Yolanda Díaz destaca la importancia del salario mínimo para combatir la desigualdad
The second vice president and the Minister of Labor and Social Economy, Yolanda Díaz, during her speech at the High-Level OECD Forum on Social Policies «New Frontiers of Social Policy: Investing in the Future.»
The second vice president and the Minister of Labor and Social Economy, Yolanda Díaz, emphasized in Paris the role of the minimum wage once social justice progresses, as she defended and supported the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
Yolanda Díaz spoke in this way during her speech at the OECD high-level forum on social policies «new frontiers of social policy: investing in the future,» held in Paris.
«The minimum wage is not only compatible with economic growth, but it also determines it,» said the Minister of Labor and Social Economy, who also added that the minimum wage is a measure of gender justice; a decent minimum wage directly contributes to closing the gap that women continue to experience in the labor market.
The OECD Forum addressed issues that will influence policies in the coming years, especially those related to the labor market, such as artificial intelligence, digitization, and climate change.
Yolanda Díaz placed special emphasis on the impact of artificial intelligence on the world of work, warning that, although the lives of workers of the time must «establish firm guarantees to prevent biases and abuses.» She also advocated for active union participation in regulating these processes, as well as protecting the right to work in technological training.
The Minister approached the reduction of the workday without reducing wages promoted in Spain during participation in the OECD Forum. In her view, it is «one of the great reforms of the 21st century that responds to technological, climatic, and demographic transition.»
Regarding climate change, the Minister of Labor and Social Economy emphasized that «the transition requires us to adapt our labor policies to ensure the protection of those affected by natural disasters or structural changes in their productive sectors.» In this matter, «we must advance in the creation of climate permits for workers, as we did after Dana hit Valencia,» Díaz continued.
Feminism and fighting discrimination
The second vice president also spoke in her speech about feminism as our world continues.
The fight against discrimination, especially regarding the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, «is not optional, but a debt» of governments, said Díaz, who is convinced that no delay can be allowed in recognizing diversity. «It is not a concession or an ornament, but the essence of our societies. And protecting diversity is protecting freedom and democracy,» she insisted.
Bilateral meetings
The vice president started the day by holding a bilateral meeting with the Secretary-General of the OECD, Mathias Cormann, with whom he discussed relevant issues on the international stage, such as the impact on the market and the labor market or the importance of inclusive and sustainable transitions.
After his speech at the forum, Díaz also met with the Secretary-General of the Advisory Committee to the OECD, the Trade Union Advisory Committee (TUAC), Veronica Nilsson, who was interested in the bill on the daily work that is being processed in the Congress of Deputies.
In addition, the vice president interviewed his Mexican counterpart, the Secretary of Labor, Marath Bolaños, to further strengthen collaboration between the two departments, which share common measures to combat inequality such as a significant increase in the minimum wage.
The Minister concluded the day by participating in the debate «European democracies against the acceleration of reaction,» organized by Le Grand Continent at the University Studies Center of the Highest Normal School in Paris.
