Labour20 calls for universalisation of social security

The Labour20 (L20) engagement group under India's G20 presidency has called for resolving the issue of portability of social security among G20 nations as a first step towards universalisation of social security and plugging the gender gap in the global workforce.

"The joint statement on universalisation of social security stated that the question of portability of benefits within the G20 nations is a low hanging fruit, which could be addressed by the grouping at no time and pointed out to the BRICS deliberations for an intra-group arrangement in this regard," the labour ministry said in a statement issued on Monday. BRICS nations are also members of G20. The joint statement on women and the future of work called for upskilling of the women workforce globally to meet the emerging challenges of tech-intensive industry and the post-pandemic job market, it said.

According to the labour ministry, the joint statement has asked the governments and employers to shoulder this responsibility. "It also called for recalibrating how women in the informal sector, and in family-raising roles, contribute to the global economy," it said. The joint statement was issued after a two-day inception meeting of L20 in Amritsar, Punjab.