DECENT WORK

Productive work which is performed under good conditions, delivers a fair and sufficient income, promotes personal and social development and guarantees security in the workplace, protection of rights, social protection and equal opportunity and treatment for workers.

"Since decent work depends on economic development and capacity, conditions which enable free trade and fair competition are necessary."
(International Organisation of Employers (IOE), Decent work. How to operationalize it: the employers' perspective, 2002, visited 2009-10-09)

"The [European] Commission's Communication aims to go beyond just ensuring minimum labour rights, by giving a clear indication of how promoting decent work can be achieved. This includes promoting job creation, improved governance and social dialogue, identifying and addressing decent work deficits, better cooperation between the main stakeholders and reducing corruption. There is also a business case to improving decent work, as it contributes to improved economic performance."
(European Commission: Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, Commission promotes 'decent work in the world' to fight poverty and promote fair globalisation, 2006, visited 2009-10-04)

According to the ILO, decent work refers to "the aspirations of people in their working lives." For example, it provides them with better prospects for personal development and social integration, and enables them to freely express their concerns, and to organize and participate in the decisions that affect their lives.
(adapted from the International Labour Organization (ILO), Decent work for all, visited 2009-10-04)

As part of its efforts to develop a social clause, the European Commission emphasizes "the need for decent work for all in its agreements and cooperation with countries outside the EU including candidate, neighbouring, developing and developed countries."
(European Commission: Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, Commission promotes 'decent work in the world' to fight poverty and promote fair globalisation, 2006, visited 2009-10-04)

According to the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound), promoting decent work amounts to "promoting job and employment quality." Eurofound explains that in order to ensure decent work, it is essential to:

1. "Ensure career and employment security"
   This means taking into consideration the "terms of employment and the dual labour market with the repercussions on the quality of work and employment it may have" and respecting "workers' rights, particularly with regard to information, consultation, participation and equal opportunities, earned income, social protection and in particular the mechanisms for covering workers that facilitate better career paths throughout working life."
2. "Promote and maintain health and quality life at work"
   that is to say, according to the ILO, "at the highest degree, the physical, mental and social well-being of workers "while also taking into consideration problems such as "harassment and other forms of workplace violence which are not health related in the strict sense but have direct and indirect effects on health and on the quality of life at work."
3. "Enable individuals to deploy and improve their skills"
   "Learning organisations" should be developed in order to enable workers to "improve their knowledge and receive recognition for it, both formally and informally."
4. "Make it easier to reconcile working and non-working life"
   This enables people to remain at work despite changes in their private lives (motherhood or fatherhood, training, sabbaticals, etc.) and to carry out non-work-related tasks and obligations while maintaining a job (leisure activities, child-rearing, temporary/permanent care of dependants, etc.).

(adapted from the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, Quality of work and employment in Europe Issues and challenges, 2002, visited 2009-10-03)