The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has said countries should improve the working conditions and earnings of key workers – who were essential during the COVID-19 pandemic – to reflect their contribution to society and their importance in the functioning of economies.
According to a new report by the ILO on World Employment and Social Outlook 2023, the value of essential work, underscores the extent to which economies and societies depend on key workers, and how they are undervalued.
The report noted that the poor working conditions of key workers exacerbate employee turnover and labour shortages, jeopardising the provision of basic services.
It noted that improvements in working conditions and greater investment in food systems, health care and other key sectors are necessary for building economic and social resilience to shocks.
“Key workers can be found in eight main occupational groups covering health, food systems, retail, security, cleaning and sanitation, transport, manual, and technical and clerical occupations,” it stated.
The report stated that the 90 countries where data was available, 52 per cent of employment is done by key workers, though in high-income countries, where economic activities are more diversified, the share is lower (34 per cent).
The world body said during the COVID-19 crisis, key workers suffered higher mortality rates than non-key workers.
The categories of key workers mortality rates varie; for example, in countries with available data, transport workers had higher mortality rates than health workers.
The findings show the importance of occupational safety and health (OSH) protection, as well as the greater security associated with working in formal workplaces, with collective representation.
It stated that lower wages, longer hours, and other deficits in working conditions.
“Across the world 29 per cent of key workers are low paid (where low paid is defined as pay that is less than two-thirds of the hourly median wage).
On average, key workers earn 26 per cent less than other employees, with only two-thirds of this gap being accounted for by education and experience. In food systems, the share of low paid key employees is, particularly high, at 47 per cent, and in cleaning and sanitation it is 31 per cent,” the ILO’s report said.
It added that these sectors employ a large share of migrants, especially in high-income countries.
Nearly one-in-three key workers is on a temporary contract, although there are considerable country and sectoral differences. In the food industry 46 per cent are in temporary work. One-in-three employees in manual occupations and in cleaning and sanitation, are on temporary contracts.
Cleaning and security work is outsourced, and other key occupations are staffed with agency workers. This is, particularly, the case in warehousing and healthcare.
More than 46 per cent of key employees in low-income countries, work long hours. Long working hours are more common in transport, where nearly 42 per cent of key workers across the globe work more than 48 hours a week. A substantial share of key workers around the world also have irregular schedules or short hours.
Also, the report said nearly 60 per cent of key workers in low- and middle-income countries lack some form of social protection.
In low-income countries social protection is minimal, only reaching 17 per cent of key workers. The picture is even bleaker for self-employed key workers in most developing countries, as they are almost without social protection.
“Healthcare workers, supermarket cashiers, delivery workers, postal workers, seafarers, cleaners, and others supplying food and necessities continued to perform their jobs, even at the height of the pandemic, often at great personal risk,” said ILO Director-General, Gilbert F. Houngbo.
“Valuing key workers means ensuring that they receive adequate pay and work in good conditions. Decent work is an objective for all workers but it is particularly critical for key workers, who provide vital necessities and services in good times and bad,” he added.
To ensure the continuity of essential services during future pandemics or other shocks such as natural disasters, the report recommends greater investment in the physical infrastructure, productive capacity and human resources of key sectors.
Under-investment, especially in health and food systems, contributes to decent work deficits that undermine social justice and economic resilience.
