Bermúdez participates in the 110th International Labor Conference of the ILO, which is being held in Geneva, Switzerland.
In this regard, Bermúdez expressed that the Conference is taking place, once again, within the framework of the Covid-19 pandemic and its effects on the health of the population and the economies of our countries. “This pandemic has exposed the enormous inequalities that exist in the world, particularly with respect to the least developed countries, as expressed in the report of the Director General.”
The Uruguayan union leader of the private health sector stated that the deepening of inequalities, the deficiencies of the States and the violations of human rights, including labor rights, “have been exposed.” Along with this, the “speculation and profit of the big pharmaceutical companies that obtained enormous profits with the provision of vaccines”, an aspect on which he expressed his condemnation.
He added that the global reality is a consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic and the capitalist system that takes the planet to limits of exploitation of its resources never seen before and that seriously threaten the survival of the human species.
He said that Mr. Director General in his memory handles clear data: “Since 2019, 77 million people have fallen into extreme poverty; 117 million people suffer from hunger; child labor is on the rise; and 40 million people have lost their jobs, with informal workers being the most affected”.
Bermúdez pointed out that articulating global responses to the current crisis must go through “generating economic stimuli that imply an increase in public spending, job creation, combating informality, protecting the health of the population, social security, education and housing. , with a strong leading role of the states”.
Tripartite Social Dialogue
He noted that such responses must be articulated, within the framework of the Tripartite Social Dialogue, a founding pillar of the ILO itself, and also contribute to the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals.
The union leader pointed out that Uruguay went through the Covid-19 pandemic with social and economic effects with different results.
“In health matters, based on a tripartite social dialogue that made agreements possible, and the existence of a National Integrated Health System, in which the State is a central actor, allowed the application of a successful vaccination plan in the fight against the same. The social and economic consequences, increased unemployment, poverty and loss of income for large sectors of our people, did not suffer the same fate and this finds us with differences with the current government”, stated Bermúdez.
