ABSTRACT
Nations all over the world are keen on devising new and innovative approaches to reduce poverty. The United Nations Millennium Assembly (UNMA) has taken up the challenge of reducing by half the number of persons living in extreme poverty by 2015 from its 1990 level (Anker et al. 2003). It is also widely accepted that as a condition, economic growth is necessary but not sufficient in itself for a sustained reduction in poverty. Enhanced labour productivity — an indicator of economic growth — is an indispensable instrument for fighting against poverty. It is further argued that different combinations of economic, employment and social policies will lead to a reduction in the rate of poverty. However, the proportion of the population living in extreme poverty does not easily reveal whether the impoverishment arises from insufficient employment or a low rate of payment, the inability to work due to an uncompensated injury at work, discrimination or the lack of access to social protection, unavailability of a basic pension or any of the many aspects of labour markets which are observed the world over. The importance of decent working and living conditions for all workers throughout the world is understood from the fact that not only has the International Labour Organization (ILO) stressed the need to act, but the Government of India (GOI) has considered this factor as one of the utmost priorities in its Eleventh Plan (2007-12) document (Planning Commission 2008: 4). Thus, it can be argued that decent work could ensure poverty reduction to some extent by increasing work opportunities, rights at work, social protection and a greater voice of workers, all of which would result in an improvement of workers’ capabilities and their overall wellbeing.
