More than 30 parties took part in the Progressive Alliance conference in Montevideo to discuss a global common agenda based on decent work and the fight against inequality. The meeting kicked off yesterday with a women’s meeting and the steering committee, where member parties made a genuine commitment to push forward new political approaches to deal with the changing global socio-economic situation. In the evening Uruguay’s President, Jose Mujica, delivered a strong plea for global action, economic independence and human decency.
During the panel debate on fighting inequality Zita Gurmai, PES Women President, emphasised the link between informal labour and gender inequality. The fact that in particular women often work in informal jobs, jobs which are in general underpaid, land lack any access to social security, makes these women very vulnerable.
Yasmin Fahimi, Secretary General of the German SDP, presented a paper on economic inequality and its underlying socio-economic causes and consequences. A renewed focus on redistribution, fair fiscal policies, together with a minimum wage, stronger trade unions and robust employment programmes, were some of the solutions she put forward. The conference featured a number of discussions with high-level officials and trade union representatives including the president of ITUC, Joao Antonio Felicio and Pascal Lamy, former President of the WTO.
The Progressive Alliance, a network of progressive and social democratic political parties, trade unions and civil society organisations was founded one year ago, in May 2013. Here you can find all panel debates.
