Trade Union Forum

Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh presents trade union position at BRICS labour ministerial

On July 15, 2021, the regular annual meeting of the Ministers of Labour and Employment of the BRICS countries was held through videoconference chaired by the Minister of Labour of the Republic of India Mr. Bhupender Yadav.

This year, India chairs BRICS under the slogan "15 years of BRICS: "Intra-BRICS Cooperation for Continuity, Consolidation and Consensus".

During the meeting presentations were made by the senior officials representing Ministries of Labour and Employment of all five BRICS countries, as well as the ILO Director General Mr. Guy Ryder and the ISSA Secretary General Mr. Marcelo Caetano. The panel also included social partners: Mr. Pradeep Bhargava representing Indian employer organisations, and the BMS General secretary Mr. Binoy Kumar Sinha representing trade unions.

This year the discussion focused on four key topics:

• Promoting Social Security Agreements amongst BRICS Nations;
• Formalisation of the labour market;
• Participation of women in labour force;
• Gig and platform workers – Role in labour market.

The participants generally supported the conclusions contained in the analytical materials prepared by the working groups. After the discussion, the Ministers adopted a joint Declaration.

The participation of social partners in the meetings of labour ministers is an important element in the development of a channel of social dialogue between employers, trade unions and government representatives of the BRICS countries, where, as is well known, dialogue on labour relations is promoted at the highest level. However, each country has its own specific features and historically established forms of interaction. The continued joint participation of social partners in the ministerial meeting under the Indian chairmanship was highly praised by all BRICS trade union centres.