ILO Director: India needs swift action amid shifting work environment

Michiko Miyamoto, ILO Director, urges India to adapt swiftly to global shifts in work arrangements, emphasizing the need for social dialogue and industrial relations to manage AI's impact on jobs.

She highlights the importance of formalizing the informal economy and enhancing social protection, while advocating for stronger ties between industry and education to ensure employable skills.

New Delhi [India], 22 July (ANI): India needs to closely examine global transformations in work arrangements as employment patterns continue to shift dramatically, according to Michiko Miyamoto, Director of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) DWT for South Asia and Country Office for India. Speaking to ANI on the sidelines of the 3rd Global Industrial Relations Summit organised by FICCI-AIOE in collaboration with ILO and IOE Geneva, Miyamoto highlighted the critical need for adaptive strategies in India's evolving employment landscape.

Addressing concerns about artificial intelligence's impact on employment, Miyamoto acknowledged that AI is "definitely affecting our jobs and will continue to affect our jobs." However, she emphasised the importance of understanding which occupations and demographic groups face greater risks. "We already know that female employment is more likely to be affected in many countries," Miyamoto observed, pointing to gender-specific vulnerabilities in the AI transition. The ILO director stressed that protecting workers requires "a platform of conversation and agreed strategy between industry, workers, and supported by government."

She identified social dialogue and industrial relations as key mechanisms for managing technological change. "The pace of change is so rapid; we have to have this continuous conversation all the time. That's the only way to ensure that work is protected and people benefit more than are negatively affected," she explained. With nearly 60% of the global workforce still engaged in the informal economy, Miyamoto highlighted the urgent need for formalisation and social protection extension.

She acknowledged that transitioning from informal to formal economy represents a complex challenge that "everyone knows is not an easy path." "Meanwhile, what can we do to protect people working in the informal economy? The main thing we can do immediately is provide social protection," she stated.

Praising India's social protection initiatives, Miyamoto specifically mentioned the e-Shram scheme as a positive step. "It's good to have a pathway for informal economy workforce to be registered so they are connected to existing social protection schemes. That is absolutely important," she noted. The director emphasised that many workers remain unaware of available schemes, making awareness and connectivity crucial components of protection strategies.

Miyamoto identified skills development as fundamental to India's employment strategy, particularly given rapidly changing job requirements. She called for stronger connections between industry and education systems to ensure training programs deliver immediately employable skills. "There's basic education - we need to continue and increase the quality of it. At the same time, job requirements are changing so quickly.

The trick is connecting industry and education systems closer and closer, so training systems offer skills that are employable to industry straight away," she explained. Discussing global economic uncertainties, including potential impacts from US trade policies under President Donald Trump, Miyamoto advocated for robust domestic economic strategies. "We're living in a very uncertain world.

We don't know how global policy will affect your economy today, tomorrow, next week," she observed. "In that environment, we need really good country strategy." She praised India's focus on building strong domestic economic foundations, arguing that "if people in the economy are strong, then that's the most reliable source of a country's economy." (ANI)