Congress laments job, wage gaps between men, women despite presence of global conventions

The Zambia Congress of Trade Union (ZCTU) has called for a comprehensive change in the dynamics that caused gender specific constraints and structural obstacles.

ZCTU President Blake Mulala, said this may require the implementation of conventions 111, 156 and 183 to promote a transformative agenda for Gender Equality at work.

Mulala said this in his address to the 112th International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conference in Geneva, Switzerland on Tuesday.

He noted that despite having a non-discrminatory conventions and recommendations in place, the global job gap index and wage gap between men and women still exposes structural challenges and continues to to perpetuate inequality.

“We also support the cause to reform the governance system of the ILO both at local and global level,” Mulala stated.

He emphasized that ILO can not continue with the same governance system that perpetuate exclusion and thereby perpetuating inequality and helplessness while expecting to attain social justice.

Mulala added that the Union supported calls for ratification of the instrument of amendment to the ILO Constitution, 1996, to enable everyone to move forward with democratizing the governance structure of ILO.

“It is sad that two thirds of ILO member states have ratified the amendment and yet its implementation remains elusive and blocked by eight of the ten member states of Chief industrial importance,” he stated.

Mulala said this situation was at odds with the values of democracy and social social justice, hence the need for countries that had not yet ratified to do so now for the good of all ILO member states.

Additionally, Mulala stated that the wars affecting territories like Ukraine, Palestine, Yemen, Sudan, regardless of the cause had taken away many lives and displaced populations.

“This has only perpetuated poverty, inequality and suffering, these geopolitical conflicts are affecting progress made in achieving global social justice,” he highlighted.

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