Event: The Role of Public Service Trade Unions in achieving Decent Work for Persons with Disabilities

Achieving Decent Work for All, and realising the Sustainable Development Goals, requires focussed work to include persons with disabilities. In different contexts, whether in crisis or post-conflict, or in ageing societies, there are particular questions relating to disability and organisation of labour. Workers’ organisations across the world have taken initiatives to make sure persons with disabilities are considered in all the elements of Decent Work. Disability is a crucial dimension to take into account in achieving inclusion for all, and organising around social and labour issues. It affects women and girls more as they are likely to experience “double discrimination”, including gender-based violence, abuse and marginalisation. As a result, women with disabilities often face additional disadvantages when compared to men with disabilities and women without disabilities.

With ILO support, Public Services International (PSI) has conducted a survey of its members on actions that they have taken around disability. The ILO’s Bureau for Workers’ Activities (ACTRAV) is conducting research to identify best practices and the extent to which trade unions have taken action on disability inclusion. As such, the different contexts, approaches and best practices identified on one side and the gap to be filled in the organisation of decent work for people with disabilities offer a chance to develop shared awareness and ambitions for the way forward, through a systemic and comprehensive strategy to secure decent work for people with disabilities and their family.

PSI affiliates will share their experiences and work towards a common understanding on priorities for the future – including leading up to PSI World Congress in October 2017. The meeting is an opportunity to develop knowledge, awareness and advocacy relevant for a range of actors in their governance, actions and aims.

Goals

1. Raise awareness on connections between disability and decent work among PSI affiliates.
2. Promote awareness and application of the relevant provisions of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as well as ILO Convention 159 and the International Labour Standard system.
3. Disseminate best practices and raise awareness of public service trade union actions on disability and their relation to decent work.
4. Communicate relevance and possibilities for action to public service trade unions and disability organisations.
5. Determine the way forward.

The meeting will be held in English, French and Spanish.

Topics to be covered:

• Introduction to participants and meeting objectives;
• Extent of public service trade union action in disability – overview, presentations and best practices in organising decent work for people with disabilities from protection to autonomy;
• Mobilisation of workers with disabilities;
• Range of actions available to workers’ organisations to act on disability issues in decent work;
• Common challenges and ways to overcome them;
• Actions for the way forward.

Programme available in English - Français - Español

More information:

• Download and read the full report (PDF)

Presentations:

• The Role of Public Service Trade Unions in achieving Decent Work for Persons with Disabilities (by Sandra Vermuyten, PSI)

• Trade Unions, Disability and Decent Work (by Peter Fremlin, ILO Consultant, Research conducted by ILO, Surveys from PSI and ILO)

• Disability and Cross-cutting Discrimination (by Phyllis Opoku-Gyimah, PCS, UK)

• Public Employment Services: Promoting Inclusive Labour Markets (by Zulum Avila, ILO)

• The Rights of Children and Teachers with Disabilities (by Nikola Wachter, EI)

• Liberia: People With Disabilities (by George Poe Williams, NAHWAL, Liberia)

• Brief on future ILO instrument on violence and Harassment against women and men in the world of work (by Faustina Van Aperen, ILO ACTRAV)

Also see:

• Photos on Flickr

• Video interviews (YouTube)

• Background information: Goals and obectives of the meeting