The Minister of Labour and Social Policies, Marina Calderone, spoke today in Geneva at the G7 Labour Ministers' meeting, and emphasised the close link between sustainable economic growth, the protection of human dignity and the democratic stability of societies. In her speeches, the Minister reiterated how urgent it was to encourage fair rules that stimulate innovation and private investment, while ensuring full respect for fundamental labour principles in a context of fair global competition.
Minister Calderone said "we must stand together as G7 countries and promote, in all forums, the necessary actions to restore conditions of social justice along all value chains. When we talk about competition, we have to consider a global context in which our economies compete with players who often circumvent the rules or systematically violate human and labour rights. The violation of these rights fuels a race to the bottom and a sterile economic model. Development and economic growth must never be at the expense of human dignity: any attempt to circumvent these rights threatens the social cohesion in our countries."
With regard to the major technological transitions, the Minister expressed deep satisfaction with the creation of the "G7 AI Training Hub", an initiative of the French Presidency that follows on directly from the Cagliari Action Plan developed under the Italian Presidency. The Minister explained that "this hub will be crucial for building accessible and future-oriented training systems, ensuring that AI remains a lever at the service of people and quality work, providing workers with the tools needed to manage change and advance their careers."
Against this backdrop, the Minister illustrated the cutting-edge Italian digital ecosystem, created to foster inclusion and match job supply with demand using tools such as the SIISL platform (a fully-fledged national virtual office for social and employment services) and the AppLI virtual assistant which uses an AI-driven chatbot to guide citizens in their educational and career choices. This ecosystem is supported by the work of the Observatory on AI in the world of work, the institutional laboratory that designs the national strategy through ongoing dialogue with social partners and experts. On the topic of job quality and enhancement of the role of the entrepreneurial fabric, Minister Calderone noted the Italian government's recent legislative initiatives: "We recently approved an important measure that enhances the role of collective bargaining in defining a fair wage. This parameter is also an essential reference point for all the incentive measures for companies that create new jobs."
Finally, the Minister expressed full agreement with the Presidency's goals regarding the constant updating of workplace health and safety standards in the face of new emerging risks, including climate emergencies, noting that "the fight against all forms of exploitation is a shared battle, and respect for rights is the only guarantee for stable and resilient supply chains".