'India to raise social security concern of workers abroad at ILO'

New Delhi: Concerned over the social security of Indian workers working abroad, Union Labour and Employment Minister Bhupender Yadav has set an agenda to raise the social security concerns at the ongoing International Labour Organization's (ILO) International Labour Conference (ILC).

According to ministry sources, Yadav would participate in the ILC on Thursday, while delegations from the ministry and trade unions have been attending the various sessions that started on May 27 and will go on till Saturday.

As per a senior-level official in the ministry, the issues like "trafficking" of workers in the name of "migration" and the social security of Indians working abroad would be raised at the convention, which is happening in Geneva. The government would raise these concerns on the global platform and enter into bilateral agreements with a few other countries to ensure social security for Indian workers.

"India has already signed social security agreements with 20 countries starting in 2009. Bi-laterals of the minister with Canada and Morocco were also scheduled," they said. The countries that have signed bilateral agreements with India include Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, Luxembourg, France, South Korea, Netherlands, Hungary, Finland, Sweden, Czech Republic, Norway, Austria, Canada, Australia, Japan, Quebec, Portugal and Brazil. Except for Brazil, which had signed the agreement on January 25, 2020, all are operational.

The conference is the first one to be held in person in Geneva since the Covid-19 pandemic. The convention has focused on the future of work in a post-Covid world.