In this blog, I want to share some significant global advances in key areas such as reducing child labor, improving workplace safety, and promoting gender equality. I will also highlight how companies like AgroAmerica have committed to making substantial changes and improving their labor practices, acknowledging that there are still challenges in the world that require ongoing attention and action to ensure fair and equitable working conditions.
Reducing Child Labor: A Step Towards the Future
One of the most significant global achievements is the reduction of child labor. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), since 2000, there has been a substantial decrease in the number of children involved in child labor. However, in 2020, around 160 million children were still working, underscoring the need to continue fighting against this issue.
Workplace Safety: A Vital Commitment
Workplace safety is more than an obligation; it is a commitment to life itself. In regions like Europe and the United States, safety policies have saved countless lives and drastically reduced workplace accidents. These advances are a testament to what can be achieved when the lives and well-being of workers are placed at the center of business decisions.
Gender Equality: Closing the Gap, Step by Step
Women have made strides in the workforce, but there is still a long way to go to achieve full equality. The World Economic Forum reported in 2023 that the global gender pay gap has closed by 68%, but at the current pace, it would take 132 years to completely close this gap, highlighting the urgency to implement more effective measures to accelerate this process.
Living Wage: Recognizing the Value of Every Worker
Between 2010 and 2020, the global average minimum wage saw a 10% real increase, meaning adjusted for inflation, according to the ILO. This increase reflects a global recognition of the need to ensure wages that allow workers and their families to live with dignity. However, the fight to improve wage conditions remains a priority, especially in countries where wages still do not meet basic needs.
Formal Employment: Ensuring Rights for All
Informal employment remains a significant challenge, especially in developing economies. Although improvements have been recorded, with a slight decrease in the proportion of informal workers, ensuring access to social security benefits and formal labor rights remains a crucial objective.
AGROAMERICA: AN EXAMPLE OF GOOD LABOR PRACTICES
If all companies recognized that workers are the driving force behind their success, and that nothing would be possible without them, I am convinced that each company would take immediate steps to ensure their safety, stability, and personal and professional development.
I am proud to say that a clear example of how labor practices can be implemented and improved is AgroAmerica, a corporation committed to putting people and nature at the center of its operations. The company has made good labor practices a priority, creating an environment where its employees feel safe and supported. Here are some examples:
Commitment to Living Wages:
AgroAmerica strives to offer wages that allow its employees to take care of their families, using the Human Development Index wage matrix to ensure workers receive fair compensation. They do not just comply with the legal minimum wage but adopt the living wage methodology to determine fair pay based on location and specific conditions. The company has received international recognition for its efforts in this area. In a previous blog, I explained in more detail how AgroAmerica approaches living wages.
Health and Safety at Work:
A Non-Negotiable Priority Employee safety is fundamental to AgroAmerica. An average of 4,200 employees are trained annually through more than 30 health and safety workshops. These efforts are complemented by constant updates to risk matrices, allowing the company to identify potential hazards and take preventive measures. AgroAmerica’s Occupational Health and Safety Committees play a key role in investigating incidents to minimize workplace risks. In this blog, you can find more details on how we have handled this issue.
Gender Equality: Promoting an Inclusive Future AgroAmerica is also committed to gender equality. At its natural ingredients plant, 65% of the operational employees and 50% of the management team are women. Additionally, a gender committee has been established to ensure rights are respected and to promote non-discrimination and inclusion at all levels of the company. The company’s goal is zero gender pay gaps by 2030. Read more here about AgroAmerica’s practices on this priority issue for the company.
Financial Well-Being:
Supporting Our Employees The financial well-being of its employees is fundamental to AgroAmerica. With a savings and credit cooperative that has 5,703 members, the company offers socially responsible financial services, helping its workers build a more secure future.
Freedom of Association:
Respecting Workers’ Rights AgroAmerica respects and promotes freedom of association, with unionized operations in several countries and a long history of collaboration with unions. This commitment to labor rights is a cornerstone of the company.
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In conclusion, advances in global labor practices reflect a continued effort to improve working conditions for all, but challenges and hopes remain ahead. Companies like AgroAmerica demonstrate that it is possible to effectively implement good labor practices, ensuring a safe, fair, and equitable work environment. However, these achievements also highlight the need to maintain and strengthen initiatives that address outstanding challenges. Protecting labor rights, promoting equality, and improving working conditions are essential for sustainable and fair development in all regions of the world.