I believe the future that people want in a global economy is a global economy that can deliver opportunities for decent work in a sustainable environment. If we look at the technological, political, social and cultural change that has been taking place, what people want remains constant. The human linkage with work has not changed. This is the key point. People are concerned about having work that will allow them to educate their children, to have a decent standard of living, to be respected in the workplace, to receive a pension when the time comes.
Decent work is the cornerstone of any stable society.
It is a source of personal dignity, an opportunity to express our potential and creativity, a space for human relations, a place to organize and express our voice as workers, and, in an increasingly global economy of trade, migration and communications, it is, more and more, a multicultural experience. But maybe even more important than these individual dimensions, is its social significance. We have to consider the social and not just the economic dimension of work. The income and the satisfaction derived from decent work, has a direct positive impact on family life and the quality of family relations. An unemployed family is a very unhappy family.