Economists Laud ILO’s Contributions To India

A dedicated plenary session on the ILO’s centenary was a high point of the three-day annual conference of The Indian Society of Labour Economics (ISLE). Ms Walter Dagmar, Director DWT South Asia and India, chaired the session, which was addressed by Mr J Krishnamurty, a former Senior Economist at ILO. Along with the celebratory session, Ms Dagmar also graced the valedictory session as a Guest of Honour. She underlined the key turns of events from history, which shaped the 100-year’s journey of India and the ILO.

“ILO’s unique tripartite structure allowed it to influence India’s national policies related to World of Work and vice versa the immense knowledge generated by academia, reputed research institutes and government bodies in India have shaped ILO’s work and global policies. It has been a mutually beneficial relationship and I am sure it will continue to contribute towards strengthening Human Centered agenda of development,” she said in her speech.

Dr Gerry Rodgers, Former Director, International Institute of Labour Studies, Geneva and the Conference President, said, “The ILO does not just act as a repository of knowledge but also as a stimulus to develop expertise about labour issues and world of work. We wish that it continues to uphold its research agenda with social justice and Decent Work Agenda at its heart.”

The ISLE annual conference is a unique occasion where the leading economist and labour experts including the Government’s planning and policy advisors gather to share their knowledge and experiences. The research gathered at the conference acts as a key policy driver underlining the economic priorities of the region. In addition to the members, the Conference also attracts a large number of other distinguished academicians, representatives of industry, trade union leaders and policy makers.

The 61st Annual Conference was held in Patiala, Punjab, India during 7- 9 December 2019. It was organised by Centre for Development Economics and Innovation Studies (CDEIS), Punjabi University, Patiala.

The conference included series of deliberations on three key themes Technology, Globalization and Work; Labour Organisations and Labour Rights in the Changing World of Work; Changing Pattern of Rural Labour Markets, which resonated with the ILO’s Centenary Declaration on Future of Work.

At the conference, the ILO supported organisation of a Panel on Labour Codes and Women Worker’s Rights at the conference organised by Indian Association of Women’s Studies. The initiatives and field research of the ILO under Work in Freedom programme were also received by audiences.

From the ILO, Mr Noman Majid, Senior Employment Specialist, Mr Sher Verick, Senior Employment Specialist, Ms Uma Rani, Senior Economist Research Department and Ms Bharti Birla, Project Manager, Sustainable Global Supply Chains in South Asia participated at the event.