The pandemic has severely interrupted all economic sectors and society—rising unemployment rates, below-average working hours, and reduction of permanent jobs since it has been transferred to informal employment. There is an urgent need to create decent jobs as well as to promote the formalisation of informal employment; precarious employment in the region is relatively high with little social and legal protection.

The 109^th International Labour Conference, which took place in June 2021, adopted the Resolution on a “Global Call to Action for a human-centered recovery from the COVID-19 crisis that is inclusive, sustainable, and resilient.” The resolution requests tripartite constituents and the international community to take urgent and coordinated action that includes access to COVID-19 vaccines, treatment and preventive measures for all people, improved employment conditions, and progress towards achieving the goals of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Since 2006, SNTUC has collaborated with ITC-ILO to enhance the capacity of unionists from the APAC region in addressing worker-related issues through regional training workshops in Singapore.

As a follow-up to the resolution, delegates of the ILO-SNTUC Virtual Regional Trade Union Workshop on the Global call to action for a human-centered recovery from COVID-19 gathered virtually from 26 to 28 October 2021. The workshop was organised to understand, discuss, and exchange experiences and practices on the role of trade unions and actions to be taken towards the accepted ILO resolution. Participants in attendance included the Deputy Director-General and Director of ILO, Sister Martha and Sister Maria, as well as the General Secretary of ITUC-Asia Pacific, Brother Shoya, and unionists from the APAC region, such as Fiji, Nepal, Singapore, and South Korea.