In a study, Oxfam described the catastrophic effects of the corona pandemic with the consequences of growing inequality and poverty, or in the words of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres:
“The COVID-19 pandemic has played an important role in highlighting growing inequalities. It exposed the myth that everyone is in the same boat. While we are all floating on the same sea, it’s clear that some are in superyachts, while others are clinging to the drifting debris.“
This can already be seen in the first few months in the growing gap between rich and poor. However – according to Oxfam – this would not have to be accepted, but the governments could respond appropriately with the right measures, among other things…
- … governments must recognize the value of care and welfare systems and invest in free quality public services and social protection to support everyone, from cradle to grave
- … governments … must protect and empower all workers by mandating dignified working conditions and fair wages for all, and living wages for all workers, along with ensuring the right to collective organization and unionization of workers, so that employers and large shareholders can be held accountable
- … closing down tax havens, ending wasteful tax competition and ensuring fair levels of taxation on the most profitable multinational corporations and the wealthiest individuals offers an obvious solution, as recently recommended by the IMF
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