G-20 Employment Working Group meeting starts in Indore with a focus on labour & jobs

The fourth Employment Working Group (EWG) meeting will focus on finalizing the ministerial declaration and outcome documents by discussing the issue of labour and employment.

The fourth meeting of the G-20 Employment Working Group (EWG) has started today (Wednesday) in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, the cleanest city in the country. Union Labour and Employment Minister Bhupendra Yadav is presiding over this three-day meeting. The meeting is being attended by representatives of G-20 members and guest countries, international and regional organisations, and groups such as Business-20, Labour-20, Startup-20, Think-20, and Youth-20.

The meeting, being held at the Brilliant Convention Centre located in Scheme-78 of the city, will discuss the issue of labour and employment. Three meetings of the Working Group of these countries on this issue were held at Jodhpur in February, Guwahati in April, and the headquarters of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in Geneva, Switzerland, in May, respectively.

This fourth meeting is focussing on finalising the Ministerial Declaration and outcome documents. In this way, the efforts of all three meetings will be consolidated. The EWG’s visit will end at the G-20 Labour and Ministers’ Meeting (LEM), where they will gather to discuss and adopt these results.

Aarti Ahuja, Secretary, union Labour Department, informed that India is also taking up innovations like the e-labour portal in the working group meetings. Through this portal, complete information about the workers of unorganised sectors is kept with the government, which proves helpful for taking steps towards their interests and those of their families.

Rupesh Kumar Thakur, Joint Secretary, union Ministry of Labour and Employment, told PPT that 165 delegates, including 86 delegates and 24 ministers, are participating in the fourth EWG meeting. Heads of international organisations and employers’ associations, including the ILO, OECD, and World Bank, are also attending the meeting.

He informed the HS that a plan has been made to display the grand natural, cultural, and historical beauty of Madhya Pradesh during the event. A visit to Mandu Fort and Chappan Dukan, the famous food street of Indore, has been planned for the delegates. Apart from this, there will also be a heritage walk and cycle ride to see the important centres of the historical city of Indore. Traditional folk performing arts like music and dance and handicrafts will also be displayed for the visiting dignitaries.