Organización de los Estados Americanos Organização dos Estados Americanos Organisation des États américains Organization of American States Events of the OAS Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labor (IACML) Date: Venue: Address: May 19-22, 2009 Ruben Dario Room (8th floor), OAS Headquarters 1889 F St. NW, Washington D.C. In compliance with the IACML Calendar of Activities for 2008-2009, the following events will take place in OAS Headquarters in Washington D.C.: - RIAL Workshop on Successful Labor Inspection Models: Second Working Groups Meeting within the framework of the XV IACML: First Preparatory Meeting of the XVI IACML: May 19 May 20 and 21 May 22 Objectives: 1) To exchange experiences on successful labor inspection models during a Workshop of the InterAmerican Network for Labor Administration (RIAL). 2) Continue the discussion on the topics and tasks assigned by the Declaration and Plan of Action of Port of Spain 2007 to the Working Groups of the IACML: Working Group 1: “Decent Work as an Instrument for Development and Democracy in the Context f Globalization”, and Working Group 2: “Strengthening the Capacities of the Ministries of Labor to Respond to the Challenges of Promoting Decent Work in the Context of Globalization”. 3) Begin the preparatory process of the XVI IACML that will take place in Buenos Aires, Argentina from September 23 to 25, 2009. Preliminary Agenda DAY 1 – Tuesday, May 19 RIAL Workshop on Successful Labor Inspection Models 8:00 – 9:00 Registration 9:00 – 9:30 Inaugural session Chair pro tempore of XV IACML (Trinidad and Tobago); OAS Dpt. of Social Development and Employment; Director General of Federal Labor Inspection of STPS-Mexico. 9:30 – 11:15 Panel 1 – Steps taken to attain greater effectiveness, impact, and coverage of labor inspection - Presentations from 2 or 3 Ministries of Labor (15 min each) - Open Dialogue (1 hour) Guiding questions: What experiences, programs, and strategies has your country implemented for expanding geographical coverage, and for more precisely identifying labor law infractions and obtaining greater effectiveness in the imposition of sanctions? How has it pursued inspector professionalization to ensure that its personnel are qualified and that they know the law and how to enforce it? Has it devised any policies for maintaining and/or expanding its inspector numbers? What steps have been taken to encourage social interlocutors to participate in inspection activities? -211:15 – 11:30 Coffee Break 11:30 – 13:30 Panel 2 – Actions to ensure compliance with standards and improve working conditions - Presentations from 2 Ministries of Labor (15 min each) - Presentations from COSATE and CEATAL (15 min each) - Open Dialogue (1 hour) Guiding questions: What strategies, institutional programs, or experiences has your country developed for promoting a culture of compliance among workers and employers? What steps have been taken to encourage social interlocutors to participate in compliance activities? 13:30 – 15:00 Lunch 15:00 – 16:30 Panel 3 – Strategies for optimizing oversight and supervision and for combating corruption in labor inspections - Presentations from 2 or 3 Ministries of Labor (15 min each) - Open Dialogue (1 hour) Guiding questions: What tools has your ministry designed to implement information systems for keeping records of inspections and for following up on them? What methods and systems has your ministry of labor designed to identify irregularities on the part of inspectors, and to apply the corresponding sanctions? How have labor inspectors participated in the design and creation of good inspection practices? How has the government supported those actions? Are there any strategies for feedback from productive agents? 16:30 – 16:45 Coffee Break 16:45 – 17:30 Final considerations regarding the challenges facing labor inspection in the current economic climate - Presentation from STPS of Mexico on the actions undertaken on labor inspection in the current economic climate. (20 min) - Input and comments from participants. (25 min) 17:30 – 18:00 Closing Session - Presentation of summary of main ideas and lessons learned of the workshop - Closing remarks by Dr. Álvaro Castro Estrada, Undersecretary for Labor at the STPS. DAY 2 – Wednesday, May 20 IACML Working Group 1 meeting WG1 Authorities: Chair: Ministry of Labor and Employment of Brazil Vice-Chairs: United States Department of Labor and Ministry of Labor of Guyana 9:00 – 9:15 Opening remarks from WG1 Chair 9:15 – 13:00 Panel 1 – The global economic crisis, its effects on labor markets and measures to mitigate impacts on employment Moderator: Chair or Vice-chair of WG1 (to be defined) -3- 9:15 – 10:15 The current economic crisis and its effects on labor markets - Presentation from ECLAC (25 min) - Open Dialogue (35 min) Guiding Questions: Which are the main causes of the crisis? What are the current forecasts in terms of economic growth and macroeconomic indicators? How are labor markets impacted in terms of employment, levels of informality and labor mobility? How are vulnerable populations being affected by the crisis? 10:15 – 10:30 Coffee Break 10:30 – 13:00 Policies and programs to address the crisis and to mitigate impacts on employment - Presentation from ILO (25 min) - Presentation from Inter-American Development Bank (25 min) - Presentation from the World Bank (25 min) - Open Dialogue (1 hour, 15 min.) Guiding Questions: What policies and programs can be developed to address the crisis and mitigate its effects on labor markets? What is the role of social protection schemes in this regard and how are they addressing the crisis? How can the strength of social protection systems and adherence to the ILO´s Declaration on FPRW be sustained? What are examples of active and passive labor market policies that have been implemented? What effects can be perceived from the adopted measures? Is it possible to replicate them in other countries? 13:00 – 14:00 Lunch 14:00 – 16:30 Panel 2 - The responses of Ministries of Labor and the perspective of social actors to the current economic crisis Moderator: Chair or Vice-Chair of WG1 (to be defined) - Presentations from 3 MOLs – (20 min each) Presentations from COSATE and CEATAL (20 min. each) Open Dialogue (1 hour) Guiding Questions: What measures, programs and/or policies have MOLs already undertaken to respond to the crisis? How are the National Plans for Decent Work being adapted to respond to the crisis? What further measures are being considered? Particularly addressing: Increased pressures on the informal economy and unregistered work. Risk of intensification of child and forced labor and a reversion of the social and labor advancements attained in the last years. Support to micro, small and medium sized enterprises. Workforce development (training and retraining) and employment services. Policy articulation and coordination with other sectors, including social protection measures. Investing in emerging industries with potential to create new jobs (including “green jobs”) Need to balance short-term measures to address the crisis and support a quick re-entry of workers into the labor market with measures to address long-term structural change and sustainability. 16:30 – 16:45 Coffee Break 16:45 – 18:10 Panel 3 – Other WG1 key issues: Youth employment, labor migration and gender Moderator: Chair or Vice-Chair of WG1 (to be defined) 16:45 – 17:10 Youth employment: main issues and lessons learned, as discussed during RIAL workshop on the topic, presented by Brazil and/or USA (10 min), recommendations from Technical Secretariat (10 min) and dialogue -417:10 – 17:35 RIAL workshop on Labor migration and labor market information systems: Main ideas and lessons learned, presented by Tech. Secretariat or Canada (10 min) and dialogue 17:35 – 18:00 Update of the Gender project within the RIAL: Study and future Workshop, presented by Tech. Secretariat 18:00 – 18:10 Closing remarks by WG1 chair and adjournment DAY 3 – Thursday, May 21 IACML Working Group 2 meeting WG2 Authorities: Chair: Ministry of Labor of El Salvador Vice-Chairs: Ministries of Labor of Uruguay and Canada 9:00 – 9:15 Opening remarks - WG2 Chair 9:15 – 11:00 Panel 1 - Effective enforcement of labor laws: Components of promotion, awareness and social responsibility Moderator: WG2 Chair - Presentations from 2 Ministries of Labor (20 min each) Presentation from “Business for Social Responsibility” Open dialogue (1 hour) Guiding Questions: Which strategies are the Ministries of Labor developing to promote a culture of compliance of labor legislation? What actions are being undertaken to promote and raise awareness of labor rights and obligations? What examples can be identified regarding government practices that encourage social responsibility and enforcement of labor laws? 11:00 – 11:15 Coffee break 11:15 – 13:00 Panel 2 - Strengthening of labor administration: Management and planning models Moderator: WG2 Chair or Vice-Chair (to be defined) - Presentation from ILO (20 min) Presentations from 2 Ministries (20 min each) Open dialogue (45 min) Guiding Questions: Are the Ministries of Labor advancing in the definition of strategic plans and results-oriented management? Are MOLs setting specific goals and developing performance indicators (including those related to client satisfaction and labor inspection)? How has the elaboration of Decent Work Country Plans contributed to improving management, planning and evaluation of labor administration? What successful experiences can be found in the region in this regard? 13:00 – 14:30 Lunch 14:30 – 16:00 Panel 3 - International Cooperation on Labor Matters Moderator: WG2 Vice-Chair (to be defined) - RIAL Update - results, by OAS (20 min) Presentation from 1 Ministry about RIAL achievements and suggestions (15 min) Complement with some experience of south-south cooperation (20 min) Open Dialogue (30 min) -5Guiding Questions: What are the challenges associated with labor cooperation and how can cooperation be enhanced to obtain more impact on institutional strengthening? What are the RIAL’s main achievements, lessons learned and challenges? What suggestions do countries have to continue improving the RIAL and making it more sustainable in the medium and long term? 16:00 – 16:15 Coffee Break 16:15 – 17:45 Other key topics of WG2: Social Dialogue, Occupational Health and Safety and Employment Services Moderator: WG2 Vice-Chair (to be defined) 16:15 – 16:45 Social Dialogue - Results of the RIAL Workshop on Social Dialogue, April, 2008 – presented by Uruguay. - Participation of workers and employers organizations in the OAS General Assembly and the Summit of the Americas – presented by OAS 16:45 – 17:05 Occupational Health and Safety: Results of the RIAL Workshop held in Cusco, Peru in October, 2008 – presented by Peru 17:05 – 17:25 Public Employment Services: Results of the RIAL Workshop held in Panama City in December, 2008 – presented by Panama 17:25 – 17:45 Open Dialogue 17:45 Closing remarks by WG2 chair and adjournment DAY 4 – Friday, May 22 First Preparatory Meeting of the XVI IACML 9:00 – 9:15 Introduction to the meeting, by the OAS and the Chair of the XV IACML (Trinidad and Tobago) 9:15 – 10:45 Definition of the agenda of the XVI IACML, to be held on September 23 to 25, 2009 in Buenos Aires, Argentina Proposal presented by the Minister of Labor, Employment and Social Security of Argentina Open dialogue 10:45 – 11:00 Coffee Break 11:00 – 13:00 Consideration and discussion of the main ideas of the Declaration of the XVI IACML Proposal presented by the Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Security of Argentina Open dialogue 13:00 – 14:30 Lunch 14:30 – 17:30 Continuation of the discussion of the main ideas of the Declaration of the XVI IACML 17:30 – 18:00 Adjournment – Authorities of Argentina, Trinidad and Tobago, OAS and Mexico