Speaking during the 92nd session of the International Employment Conference being held in Geneva, Mr Zarb said that this will remain a “very serious worry in the 21st century”.

Very often, he added, one hears that globalisation is more or less associated with economics. However, the greatest impact of globalisation seems to be on the worker, who is made to shoulder the worst consequences without any hope of reaping the benefits.

Economic globalisation has produced unprecedented wealth and resources, but at the same time has triggered a spiral deprivation that has widened the income gap within and between countries.

Globalisation therefore tends to undermine national protection of workers’ rights, which are steadily weakening in many countries.

The GWU agrees with proposals which stress the need for well-functioned labour markets and appropriate restructuring processes, together with wider adjustment policies.

Mr Zarb said that the union had launched its national campaign on the right to work to achieve two objectives: to increase awareness about rising unemployment, while at the same time pushing for immediate decisions to be taken to lessen the hardship faced by the unemployed, and to increase competitiveness.

The union, he said, emphasised the need for more training to have a more employable labour force which attracts higher value added industries.

This is based on the union’s belief that the solution for more competitiveness is not cheap labour but a more trained workforce which is then ready for employment in high-tech modern industries.

To achieve this aim, “we need a framework of social dialogue and social justice,” said Mr Zarb. Social dialogue is needed as all the social partners must feel that they are stakeholders in this process.

Social justice highlights the need to reinforce rather than dismantle the social security system. This is contrary to the current strategies promoted by most governments as, unfortunately, “we have been witnessing for a long time the implementation of policies to curb the welfare state”.

The impact of such policies creates difficulties and social injustices for pensioners, workers and their families. The threat to the welfare state has not only caused hardship to these sectors of society but also insecurity to all levels which, in turn, has had the effect of a downturn in economic activity that has produced rising unemployment.