Decent work is an important principle underpinning our activities and something we must strive towards as a society, and the priorities for decent work coincide with those of the Nordic Model. Together with our affiliates, we prioritise and promote these issues, taking a broader perspective.
The concept "decent work" has been defined by a number of international institutions, amongst them in goal eight of the UN's 2030 Agenda which covers decent working conditions and economic growth. The objective is to "Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all". The ILO defines decent work as follows:
"Decent work sums up the aspirations of people in their working lives. It involves opportunities for work that is productive and delivers a fair income, security in the workplace and social protection for families, better prospects for personal development and social integration, freedom for people to express their concerns, organize and participate in the decisions that affect their lives and equality of opportunity and treatment for all women and men."
On the 7 October we celebrate the World Day for Decent Work through meetings, conferences and opinion pieces.
In 2016–2017 we implemented the project "Workers' Rights in the Baltics" together with the Baltic countries' trade union confederations, examining workers' rights in the Baltic region.
The Agenda 2030
The 2030 Agenda consists of 17 goals which were adopted by all UN member states in 2015. These goals should contribute to a more socially, economically and environmentally sustainable development, and are to be achieved by the year 2030 in all countries globally. The 17 goals are split into 169 targets, which can be followed up and evaluated. Several of the goals are dependent on and directly connected to each other, which means that by working towards reaching one of the goals we will also achieve positive effects in terms of other goals.
The purpose of the 2030 Agenda is to create sustainable development. Sustainable development means meeting the needs of today without jeopardising the ability of future generations to fulfill their needs. In other words, we must live today in a manner which allows future generations to have the same opportunities we have. There are three dimensions to sustainable development: the economic, social and environmental ones. These dimensions are echoed in the goals, aimed at creating sustainable, inclusive and fair development for all.
In order to reach the goals set within the 2030 Agenda framework, all peoples and nations must work together. This means that trade unions, employers, civil society, public structures and organisations, the scientific world and the business world must all get involved and actively participate in the work. Although the program is not legally binding, it is up to every member state to reach the goals. The 2030 Agenda is the first agenda for development to include every country in the world, regardless of income or development level.