SDG 8, Decent Work, and Post-Covid Recovery: Policy Implications, Challenges, and Opportunities in the UK

Cao, Xuebing

Abstract

Promoting decent work is at the heart of the United Nations’ eighth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), which sets the access to decent work as an important priority for both employers and policy makers to improve social justice, develop sustainable economic growth, and achieve inclusive, productive employment. While Europe is in the forefront of leading the global campaign for achieving SDGs, both opportunities and challenges exist for implementing successful decent work policies. This is especially exemplified by the development of SDG 8 in the UK where the sweeping Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant socioeconomic impact by exposing the country’s deep-rooted problems in inequalities, poverty, and disparities. An inclusive and human-centered approach is essential to attenuating the consequences of the pandemic, and a successful post-Covid recovery needs strong policy support to build better working conditions based on compassion, trust, and equality. However, despite the consensus on endorsing SDG 8, the UK lacks effective coordination of policy implementation and systematic association with an effective, systematic robust industrial strategy that can drive sustainable growth. A new policy framework is needed to support the rebuild of the economy, and this policy shift would help the country’s post-Covid recovery by improving job quality, enhancing employee rights and protection, advocating effective dialogue between key stakeholders, and supporting the successful achievement of SDGs on decent work,

• Online Publication Date: Dec 2, 2022
• Publication Date: 2022
• Deposit Date: Jun 1, 2023
• Pages: 1-26
• Series Title: Implementing the UN Sustainable Development Goals – Regional Perspectives
• Series ISSN: 2731-5576
• Book Title: SDGs in the European Region
• ISBN: 9783030912611; 9783030912611
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-91261-1_67-1
• Additional Information: Received: 10 May 2022, 00:00:00; Accepted: 1 June 2022, 00:00:00; First Online: 2 December 2022