The objective is to provide training that enables officials from the representative EOs to understand and master the Social Protection Floor concept and its implications, and to equip them with knowledge and tools to become more active and have more constructive impact in national discussions on social protection schemes and their extension.

The training material and training course will enable participants to:

• Understand the concept of the Social Protection Floor and in general how it fits within the ILO strategies and international debates on Decent Work ; post 2015 development agenda, poverty reduction, formalization, whilst preserving also the private sector development and the sustainable enterprise approach, including understanding of the view points of the main stakeholders.

• Understand and be able to focus on the issues and interests in the social protection floor debate and implementation at national level from an employers’ viewpoint, with specific attention for its sustainability and affordability, the impact on economic development from a macro and micro viewpoint, the linkages between the Social Protection Floor and other policy fields notably fiscal and employment policies; productivity and income setting; firm competitiveness,  fight against absenteeism, fight against turn-over; and the formulation and implementation  of  coherent economic and social  policies in social protection which duly take on board the business priorities.

• Contribute to political and technical discussions related to the global policy debates at international and national level, and on the best ways to advance in the progressive building of social protection floors in a way which integrates in the design and implementation the  concerns and interests of the private sector and the need to take account national financial and fiscal capacities.

• Boost the involvement of employers as social partners in for the development of national social protection floors.

• Benefit from discussions, exchange and debates with colleagues from other countries and organizations including from multinational enterprises that may promote social protection as part of the HR and CSR policies.

• Acquire knowledge on the importance of social protection in the codes of conducts of several sectors of industry (mining, oil extraction, cosmetics, luxury, agro-food, wholesale and retail, textile, banking, pharmaceutics, telephony, etc.) and practical ways to check access to social protection for workers along the value chain.

• Build within EO’s the capacity to develop an global and specific employers approach related to priorities from employers side to be respected / achieved in the discussion on the introduction, extension or modification of SPF systems, with as possible specific outcome the creation of a national business agenda or position paper on SPF.

The training material/course follows a blended methodology composed of a pre-course e-Learning combined with a face-to-face training workshop.

More: Enhancing employers' involvement in Social Protection policy debates (flyer)

Paolo Salvai
Programme Officer
Programme for Employers' Activities
International Training Center of the ITC ILO , p.salvai@itcilo.org

Thibault van Langenhove 
Social Protection Officer
Social Protection Department 
International Labour Office, vanlangenhove@ilo.org

ILO Flagship programme: Building social protection floors for all

73% of the world population does not benefit from an adequate social protection coverage. This document presents how the ILO's social protection team takes up this challenge. Working with governments, workers’ and employers’ organizations, civil society, and other development partners, the ILO has the power to make a difference and to improve the lives of millions of people across the world. ILO’s technical and political support contributes to build national social protection systems and is supported by a global campaign to inform, train and convince decision-makers. If you also want to fight for social justice in the world, do not hesitate: partner with the ILO to change the lives of millions.

More information on the Global Programme is available on the dedicated workspace.

Short introduction to the workshop

Short concept note introducing the concept of social protection and its importance for employers and employers' organizations.  

To download the document, click here

Selected literature 

• Cherrier, C., Gassmann, F., Mideros, A., & Mohnen, P. 2013. Making the Investment Case for Social Protection: Discussion Paper on the Methodological Challenges with Lessons Learnt from a Recent Study in Cambodia. Working Paper 2013-06. (UNICEF Office of Research, Florence). 
• ILO. 2014. World Social Protection Report (Geneva).
• IPC-UNDP. 2015. The impact of Cash Transfers on Local Economies. Policy in Focus 11(1). 
• Mathers, N.; Slater, R. 2014. "Social protection and growth: Research synthesis". Overseas Development Institute.
• Ortiz, I.; Cummins, M.; Karunanethy, K. 2015. "Fiscal Space for Social Protection - Options to Expand Social Investments in 187 Countries". International Labour Organization.
• Thompson, L.H. 1994. "The Advantages and Disadvantages of Different Social Welfare Strategies". Social Security Bulletin.
• Videt, B. 2013. "Social protection as a global challenge - Who gets it - and who pays for it?". The Broker Online.

Preparatory questionnaire

In order for participants to get the most out of the workshop, they are invited to collect and analyse information regarding the statge of social protection in their country. An analysis of the organization policy message toward social protection and its linkages to growth and employment is also encouraged.   

To download the questionnaire, click here

Agenda of the workshop 

To download the tentative agenda, click here

Participants 

To download the list of participants, click here 

Presentation of facilitators is available here

Training material 

• Module 1 - Introduction to social protection 
  • Presentation by Valérie Schmitt 
• Module 2 - Financing social protection, results and impacts of social protection 
  • Financing social protection - discussing the cost of social protection and options to create fiscal space 
  • Results of social protection, by Christina Behrendt 
  • Rate of return of social protection - the case of non-contributory cash transfers in Cambodia 
    • for the full research paper : Estimation of rates of return of socila protection instruments in Cambodia: A case for non-contributory social transfers 
• Module 3 - Understanding the Social Protection Floor
  • Understanding Convention 102 and Recommendation 202 of the ILO 
    • ILO's Social Security (Minimum Standards) Convention, 1952 (No. 102)
    • ILO's Social Protection Floors Recommendation, 2012 (No. 202)
• Module 4 - The role of Employers Organizations in developing social protection systems, including floors
  • How are social protection, including floors, developed in countries?
    • to learn more about the different steps to develop social protection floors, visit our website on universtal social protection and discover how countries are developing and implementing social protection floors 
    • to go further: Governance of Social Security Systems: a Guide for Board Members in Africa
• Module 5 - The Global Business Network for Social Protection Floors 
  • The Global Business Network for Social Protection Floors & EOs engagement for social protection
  • Take Care - Crédit Agricole - International Benefit Program by Gurvan Le Guern, Head of Global Benefit Group, Crédit Agricole SA 
  • ENI, taking into consideration ILO's foundamental conventions into operations, and commitment to social protection, by Adele Badaracco, Manager of the International Labour Law Unit 
• Module 6 - Employers in Social Security Board and beyond: lobbying and coordination of private sector voice
  • Employers concerns on Social Protection Floor strategies and implementation, by Arnout De Koster