Workers' rights and human rights: Resolving historical tensions through a multi-tiered social security agenda

Within this context, organizations representing workers are called to consider how their own interests align with the interest of broad swathes of society, in the context of the social security system and the broader social and economic development goals for recovery and beyond. Historical development of social security systems and its limitations to address changing trends and COVID-19 The historical development of social welfare systems (in particular in Western Europe) saw a gradual coverage expansion through a basic social protection floor across the lifecycle and an attempt to consolidate social security policies to expand coverage after the Second World War. Current widespread informality on the one hand leaves a large portion of the population vulnerable and unprotected with no social protection coverage, and on the other hand also diminishes the capacity for governments to increase their public revenues and hence finance sustainable social security systems through taxes and contributions (OECD 2020). The Recommendation encourages countries to progressively extend to all workers in the informal economy, social security, maternity protection, decent working conditions and a minimum wage that takes into account the needs of workers; to build and maintain national social protection floors within their social security system and facilitate the transition to the formal economy; and to progressively extend the coverage of social insurance to those in the informal economy and adapt procedures, benefits and contributions, taking into account their contributory capacity.