presented their views on the key topics of the meeting: quality of vocational training, development of employment services, legalization of labour relations and occupational safety conditions improvement, including reduction of occupational diseases.

The Minister of Labour and Social Protection of the Russian Federation Maxim Topilin, welcoming participants, expressed his hope that today's presentation of the International Labour Organization, the International Social Security Association, and the World Bank would suggest how to act in these crisis conditions.

The Director General of the International Labour Organization Guy Ryder noted that the ILO was ready to help the BRICS countries, including in providing technical support required for the development of economic policy and employment policy.

Guy Ryder named the agenda of the Ufa meeting as challenging.

"We will be discussing quality of jobs, formal and informal employment of people, information system in the labour market. Also it is necessary to pay attention to the employment of young people,” said Mr. Ryder. “We can see instability in many BRICS countries. They found themselves in the difficult conditions today. At the global level, these problems are reflected in the continued growth of unemployment, which causes our concern. According to ILO estimates, last year, the rise in unemployment in the world amounted to 1.7 million and over the next two years, according to our estimates, it will increase by 3.4 million. It is really very disturbing. All these difficulties and conditions that must be taken into consideration should enhance our activity. I hope that the meeting in Ufa will be effective, that we will come to concrete results and adopt a declaration", said the Director General of the organization.

The meeting will result in signing of the Declaration of Ministers of Labour and Employment of the BRICS countries, which will reflect the issues of integrated policy aimed at formalizing the labour market, improving qualitative and inclusive employment, reducing social tensions and fostering economic growth.