Countries around the world continue to take drastic measures in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic and mitigate the impacts of the crisis. On 21 April 2020, the International Organization of Employers (IOE) conducted a webinar entitled ‘Europe and Central Asia Update on COVID-19 Business Response’.
Ideally, an efficient government structure should be able to provide protection to the workers during a pandemic. But in reality, not all governments are able to do so due to various constraints. As an advantage of having a union of their own, European Union (EU) member countries are able to use resources made available at the European level. As of presentation, there are recommendations to involve innovative policies for the adoption of a ‘EU Recovery Fund’ or ‘Eurobonds’, to jointly secure common European interests and pave the way for the relaunch of the economy and of employment in the European continent.
The webinar highlighted good practices from select European and Central Asian countries, like Germany, Italy, Spain, ang Kyrgyztan. Sharing of practices can also be considered an international response to the global crisis. Other countries are encouraged to take stock and discern which of the good practices are applicable in the local context. The webinar also highlights that human life must remain as the primary consideration during any decision-making process. It is also noteworthy to reiterate that workers have the right to retain their jobs despite the ongoing pandemic.
