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**International Labour Organization: Applying and promoting International Labour Standards**

Conventions and Protocols not ratified by the United States

Thai workers demand Ratification of ILO Conventions 87 and 98

16 October, 2023:   On World Day for Decent Work, 7 October, approximately 800 trade unionists marched from the Democracy Monument to the United Nations office in Bangkok, calling for an end to precarious work, a stop to reforming the state enterprise and Ratification of ILO Conventions 87 and 98.

The network driving ILO Conventions 87 (on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize) and 98 (on Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining) demands that the Thai government ratify these Conventions. This network which comprises of 26 trade unions and worker organizations was formed during a workshop in August. The impetus of the broad network is origin from IndustriALL affiliates Confederation of Industrial Labour of Thailand (CILT) and State Enterprise Employees Union of PTT Public Company Limited (PTTLU).

The CILT president Prasit Prasopsuk said: "Thailand is the founding members of the ILO in 1919, it should respect ILO standards and ratify the two fundamental conventions. We submitted a letter to the prime minister Mr. Settha Thasivin to demand immediate ratification. We consider that waiting more than 100 years is too much." "The implementation of the two conventions will strengthen workers' bargaining power, ensuring economic justice, reducing inequality, and providing a better quality of life for Thai workers. The coalition will continue to take every possible step, pushing the current government to ratify the two conventions and reform the labour laws.'

Apsorn Krissanasmit the PTTLU chairperson and State Enterprises Workers' Federation of Thailand (SEWFOT) said: PTTLU joined the coalition and participated in the World Day for Decent Work march because it shared the same views that the two conventions should be ratified, and precarious work in public and private sectors should be abolished.

"SEWFOT delegation met the new minister of labour Pipat Ratchakitprakarn on 3 October. We request the government to amend the Labour Relations Act and State Enterprise Labour Relations Act consistent with the Convention 87 and 98." said Krissanasmit.

In a letter dated 18 September, IndustriALL general secretary Atle Høie informed the Thai prime minister, Srettha Thavisin, of decades of anti-union discrimination against Thai workers, which has severely weakened workers' bargaining power and has resulted in a low-wage economy.

"We commend the new coalition government for its commitment to raise the daily minimum wage from 354 baht (US#10) to 600 baht (US$16.9), but respect for the core ILO conventions is essential for a country to enjoy trade privileges in a new environment of Corporate Due Dilligence. An export-oriented economy like Thailand should comply with international labour standards and it will certainly be welcomed by the business community as it will bring benefits to the Thailand economy." Atle Høie added.

Source:  IndustriALL Global Union--IndustriALL represents 50 million workers in 140 countries


Promoting C190 implementation in Nigeria's Textile Sector

27 July, 2023:   The National Union of Textile, Garment, and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN) is leading an initiative in the textile and garment sector, leveraging ILO Convention 190 (C190) to combat gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH) in the workplace.

The two-day training in Lagos hosted by IndustriALL affiliate NUTGTWN, aims to strengthen the capacity of women leaders to push against GBVH. The union said the capacity building programme is aimed at providing information, raising awareness, promoting learning, knowledge building, and skills needed to advance gender equality at the workplace. This training focuses on assisting the establishment of a union network of activists who advocate for gender equality at work. The activists will also fight against social, cultural, and traditional norms that continue to oppress working women.

Representatives from FES Nigeria, ILO-ACTRAV, the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Solidarity Centre, emphasized the importance of using C190 and Recommendation 206 as tools to address grievances related to GBVH and recognize domestic violence as a workplace issue.

Nigeria ratified the Convention in 2022. Discussion topics included dealing with grievances and disputes on GBVH timely; the recognition of domestic violence as a workplace issue; creating gender-responsive workplace mechanisms to protect whistleblowers and victims; and involving shop stewards and occupational health and safety committees in supporting victims.

The workshop made recommendations towards better representation of women in leadership positions at local and national levels, identifying women's priorities, supporting mentorship programmes, creating dedicated spaces for women workers and the inclusion of women in negotiating teams. Furthermore, the inclusion of childcare and other support services was highlighted to facilitate increased women's participation in the workplace.

Remi Ihejirika, FES Nigeria programme manager said, "building unions is about inclusiveness. This is why it is important to address gender equality. GBVH is about the abuse of power which adversely affects women and sometimes this leads to suicides. GBVH should not be condoned as many women suffer in silence."

"Unions can adopt feminist strategies to promote equal rights for women workers. Some of the strategies are diversity, respect, tolerance, understanding, voice and agency," said Bashiratu Kamal a gender and labour expert from Ghana.

Medinat Balogun, gender desk officer for NUTGWN and committee member of the IndustriALL Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) regional women's committee said: "Women trade unionists have made progress to ensure non-discrimination at work, equal pay for work of equal value, and adherence to ILO conventions ratified by Nigeria. However, women need to be increasingly aware of their rights at work and must fight against GBVH to ensure safe workplaces."

John Adaji, IndustriALL regional co-chair for Sub-Saharan Africa said: "Over the years and with IndustriALL's support, unions have carried out programmes to integrate women workers' issues through the creation of structures, affirmative action, and support given to organizing activities. But we need men to be part of the discussions on ending GBVH as they have been identified by research as the main perpetrators."

Supported by FES Nigeria, the workshop serves as a follow-up to the recommendations made at the Sub-Saharan Africa feminist conference in Cape Town in June, with the FES Trade Union Competence Centre for Sub-Saharan Africa providing valuable support. The strides taken by Nigeria's textile and garment sector towards gender equality through C190 training mark a significant step in creating safer and more inclusive workplaces.

Source:  IndustriALL Global Union--IndustriALL represents 50 million workers in 140 countries


Iraq ratifies two ILO Conventions

Iraq becomes the 64th member State to have ratified ILO Convention on social protection and the 102nd member State to have ratified the maritime labour convention MLC, 2006.

23 March 2023:   On 22 March 2023, the Government of Iraq deposited with the International Labour Organization the instruments of ratification of the Social Security (Minimum Standards) Convention, 1952 (No. 102) and the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, as amended (MLC, 2006). Iraq is the 64th member State to have ratified Convention No. 102 and the 102nd member State to have ratified the MLC, 2006.

The Minister of Labour and Social Affairs of the Republic of Iraq, Mr Ahmed Jasim Al-Asadi, when depositing the instrument of ratification, declared "The ratification of Convention No. 102 by Iraq emphasizes its commitment to enshrining social security as an inherent right and to reforming national legislation and regulations to strengthen legal protection and safeguards for workers and improve the business environment. By ratifying the MLC, 2006, the most modern and comprehensive ILO maritime standard, our Government reiterates its engagement to defend seafarers' rights and ensure a level-playing field for shipowners".

Receiving the instruments of ratification, Mr. Gilbert F. Houngbo, Director-General of the ILO, stated that: "By ratifying this key Convention No. 102, Iraq recognizes the central importance of this instrument for the implementation of comprehensive social security systems based on internationally agreed principles and minimum levels of protection." He added "I welcome the ratification of the MLC, 2006 which will contribute to improving the regulatory framework of the maritime sector in Iraq and clearly demonstrates the Government's commitment towards enhancing decent working and living conditions for seafarers both at the national and regional levels."

Convention No. 102 and the MLC, 2006 will enter into force for Iraq on 22 March 2024. For further information on these conventions please visit ILO website on International Labour Standards.

Source:  International Labour Organization


Campaign for ratification of C190 continues

9 March, 2023:   Since the ILO Convention 190 on violence and harassment in the world of work was adopted in 2019, unions around the world have been campaigning for its ratification. To date, 25 countries have ratified C190, with Canada and Ireland being the latest additions.

Uruguay was the first country in the world to ratify the convention. IndustriALL affiliates in the country played a huge role by conducting workshops to explain the content of the Convention and why it is a useful tool for unions.

Unions in the Philippines urged the government to fight harassment and to ratify the Convention. The union campaign had workers hold up posters stating Ratify ILO C190. To create more awareness workers wore masks and t-shirts with the words Ratify C190 on them.

Indian law compels employers to form anti-harassment committees. However, these committees are not effective. As part of their ratification campaign unions call for effective functioning committees and create awareness of the Convention among working people. The government has yet to comment on the ratification.

Bangladeshi unions have taken street action to demand ratification of C190. The government has repeatedly promised to investigate ratification, but nothing has materialized.

In Sri Lanka, unions have conducted dialogue sessions between unions and other interest groups on the ratification of C190. Unions are part of the National Labour Advisory committee which discusses workers rights and have raised the importance of ratification. The previous labour minister pledged that the country would ratify soon, but with current political changes there has been no movement from the government.

In Uganda, unions had joint meetings with the government, held a press conference and a media campaign using posters with the slogan Ratify and domesticate Convention 190. These activities have made the public aware about the Convention and the importance of ratification.

In Madagascar, conversations are held at every women activity with the intervention of ILO experts. After an ILO comparative study on the existing provisions for women, social partners agreed to start the ratification process. Employers are doubtful, but the process continues. There has been a proposal for reworking of the labour code and C190 has been included in the text.

Unions in Nicaragua have been campaigning for C190, but there is slow movement from government.

In Trinidad and Tobago, unions have conducted a gap analysis of the current legislation and have identified the ratification as a priority. A forum on the Convention has been held and unions were invited to speak.

In Colombia, trade unions and politicians held a public hearing on the Convention and the President has committed to ratifying the Convention.

"IndustriALL applauds affiliates for the C190 campaigns. Gender-based violence and harassment in the workplace has a domino effect on all of us. We urge unions to continue their campaigns until governments have ratified this Convention," says Christine Olivier IndustriALL assistant general secretary.

Source:  IndustriALL Global Union--IndustriALL represents 50 million workers in 140 countries


PSI welcomes Canada's ratification of ILO Convention 190

FEB 01, 2023:   Canada is the 25th country to ratify ILO Convention 190, which aims to eliminate violence and harassment in the world of work

ILO Convention 190 and Recommendation 206 on violence and harassment in the world of work entered into force on 25 June 2021. The convention is the first worldwide to seek to guarantee the universal right to a world of work free from violence and harassment and has been ratified by 25 countries. The latest is Canada, on 30 January 2023.

The world has recently seen, throughout the pandemic, the impact of violence on women and women health workers, which makes Convention 190 even more relevant. Thanks to intense lobbying by trade unions and women's groups around the world, the Convention and Recommendation lay the groundwork for trade unions and other stakeholders to address violence and harassment in the world of work. "For the public sector, which is largely made up of women, the Canadian government's ratification of Convention 190 is a step in the right direction. It provides a clear framework to prohibit, prevent and respond to violence and harassment in the workplace, regardless of its location," said Julie Bouchard, President of the Quebec Interprofessional Health Federation and IAMREC member. "As health care workers, we hope that the elements of the Convention will be incorporated into legislation, government policies and collective agreements so that each of our members can have the right to a work environment free of violence and harassment," she added.

Convention 190 recognises that everyone in the world of work - governments, employers, trade unions and individual workers - has a role to play in providing and maintaining a work culture free of violence and based on respect and dignity for all. "Canada's recent ratification of this Convention sets a precedent for both the region and the world. The Americas region now accounts for 11 of the 25 ratifications, representing 44% worldwide," said PSI gender officer Verónica Montúar. For her, "this step by Canada demonstrates to the world an articulated tripartite work that started from the discussions for the adoption in 2018 and 2019 and later in the consultation at both national and federal level to adjust coherence at all levels, as well as with gender mainstreaming. We welcome this progress and congratulate our affiliated unions in the country for their work to achieve it and to continue with a more legitimate implementation".

Source:  Pubic Services International --PSI uniting more than 30 million workers in 154 countries


Ireland ratifies ILO Convention on Violence and Harassment

Ireland is the 24th country to ratify ILO Convention No. 190 which aims to eliminate violence and harassment in the world of work.

News | 12 January 2023:   On 12 January 2023, Ireland deposited the instrument of ratification of the Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (No. 190) with the Director-General of the ILO. By submitting the instrument of ratification, Ireland becomes the 24th country in the world, and the 5th country of the European Union, to ratify Convention No. 190.

Convention No. 190 is a landmark instrument. It is the first international labour standard to address violence and harassment in the world of work. Together with Recommendation No. 206, it provides a common framework for action and a unique opportunity to shape a future of work based on dignity and respect. These instruments will be key to achieve the objectives set by the ILO Centenary Declaration on the Future of Work , adopted in 2019, that clearly commits to a world of work free from violence and harassment, and more recently, and by the ILO's Global call to action for a human-centred recovery from the COVID-19 crisis that is inclusive, sustainable and resilient.

The Convention affirms that everyone has the right to a world of work free from violence and harassment. It also provides for the first internationally agreed definition of violence and harassment in the world of work, including of gender-based violence, understood as "a range of unacceptable behaviours and practices" that "aim at, result in, or are likely to result in physical, psychological, sexual or economic harm". This definition protects everyone in the world of work, including interns or apprentices, and persons who exercise the duties or authority of an employer, and covers the public and private sectors, the formal and informal economies, as well as urban and rural areas.

The Convention also requires ratifying Member States to adopt, in consultation with representative employers' and workers' organizations, an inclusive, integrated and gender-responsive approach to preventing and eliminating violence and harassment, through prevention, protection and enforcement measures and remedies, as well as guidance, training and awareness-raising. It also recognizes the different and complementary roles and functions of governments, employers and workers and their respective organizations, taking into account the varying nature and extent of their responsibilities. The Convention and its accompanying Recommendation are tangible evidence of the enduring value and strength of social dialogue and tripartism, which have shaped them and will be essential in implementing them at national level.

In depositing the official instrument of ratification at the ceremony held at the ILO in Geneva, Ms Clare McNamara, Deputy Permanent Representative Counsellor, stated: "Violence and harassment in the workplace are unacceptable and undermine the principles of human rights. We have comprehensive legislation in Ireland to protect against this and Convention No. 190 sends a clear signal to workers and employers that every workplace must be free from harassment and violence. Ireland was committed to being an early ratifier of this Convention and we are pleased to deposit the instrument of ratification today. Through the ratification of this ILO Convention, Ireland is taking a strong stand against violence and harassment in the workplace. The ILO is unique in the UN system with governments, workers and employers working together to promote decent work and advance social justice and we thank our social partner representatives, IBEC and ICTU, for their work on this Convention. The strong relationship we have with employer and employee representative bodies is fundamental to our ability to play an active role within the ILO."

Receiving the instrument of ratification of Convention No. 190, the Director-General, Mr Gilbert F. Houngbo, stated: "Violence and harassment is a pervasive phenomenon that can affect all persons in the world of work in all sectors and all countries. Certain factors may increase the risk of violence and harassment, such as the presence in specific sectors, occupations and work arrangements where exposure is higher, participation in the informal economy or migration status. The current COVID-19 pandemic has also increased specific risks of violence and harassment in the world of work, and addressing them is key to promote a human-centered response and recovery that tackles injustice and supports the building of a better normal. By ratifying Convention No. 190, Ireland commits to the creation of a world of work free from violence and harassment, based on dignity and respect for all. This ratification represents a step forward towards the engagements made by the International Labour Conference in the 2019 Centenary Declaration, in particular the commitment to a world of work free from violence and harassment."

To date, Ireland has ratified 74 Conventions and 3 Protocols (of which 47 are in force). For further information, see NORMLEX.

Source:  International Labour Organization


Nigeria ratifies Convention 190 after sustained union campaigns

6 October, 2022:   Nigeria is the latest African country to ratify ILO Convention 190 which aims to eliminate violence and harassment in the world of work. The ratification comes after sustained campaigns and concerted efforts, including social dialogue involving trade unions, civil society organizations and labour support organizations.

On 30 September, the Federal Government of Nigeria announced that President Muhammadu Buhari had signed the instruments of ratification, and that the government is committed to strengthening laws to curb gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH) at work.

A report by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), to which some IndustriALL Global Union affiliates belong, and the Solidarity Centre, stated that GBVH happens at most workplaces and is underreported because of stigma and other social norms. It is worsened by poor enforcement of laws and weak implementation of workplace policies. According to the report, this creates an environment where discriminatory gender norms are entrenched as evidenced by groping and sexual harassment by supervisors, which is common at workplaces - often making women workers dread going to work.

"We have been campaigning for the ratification of Convention 190 at meetings and events. Our main message has been that if the country is committed to ending GBVH, the Federal Government of Nigeria must ratify the convention," says Oluchi Amaogu, secretary of the Sub-Saharan Africa region's interim women's committee from the National Union of Petroleum & Natural Gas Workers.

The unions say that the ratification of C190 will strengthen the development of workplace policies to address gender discrimination, gender inequality, improve reporting mechanisms and confidentiality, and make perpetrators accountable and be prosecuted under appropriate laws.

Unions want remedies to be provided to survivors of GBVH, and power imbalances and GBVH risk factors that include unsafe public transport when commuting to work to be dealt with. This will make workplaces safer for formal, informal, and precarious workers. Unions will carry out C190 awareness campaigns, especially in male dominated workplaces, to discuss the ending of practices that perpetuate GBVH at work.

Armelle Seby, IndustriALL gender director, underlines the importance of the Convention as a tool in stopping GBVH: "The ratification of C190 is an important step for Nigeria, but the implementation of the convention and Recommendation 206 is crucial to making workplaces safer for women. This means coming up with initiatives to build the capacity of unions on gender equality, and preventing and addressing GBVH through actions and campaigns."

The other African countries that have ratified the convention are the Central Africa Republic, Mauritius, Namibia, Somalia, and South Africa.

Source:  IndustriALL Global Union--IndustriALL represents 50 million workers in 140 countries


Unions report in ITUC survey that 50 governments on track to #RatifyC190

By the end of 2023, 50 governments will have ratified C190, according to trade unions surveyed from 79 countries across the world and recent assessments.

21-06-2022:   With Central African Republic, El Salvador and Peru being the latest to have ratified C190, we are now at 18 ratifications. This tallies with another key finding of the ITUC survey: 68% of governments support C190 while only 42% of employers in countries support the convention.

ILO Convention 190 and Recommendation 206 enshrine the right of everyone to a world of work free from violence and harassment, including gender-based violence and harassment. However:

  • 73% of unions surveyed think violence and harassment in the world of work has increased in the last five years;
  • 80% of trade unions think gender-based violence increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trade unions across the world are working to secure the ratification and implementation of C190:

  • 91% of trade unions surveyed are engaged in social dialogue to align C190 with national laws and policies.
  • 67% of trade unions have negotiated workplace policies or collective bargaining agreements to align with C190 and R206.
  • Over half the countries in the ITUC C190 survey need to change their labour laws to implement C190.
  • 37% of the countries need to change occupational health and safety (OHS) laws.

ITUC General Secretary Sharan Burrow said: "It is critical to ensure that workers, in all their diversity, can enjoy the right to a world of work free from violence and harassment. We urge all governments to move through the ratification process as soon as possible. "We welcome the recent decision at the International Labour Conference to add OHS as a fundamental labour right, which will further pave the way for the effective implementation of C190, which includes OHS provisions such as the obligation of employers to carry out workplace risk assessments."

Join our call for the universal ratification of C190 on 21 June, the third anniversary of the adoption of ILO Convention 190 and Recommendation 206. The full ITUC survey findings will be published this September in a C190 global report along with a call to governments to #RatifyC190 in the lead up to the @16DaysCampaign, 25 November - 10 December, and the ITUC Congress, 17 - 22 November 2022.

Source:  International Trade Union Confederation--ITUC represents 207 million workers in 163 countries and territories and has 331 national affiliates


The Republic of San Marino ratifies the Violence and Harassment Convention

San Marino becomes the 12th country in the world, and the 4th country in Europe, to ratify Convention No. 190.

On 14 April 2022, the Republic of San Marino deposited the instrument of ratification of the Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (No. 190) with the Director-General of the ILO. By submitting the instrument of ratification, San Marino becomes the 12th country in the world, and the 4th country in Europe, to ratify Convention No. 190.

Convention No. 190 is a landmark instrument. It is the first international labour standard to address violence and harassment in the world of work. Together with Recommendation No. 206, it provides a common framework for action and a unique opportunity to shape a future of work based on dignity and respect. These instruments will be key to achieve the objectives set by the ILO Centenary Declaration for the Future of Work , adopted in 2019, that clearly commits to a world of work free from violence and harassment, and more recently, and by the ILO's Global call to action for a human-centred recovery from the COVID-19 crisis that is inclusive, sustainable and resilient.

The Convention affirms that everyone has the right to a world of work free from violence and harassment. It also provides for the first internationally agreed definition of violence and harassment in the world of work, including of gender-based violence, understood as "a range of unacceptable behaviours and practices" that "aim at, result in, or are likely to result in physical, psychological, sexual or economic harm". This definition protects everyone in the world of work, including interns or apprentices, and persons who exercise the authority, duties or responsibilities of an employer, and covers the public and private sectors, the formal and informal economies, as well as urban and rural areas.

The Convention requires ratifying Member States to adopt, in consultation with representative employers' and workers' organizations, an inclusive, integrated and gender-responsive approach to preventing and eliminating violence and harassment, through prevention, protection and enforcement measures and remedies, as well as guidance, training and awareness-raising. It also recognizes the different and complementary roles and functions of governments, employers and workers and their respective organizations, taking into account the varying nature and extent of their responsibilities. The Convention and its accompanying Recommendation are tangible evidence of the enduring value and strength of social dialogue and tripartism, which have shaped them and will be essential in implementing them at national level.

In depositing the official instrument of ratification at the ceremony held at the ILO in Geneva, Mr Teodoro Lonfernini, Minister of Labour, Economic Planning, Sport, Information and Relations with the State Public Utilities Corporation, underlined the need to maintain the attention on the issue of violence and harassment at work and stated that "the Government and the Trade Unions and Employers' Associations are working, with an inclusive approach, recognizing the complementary role and functions of all the actors, for the preparation of a "Multiannual National Plan on the elimination of violence, harassment and gender discrimination in the world of work" in accordance with the provisions of the Convention."

Receiving the instrument of ratification of Convention No. 190, the Director-General, Mr Guy Ryder, stated that "since the Convention was adopted in 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic, and its dramatic human and economic consequences, have highlighted the need to further strengthen action against them, with many occurrences of work-related violence and harassment being reported in the world since the outbreak began, particularly against women and vulnerable groups of persons. I strongly believe that this Convention has a crucial role to play in this regard". Mr Ryder added that "through this ratification, San Marino not only undertakes formally to implement and enforce the provisions of Convention No. 190, but it also strongly reaffirms its commitment to the protection and respect of human rights, decent work and social justice for all".

To date, San Marino has ratified 26 Conventions (of which 24 are in force). For further information, see NORMLEX

Source:  International Labour Organization


Maritime Labour Convention reaches 100th ratification

By reaching this milestone, the Maritime Labour Convention provides the shipping industry with globally recognized standards that cover more than 96 per cent of the world's shipping.

11 April 2022:   GENEVA (ILO News) - The 100th ratification of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC, 2006) has been marked by a ceremony at the International Labour Organization's (ILO) headquarters in Geneva. It means that more than 96 per cent of the world's gross shipping tonnage is now covered by this internationally agreed standard which also applies to most of the seafarer labour supplying countries of the world.

Oman became the 100th ILO Member State to ratify the Convention. The Ambassador of Oman, Idris Abdul Rahman Al Khanjari, formally submitted the ratification documents on 29 March.

"Joining the MLC, 2006 is a clear confirmation of the Sultanate of Oman's longstanding tradition as a prominent maritime nation in the region. This ratification reaffirms the commitment of my country to uphold the provisions of the Convention to achieve decent work for seafarers. We shall spare no efforts in safeguarding seafarers labour rights," he said.

"This ratification reaffirms the commitment of my country to uphold the provisions of the Convention to achieve decent work for seafarers. We shall spare no efforts in safeguarding seafarers labour rights." Idris Abdul Rahman Al Khanjari, Ambassador of Oman

ILO Director-General, Guy Ryder, who received the instrument of ratification, described it as a milestone.

"It is a great pleasure to welcome the 100th ratification of the MLC, 2006, and witness how the Sultanate of Oman, a longstanding maritime nation, has shown the way to other countries of the region. Indeed, Oman becomes the first member of the Gulf Cooperation Council to join the global efforts to ensure decent work for seafarers and fair competition for shipowners. This ratification marks a global milestone and is a celebration of the courage of seafarers, shipowners and governments who, in 2006 dared to dream of an ILO Convention that would consolidate 70 previously adopted Conventions and Recommendations. Since then, the Maritime Labour Convention has become a worldwide reference for the maritime industry and the fourth pillar of the international maritime regime."

Adopted by the ILO's Member States in February 2006, the Convention brought together a large number of existing industry labour standards that no longer reflected contemporary working and living conditions, had low ratification levels, or inadequate enforcement and compliance systems. Combining these often very detailed instruments into one Convention, makes it easier for countries to regulate and enforce consistent industry norms and standards, worldwide.

"We welcome Oman ratifying the Maritime Labour Convention," said Stephen Cotton General Secretary of the International Transport Workers' Federation. "As the first Gulf State to adopt the MLC, Oman extends the safeguards of this Convention not only to its own seafarers, but also to those who call into its ports and navigate through its strategically important waters. The MLC now covers more than 96 per cent of the world's fleet - protecting the rights, pay and conditions of 9 in 10 of the world's seafarers and the reliability of our global supply chains."

Guy Platten, Secretary General of the International Chamber of Shipping also highlighted the importance of the ratification. "Reaching 100 signatories is an important milestone. As we saw throughout the pandemic and the crew change crisis, governments who have ratified the Convention must stand by their words and take action to protect seafarers' rights. Now more than ever it is vital that more governments ratify this important Convention and I hope that we will reach 150 signatories soon to bring it in line with the three International Maritime Organization pillar conventions of SOLAS, STCW and MARPOL."

Source:  International Labour Organization


Perú ratifica el Convenio 190 de la OIT sobre Violencia y Acoso en el Mundo del Trabajo

FEB 01, 2022:   El lunes 31 de enero, con 110 votos a favor, el Congreso de la República de Perú ratificó el Convenio 190 de la Organización Internacional del Trabajo (OIT) sobre la Eliminación de la Violencia y el Acoso en el Mundo del Trabajo.

La Internacional de Servicios Públicos (ISP) y sus afiliadas en este país sudamericano estuvo vinculada al trabajo y la campaña por la ratificación de esta norma, destacando un equipo compuesto por lxs líderes sindicales Paola Saldaña, del Comité de Jóvenes de la ISP en Perú; Reyna Concha, de la Federación Nacional de Trabajadores Administrativos del Sector Educación (FENTASE); y Luis Isarra, de la Federación Nacional de Trabajadores del Agua Potable del Perú (FENTAP).

El Convenio 190 y su respectiva Recomendación 206 fueron aprobados en la OIT en junio de 2019 durante la 108th Conferencia Internacional del Trabajo, en el marco de la celebración del centenario de esta organización tripartita. Se trata de un gran triunfo para el movimiento sindical peruano y mundial, en particular para la ISP, que ya durante una década viene trabajando sobre este tema.

El Perú es el undécimo país en ratificar el Convenio, el cuarto de las Américas, después de Uruguay, Argentina y Ecuador. Su aprobación por el Legislativo peruano fue impulsado por el Ministerio de Trabajo y Promoción del Empleo (MTPE), que a través de un comunicado del último 20 de enero, exhortó al Congreso de la República a priorizar en agenda del pleno el dictamen del proyecto de resolución legislativa. Luego, el 25 de enero, a través de un oficio, el MTPE solicitó a la presidenta del Congreso priorizar este tema en la agenda del pleno. Falta aún la sumisión oficial ante la OIT.

Según la nota de prensa del gobierno de Perú: "El convenio, que contiene 20 artículos, protege a los trabajadores de la violencia y acoso en el ámbito laboral del sector público o privado, formal o informal así como en zonas urbanas o rurales. También determina los lugares y circunstancias donde se producen estos comportamientos y prácticas.

En el primer artículo, se establece las definiciones de violencia y acoso en el mundo del trabajo así como la expresión "violencia y acoso por razón de género" como aquellas que van dirigidas contra las personas por razón de su sexo o género e incluye el acoso sexual. Asimismo, precisa que todo estado miembro que ratifique el Convenio deberá respetar, promover y asegurar el disfrute del derecho de toda persona a un mundo del trabajo libre de violencia y acoso.

También deberá adoptar, de acuerdo a la legislación, la situación nacional y, en consulta con las organizaciones sociales de trabajo, un enfoque inclusivo, integrado y que tenga en cuenta las consideraciones de género para prevenir y eliminar la violencia y el acoso en el mundo del trabajo. Igualmente, se deberán establecer mecanismos de control de la aplicación y de seguimiento o fortalecer los existentes como prever sanciones.

El convenio precisa que los miembros de la OIT, en consulta con las organizaciones representativas de empleadores y de trabajadores, tienen la obligación de garantizar políticas nacionales que aborde la violencia y el acoso en el mundo del trabajo, entre ellas, las relativas a la seguridad y salud en el trabajo, la igualdad y la no discriminación, y la migración."

Source:  Public Services International--PSI uniting more than 30 million workers in 154 countries


Unions build pressure to implement convention for domestic workers

Ten years after it was agreed, ITUC affiliates are building pressure on governments to ratify and implement the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 189 for domestic workers.

10-12-2021:   C189 was negotiated in 2011 and requires that countries ensure domestic workers have the same rights and freedoms as other workers. However, a new report by the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), a body co-founded by the Commonwealth Trade Union Group, has found that only nine Commonwealth countries have ratified, or are in the process of ratifying, C189. This leaves 45 countries who have not, including India, Papua New Guinea, Uganda and the United Kingdom.

The EU C189 Alliance, which includes global unions, has found that only eight EU members states have ratified C189.

Other ITUC affiliates across the world are pushing for governments to urgently ratify and implement in national law the rights enshrined in C189. Globally, 35 countries have done this.

Sharan Burrow, ITUC general secretary, said: "Ratifying and implementing C189 is a moral duty of all governments to show that they value the work of domestic workers. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic many have kept working and caring, despite the risks to their own health. "They are too often forgotten and as they are mostly women migrant workers, they are too often exploited.

"I encourage the unions involved in campaigns to ratify C189 to keep up their important work. It is a scandal that ten years after C189 was agreed it is not more widely implemented. But with their efforts C189 will be put in place more widely and domestic workers will enjoy the rights and freedoms they deserve."

Source:  International Trade Union Confederation--ITUC represents 207 million workers in 163 countries and territories and has 331 national affiliates


Promote and Respect International Labour Standards in ADB: A Binding Safeguard and Beyond

2 September 2021:   The International Trade Union Confederation - Asia Pacific (ITUC-Asia Pacific), together with the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), International Transport Workers Federation, UNI Global Union, Public Services International, International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tourism, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Associations, Building and Wood Workers International, Education International, IndustriALL Global Union, and ITUC/Global Unions Washington Office, issued a position paper on the review and update of the 2009 Safeguard Policy Statement of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to promote and respect international labour standards in ADB.

The paper outlines how and why ADB can create a binding safeguard that directly translates the international labour standards of the ILO to the context of lending. It presents comprehensive and analytical information, including cases of violations and unacceptable working conditions in ADB projects and safeguards policies of other international financial institutions, among others. Moreover, it recommends measures that ADB can adopt and implement to promote, respect, and realise the international labour standards in all ADB operations.

The paper points out that, despite its early commitment to upholding the core labour standards in 2001, establishing a binding labour safeguard is overdue at ADB. Then, it provides proposals for ADB to maximise the opportunity of the safeguards review by doing the following:

  • Conducting studies on current and past project working conditions, including adherence to the core labour standards, implementation of the existing procedures, and a survey the project workforces or groups of project-affected workers.
  • Using the international labour standards as the blueprint, avoiding shortcomings in the safeguards of other multilateral development banks. A safeguard should fully respond to the labour issues in lending, with measures to address project-affected workers, provide all workers on a project with equal protection, and verify that policy-based loads do not undermine the international labour standards.
  • Renewing the Memorandum of Understanding with the ILO foreseeing joint work on safeguards drafting, an update to the Core Labour Standards Handbook, training for ADB staffs and borrowers, and a procedure for collaborating on due diligence and project monitoring. Trade unions report that ADB local mission are not conversant in local labour law and would benefit from tailored training.
  • Holding structured dialogue with trade unions on the safeguards and establishing ongoing methods to improve communication through a labour advisory group and other channels.

"It is ITUC-Asia Pacific's long-standing demand to ADB to establish a binding labour safeguard that incorporates the ILO Decent Work Agenda, especially the core labour standards, with effective enforcement mechanism. I believe that this paper can provide an important guidance for ADB's safeguards review to effectively update its safeguard policy, including the introduction of a binding labour safeguard, to fulfil its commitment to the core labour standards and to realise ADB's Strategy 2030 towards a prosperous, inclusive, resilient and sustainable Asia and the Pacific with a just and equitable recovery from the pandemic," Shoya Yoshida, General Secretary of the ITUC-Asia Pacific, said.

Source:  International Trade Union Confederation - Asia Pacific


ILO Convention 190 enters into force, BWI calls for more country ratifications

June 27, 2021:   On 25 June, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention No. 190 on the harassment and violence in the world of work finally entered into force after acquiring the needed number of country ratifications for the policy to have international legal force and effect.

The Building and Woodworkers International (BWI) lauded the Convention's entry into force even as it called on its trade union affiliates to push for more country ratifications.

"This is an extremely important development for trade unions fighting for gender equality, especially women workers who work in male-dominated industries and suffer from workplace harassment and violence. We will continue to campaign for more country ratifications with the goal to achieve universal ratification rank for the Convention," BWI International Women's Committee Chair Rita Schiavi said.

According to BWI, 6 ratifications (Uruguay, Fiji, Namibia, Argentina, Somalia and Ecuador) have been deposited at the ILO. Meanwhile, Italy has authorized its national parliament to start the ratification process of the Convention in the beginning of 2021. The Convention entered into full force after Fiji completed its ratification process in 2020. Two countries are needed to ratify a Convention for it to enter into force. If a country decides to ratify, the Convention acquires a binding force at the national level and must be applied by its legislature or other means.

ILO Convention No. 190 is the first international treaty to address violence and harassment in the world of work. Together with ILO Recommendation No. 206, it provides a common framework for action and a unique opportunity to shape a future of work based on dignity and respect, and underlines the right of everyone to a world free from violence and harassment. It includes the first international definition of violence and harassment in the world of work, including gender-based violence.

BWI affiliates worldwide actively campaigned for the adoption of the international instrument at ILO's international Labour Conference in 2019, and has continued to work for more country ratifications.

Source:  Building and Wood Workers International--BWI uniting 12 million members in 351 trade unions in 127 countries


50 for Freedom forced labour campaign reaches landmark target

Fifty countries have shown their commitment to eradicate contemporary forms of slavery by ratifying the ILO Forced Labour Protocol (P.29). The ratifications have met an initial target set by the 50 for Freedom campaign, which urges governments to take action on forced labour. Sudan became the fiftieth country to ratify.

17 March 2021:   GENEVA (ILO News) - The 50 for freedom campaign has achieved its initial goal of reaching 50 ratifications of the Forced Labour Protocol. The milestone was met with the ratification of the treaty by Sudan on 17 March. This international treaty commits governments to take effective measures to prevent forced labour, protect its victims and ensure their access to justice and remedies, including compensation.

"We reached a major milestone," said Guy Ryder, Director-General of the International Labour Organization. "A future of work that is free of forced labour, human trafficking, child labour and modern slavery is a future that we must shape together. Because forced labour has no place in the better normal we want to start building as of today."

ILO constituents overwhelmingly adopted the Forced Labour Protocol 29 during the 2014 International Labour Conference.

The ILO, together with the International Organisation of Employers (IOE) and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), launched the 50 for Freedom campaign to encourage governments to ratify the Protocol and to raise awareness about the existence of modern day slavery. Nearly 60000 people from all over the world have joined the campaign so far, supporting the call for ratification and implementation of the Protocol. A number of partners from the public and private sector, social partners, civil society organizations as well as several celebrities also support the campaign. "50 ratifications is worth celebrating but we need many more," said Sharan Burrow, ITUC Secretary General.

Forced labour affects all population groups, every region of the world and every economic sector. According to the latest global estimates , there are still 25 million men, women and children trapped in forced labour - trafficked, held in debt bondage, or working under slavery-like conditions. That number has increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic affecting the most vulnerable workers, most of whom do not have access to social protection.

However, ratification by itself is not enough. Implementation is vital if people's lives are to change for the better. This will require a global and joint effort, including from the private sector. "A clear and active commitment is needed from all companies to eradicate forced labour," said Roberto Suarez-Santos, IOE Secretary General. With less than ten years remaining to achieve UN Sustainable Development Goal 8.7 of eradicating forced labour, countries need to make more efforts to implement the Protocol.

"If we are to achieve Target 8.7 of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, we must follow up with careful implementation in every region, every country, every village, and make sure that no one is left behind," said the ILO Director-General.

A signing ceremony to mark Sudan's ratification of the Protocol will be held on 26th March, 2021.

Source:  International Labor Organization


Somalia ratifies C190 and six other ILO conventions

17 February, 2021:   Somalia's ratification of Convention 190 and six other International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions is the result of a successful campaign by trade unions to improve labour standards in the country.

The Federation of Somali Trade Unions (FESTU) says the ratification will benefit workers during the current Covid-19 pandemic and will assist in "resilient social and economic recovery." IndustriALL affiliate, the Somalia Union of Petroleum and Gas Workers (SUPEGW), which also belongs to FESTU, took part in the ratification campaign.

FESTU secretary general Omar Faruk Osman says: "We championed the ratifications by pursuing the ILO principles of tripartism, social dialogue, harmonious labour relations and met with the Prime Minister, Mohamed Hussein Roble, the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, and the Somali Chamber of Commerce and Industry. By ratifying these internationally recognized frameworks that set legal guarantees for workers, the Somali government is now obliged to ensure that the country's domestic laws and policies are aligned to international standards and practice."

FESTU says C190 -- Violence and Harassment Convention -- will promote gender equality at the workplace and help stop sexual and gender-based violence which is adversely affecting women in the world of work. The convention will also assist unions in their campaigns for the introduction of a sexual offences bill in the federal parliament.

Convention 144 on tripartite consultation will promote better industrial relations and improve stakeholder relations with government, employers, and trade unions. Further, Conventions 187 and C155 on health and safety protect workers' rights and will help to end unsafe working conditions that have injured many workers and will also improve workers well-being.

According to FESTU, Conventions 97 on migration for employment, C143 on migrant workers and C181 on private employment agencies seek to address the abuse and exploitation faced by Somali migrant workers abroad by providing legal protection. An ILO report states that most Somali migrant workers are employed as casual and domestic workers in the Intergovernmental Authority on Development region made up of Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda, to which Somalia also belongs, and the Middle East, especially Yemen. The unions say the conventions lay a foundation on which the country can build a national labour migration policy.

The country's federal parliament endorsed the ratification on 26 December 2020 and documents have since been submitted to the ILO. The unions attribute the success of the campaign to the willingness of social dialogue partners to work together and ensure that the country adheres to international labour standards.

Paule France Ndessomin, IndustriALL regional secretary for Sub Saharan Africa says: "It is commendable that FESTU successfully campaigned for the ratification of multiple conventions which is strategic in that it provides wider instruments to deal with diverse issues affecting workers. We continue to urge unions to vigorously campaign for the ratification of C190 and the adoptions of recommendation 206 as a strategy to end violence against women at work."

Source:  IndustriALL Global Union--IndustriALL represents 50 million workers in 140 countries


Ecuador approves ILO Convention 190 ratification

22 January, 2021:   On 17 January, the National Assembly of Ecuador unanimously approved the ratification of International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 190 on the Violence and Harassment in the World of Work. Ecuador joins Fiji, Argentina, Uruguay and Namibia in ratifying the Convention. This also makes Ecuador the third country in Latin America and the Caribbean to have approved the ratification.

"The ratification of ILO Convention 190 reinforces the fight of Ecuadorian women workers for equality and respect both at the social and labour levels. This victory belongs to all of us. It will represent a positive change in the lives of many, women," said Faviola Rueda, Secretary for Women of the Equatorian Federation of Mechanic Equipment Workers (FEDESOMEC), a BWI affiliate in the country.

FEDESOMEC actively campaigned for the ratification of ILO Convention 190 and was a leading voice in the region on BWI's "16 Days of Trade Union Activism on Violence Against Women" campaign last year.

With the National Assembly's approval, Ecuador will now begin the official ratification process before the ILO. All relevant laws will also be adjusted to align them with the Convention and ensure that efficient reporting mechanisms and social actions inside and outside the workplaces take place.

Source:  Building and Wood Workers International--BWI uniting 12 million members in 351 trade unions in 127 countries


The ITUC is calling on governments to commit to a world of work free from violence and harassment

On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, 25 November, trade unions around the world are urging governments to ratify and implement the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 190 and Recommendation 206, to end the scourge of gender-based violence and harassment in the world of work.

24-11-2020:   The COVID-19 crisis has exacerbated the risks of violence and harassment, both at work and at home, and has highlighted the importance of strong preventive and protective measures to ensure safe, healthy, dignified and respectful working environments. There have been alarming reports of health and care workers and other frontline workers, such as food retail workers, transport workers and cleaners, being targets of violence and harassment by employers, co-workers or anxious customers, clients, and patients.

Rates of domestic violence have spiked since the onset of this crisis - a phenomenon described by the United Nations as a shadow pandemic as many workers, in particular women, required to work from home find themselves trapped with their abusers. At the same time, the rise in teleworking leaves workers more exposed to technology-enabled harassment such as cyberbullying.

Women working in the informal economy, whether as street vendors, market traders, waste pickers, home-based workers, or domestic workers, have seen their livelihoods devastated as they face increased violence and harassment from employers, members of the public or local authorities. In some cases, their activities have been criminalised.

Trade unions have played a crucial role in addressing gender-based violence during the pandemic by:

  • issuing guidance for trade union representatives supporting victims of domestic violence.
  • lobbying for more funding for domestic violence services.
  • providing shelters to victims of domestic violence.
  • running awareness-raising campaigns.
  • calling for urgent government and employer action to address increased incidents of violence and harassment against frontline workers.

Unions have also joined calls for immediate food and safety relief and social protection coverage for informal economy and migrant workers, including those stranded away from home, and an end to violence, harassment and criminalisation. On 25 November, we show our solidarity with women working in the informal economy, who are the backbone of so many national economies.

The ILO Violence and Harassment Convention 190 and Recommendation 206 provide a clear framework for governments, employers and workers and their representatives on how to effectively prevent, address and remedy violence and harassment in the world of work. These instruments also provide important guidance on mitigating the impacts of domestic violence in the world of work.

While the pandemic has necessarily focused the attention of governments on dealing with the public health, economic and social impacts, the pandemic is a reason to push forward with ratification, rather than delay it further. Ratification and effective implementation of these instruments should be an integral part of a sustainable recovery and building resilience in the face of this and future crises. Uruguay and Fiji have led by example, becoming the first two countries to ratify the Convention. Argentina is set to become the third. Now more governments must follow suit!

On 25 November, we urge governments globally to fulfill the commitments made at the Centenary International Labour Conference in June 2019 to a world of work free from violence and harassment.

Source:  International Trade Union Confederation--ITUC represents 207 million workers in 163 countries and territories and has 331 national affiliates


ILO Convention 190 on Violence and Harassment in the World of Work adopted in Argentina

NOV 11, 2020:   With 241 votes in favour, one against and two abstentions, the Argentine Chamber of Deputies approved this Wednesday, November 11, International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 190 on Violence and Harassment in the World of Work.

Convention 190 and its respective Recommendation 206 were adopted as part of the celebration of the ILO centenary in June 2019, during the 108th International Labour Conference. A bill on Convention 190 had been sent to the Argentine Congress by President Alberto Fernández on 28 May 2020. In June, the matter was approved by the Senate.

This is a great triumph for the Argentine and the global trade union movement, in particular for Public Services International (PSI), which has been working on this issue for eight years. PSI's national Women's Committee in Argentina, as well as the affiliated organizations in that country, are among those responsible for this approval.

When the Argentine government presents this law at ILO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, it will be formally recognized as the third country to ratify Convention 190, after Uruguay on 12 June 2019 and Fiji on 25 June 2020. Fiji's ratification confirms the entry into force of C190 as of June 25, 2021. "It is symbolic that Convention 190 was approved on the day we Argentinian women first voted [in national elections], on 11 November 1951," said Isabel BerÓn, coordinator of PSI's national Women's Committee in Argentina.

PSI's Global Gender Officer, Veronica Montufar congratulated Argentina on this important step. "With the ratification of ILO Convention 190, the Argentinian Chamber of Deputies has confirmed to the world that it is a relevant State power and will be remembered in history for committing to make effective the right to work free of violence and harassment. Convention 190 is once again being confirmed as an extremely important and relevant instrument of international labour law as it applies to recent changes including telework, working from home, the digitalization of work and the indivisibility of domestic space with the workplace; issues that were impossible to foresee at the time of its adoption at the ILO's 2019 Centennial Conference. All of these recent changes in working conditions increase levels of violence and harassment, particularly gender-based violence. We celebrate this victory of the Argentinean trade union movement and especially of the unified, strategic, and intelligent struggle of feminist women trade unionists. We commemorate their incredible effort and their victory. On to implementation!"

Source:  Public Services International--PSI uniting more than 30 million workers in 154 countries


ILO Child Labour Convention achieves universal ratification

All 187 member States of the International Labour Organization (ILO) have ratified the ILO Convention on the Worst Forms of Child Labour, 1999 (No. 182).

04 August 2020:   GENEVA (ILO News) - For the first time in the ILO's history, an International Labour Convention has been ratified by all member States.

Convention No. 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labour achieved universal ratification, following ratification by the Kingdom of Tonga. Ambassador for the Kingdom of Tonga, Titilupe Fanetupouvava'u Tuivakano, formally deposited the ratification instruments with ILO Director-General, Guy Ryder on 4 August, 2020.

The Convention is the most rapidly ratified Convention in the history of the Organization, since its adoption 21 years ago by the International Labour Conference.

"Universal ratification of Convention 182 is an historic first that means that all children now have legal protection against the worst forms of child labour," said ILO Director-General Guy Ryder. "It reflects a global commitment that the worst forms of child labour, such as slavery, sexual exploitation, the use of children in armed conflict or other illicit or hazardous work that compromises children's health, morals or psychological wellbeing, have no place in our society."

Secretary-General of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), Sharan Burrow, welcomed the ratification.

"Universal ratification of Convention 182 is a potent and timely reminder of the importance of ILO standards and the need for multilateral solutions to global problems. Child labour is a grievous violation of fundamental rights, and it is incumbent on the ILO's constituents and the international community to ensure that this Convention is fully implemented, including through due diligence in global supply chains," she said.

"The universal ratification of ILO Convention No. 182 on the worst forms of child labour is an historic moment," said Roberto Suárez Santos, Secretary-General of the International Organization of Employers (IOE). "Throughout the years, the IOE and its member organizations have supported the implementation of this Convention. Today, the business community is both aware of and acting on the need to do business with respect for children's rights. This is even more urgent in the times of the COVID-19 pandemic. We cannot allow the fight against the worst form of child labour to backslide. Together we can work towards the end of child labour in all its forms."

This universal ratification is a further step towards making more concrete the aspirations of Kailash Satyarthi, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, when he said: "I dream of a world full of safe children and safe childhoods; ...I dream of a world where every child enjoys the freedom to be a child."

The ILO estimates that there are 152 million children in child labour, 73 million of whom are in hazardous work. Seventy per cent of all child labour takes place in agriculture and is mostly related to poverty and parents' difficulties finding decent work. Convention No. 182 calls for the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including slavery, forced labour and trafficking. It prohibits the use of children in armed conflict, prostitution, pornography and illicit activities such as drug trafficking, and in hazardous work.

It is one of the ILO's eight Fundamental Conventions. These cover the abolition of child labour, the elimination of forced labour, the abolition of work-related discrimination and the rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining. These principles are also covered by the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work (1998).

Since the ILO's founding in 1919, child labour has been a core concern. The Organization's first Director, Albert Thomas, described child labour as, "the exploitation of childhood which constitutes the evil... most unbearable to the human heart. Serious work in social legislation begins always with the protection of children."

It is the focus of one of the ILO's largest development cooperation programmes - the International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour and Forced Labour (IPEC+), which has supported over 100 countries in all continents. The incidence of child labour and its worst forms dropped by almost 40 per cent between 2000 and 2016, as ratification rates of Convention No. 182 and Convention No. 138 (on minimum age to work) increased, and countries adopted effective laws and policies.

However, progress has slowed in recent years, particularly amongst the youngest age group (5-11 years) and in some geographical areas. With the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a real risk that years of progress will be reversed, leading to a potential increase in child labour for the first time in 20 years, unless appropriate action is taken.

"Ending child labour by 2025 in all its forms" is included under Target 8.7 of the Sustainable Development Goals, adopted by all UN Member States in 2015. The global partnership, Alliance 8.7, for which the ILO provides the Secretariat, brings together over 250 partners and 21 Pathfinder Countries to coordinate, innovate and accelerate progress to end child labour, forced labour, human trafficking and modern slavery. The universal ratification of Convention No. 182 demonstrates the will of all ILO member States to ensure that every child, everywhere, is free from child labour and its worst forms.

This landmark achievement comes just months before the start of the International Year for the Elimination of Child Labour in 2021 , to be led by the ILO in collaboration with partners. Its aim is to raise awareness of the issue and to help accelerate the pace of progress.

Source: International Labour Organization


Safety crisis in Indian mines call for ratification of ILO C-176

5 June, 2020:   268 workers were killed and 748 workers suffered serious injuries in India's mines between 2016 to 2019. A series of accidents in May suggest that 11 coal miners were killed and many more injured.

Four contract workers were killed and five seriously injured on 2 June at the Godavarikhani open cast mine of Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) in Telangana. The accidents occurred as workers were engaged in blasting operations. According to union sources, six workers have been killed at SCCL during the Covid-19 lockdown.

A vehicle operator was killed at Rajapur open cast mine of Bharat Coking Coal Limited on 29 May. On 27 May, there was an accident at Dudhichua project of Northern Coalfields Limited as a machine fell on a dumper. According to the union, a similar accident occurred a few days before, violating safety norms.

One worker was killed and two others injured on 25 May at the Parascole mine of Kajora Area in Eastern Coalfields Limited due to a roof fall. On 22 May, a contract worker died while four others escaped unhurt in an accident while cleaning a clogged chimney at a coal mine owned by Steel Authority of India Limited in Chasnala. An internal enquiry has been launched and three managers have been suspended pending the enquiry.

One worker was smashed by a dumper on 19 May in the Nandgaon project of Western Coalfields Limited. A worker at the Ananata open cast project of Mahanadi Coalfields Limited was killed on 3 May while filling diesel into heavy earth moving machinery.

Nathulal Pandey, president of Hind Khadan Mazdoor Federation and S Q Zama, secretary general of Indian National Mineworkers Federation, say: "A shortage of manpower, high production targets, unplanned extraction of coal, outsourcing coal production to third parties, engagement of a large number of untrained contract workers in critical areas, not fully using safety budgets for the past three years, a shortage of safety equipment for all workers and negligence of safety measures continue to cause avoidable accidents and a loss of workers' lives in the mines of CIL and in SCCL. "The government's attempts to allow commercial mining and privatisation of CIL may actually worsen the safety situation."

Kemal Özkan, IndustriALL Global Union assistant general secretary, says: "These fatal accidents underline the safety crisis in Indian mines and the government can no longer ignore it. Before losing more lives, we reiterate that it is urgent that India take steps to ratify ILO Convention C176 on safety and health in mines. "National laws should be in line with C176, and unions should be involved in decision making processes to create a robust safety culture in Indian mines."

Source:  IndustriALL Global Union--IndustriALL represents 50 million workers in 140 countries


Online campaign on ILO Conventions 190 and 183 in Cambodia

20 May, 2020:   IndustriALL South East Asia office and Cambodian affiliates have joined forces in an online campaign, creating awareness on ILO Convention 190 on violence and harassment and Convention 183 on maternity protection.

Since ILO C190 was adopted in June last year, IndustriALL's office in South East Asia has prepared leaflets and posters in various languages for affiliates in the region.

IndustriALL regional secretary Annie Adviento says: "The pandemic has significantly restricted the movement of trade unionists and our ability to create awareness on the convention has also been restrained. So we have to find creative ways to continue the campaign on ratification of C190 and C183. "People reduce outdoor activities and communication is concentrated on online platforms. So sharing the message on social media is very effective."

Even though the Cambodian government has expressed its commitment to women's rights by ratifying United Nations Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination of All Women (CEDAW), the current maternity protection falls short of international standards. Currently, women workers are entitled to 90 days maternity leave with half wages.

Annie Adviento says that ratifying C183 to realize 14 weeks maternity leave is crucial: "Women workers must receive full wages during maternity leave. C183 clearly states that the maternity benefit shall ensure women and their children to remain healthy and enjoy adequate standard of living; the current 50 per cent of the national minimum wage, US$190 per month, is not enough for mothers and babies."

Source:  IndustriALL Global Union--IndustriALL represents 50 million workers in 140 countries


IndustriALL urges Madagascar to ratify C176

24 March, 2020:   IndustriALL Global Union and its affiliates in Madagascar are intensifying demands for the ratification of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 176 on safety and health in mines.

Last year, the affiliates wrote to the Minister of Labour, Employment, Public Services, and Social Legislation urging the government to ratify C176. None of the ILO conventions signed by Madagascar protects mine workers safety and health. The concerns regarding the regulation of the state of health and safety in the mining industry came under the spotlight at a well-attended panel discussion organized by IndustriALL in Antananarivo on 11 March.

Mining in Madagascar, which has vast deposits of ilmenite, graphite, limestone, gypsum, dolomite, silica, mica, titanium, quartz, gold, platinum group, silver, iron, copper, zinc, nickel, cobalt, chromite, is a huge source of foreign direct investment. Considering the magnitude of the mining sector, mining's contribution to the country's GDP and the growth of the extractives relative to the primary, secondary or tertiary sector, Madagascar is potentially a resource-rich country.

Glen Mpufane, IndustriALL director of mining, diamonds, gems, ornaments and jewellery production, said: "Occupational health and health and safety in mining in Madagascar is hopelessly unregulated which is inconsistent with mining's role in the economy."

Brian Kohler, IndustriALL director of health, safety and sustainability concurred: "Convention 176 provides the necessary basis for a sustainable mining industry that ensures that its workers return to their workplaces safe and healthy."

The panel discussion event, moderated by Hanta Andrianasy from Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, Madagascar, followed a two-day training workshop on 9-10 March for IndustriALL affiliates. Kohler ran the training workshop.

The panellists included the IndustriALL directors and representatives from the two major global multinational mining companies, Rio Tinto's QMM ilmenite mine and Sheritt International's Ambatovy Sherritt Madagascar. Government of Madagascar representatives from the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Public Service and Social Legislation, director-general, Jerson Razafimanantsoa and Yvan Rakotomalala, the director of health and social action also presented.

The panellists were unanimous on the importance of ratification to ensure the safety and protection of mineworkers. Razafimanantsoa made a positive contribution to the panel discussions, committing the government of Madagascar to eventual ratification of C176. The ratification due process will include a gap analysis of the legislative occupational health and safety regime and will involve all tripartite stakeholders.

Source:  IndustriALL Global Union--IndustriALL represents 50 million workers in 140 countries


Mexico must ratify ILO C176

18 February, 2020:   On 19 February 2006, 65 workers died following a methane gas explosion at the Grupo Mexico mine in Pasta de Conchos, Mexico. Only two bodies were recovered before the company sealed the mine. As the 14th anniversary of the mining tragedy approaches, IndustriALL is calling on the Mexican government to ratify ILO Convention 176 on Safety and Health in Mines.

At the time of the tragedy, the leader of Los Mineros, Napoleón Gómez Urrutia, accused Grupo Mexico of "industrial homicide". In response, the authorities unleashed a campaign of political persecution that forced Gómez into exile. In 2018, Gómez was elected to the Mexican Senate on the ticket of the Morena party led by Andrés Manuel López Obrador, and returned to Mexico where he is now President of the Senate Labour Commission.

Mexico is now working with international experts to attempt the recovery of the 63 workers whose bodies remain in the mine. Grupo Mexico continues to control its Mexican workforce through company-imposed protection unions; it also faces a four-month strike by unions at its US subsidiary Asarco in response to the company's unfair labour practices. In November 2018, the Mexican Senate approved a point of agreement presented by Senator Gómez requesting the Executive to submit ILO Convention 176 on Safety and Health in Mines for ratification, but this has yet to be acted on.

IndustriALL general secretary Valter Sanches says: "IndustriALL and its predecessing organizations have supported Los Mineros' fight for the families' right to rescue the bodies of the 65 mineworkers that were killed in Pasta de Conchos. Although we recognize that the Mexican government has made important progress on workers' rights, many challenges still remain. This is the case for the mining industry, dominated by corporations like Grupo Mexico with a long history of violating workers' rights, including the right to secure and safe workplaces at its operations around the world.

"IndustriALL is calling on Mexico's government to ratify ILO Convention 176 as soon as possible in order to guarantee occupational safety and health in the mining industry."

Source:  IndustriALL Global Union--IndustriALL represents 50 million workers in 140 countries


Uruguay becomes first country to ratify ILO Convention 190

16 January, 2020:   Uruguay is the first country in the world to ratify the International Labour Organization's (ILO) Convention 190, which recognizes that violence and harassment in the world of work can constitute a human rights violation.

The new Convention and Recommendation were adopted at the International Labour Conference in June, 2019. The Convention recognizes that violence and harassment are a threat to equal opportunities and are unacceptable and incompatible with decent work.

The government of Uruguay submitted the ratification bill to Parliament in September 2019, and the House of Representatives unanimously adopted the bill on 17 December 2019, making Uruguay the first ILO Member State to ratify C190.

"As it has now ratified the ILO Convention, Uruguay will have to adopt an inclusive, integrated and gender-responsive approach to preventing and eliminating violence and harassment in the world of work. This will apply to both the private and public sectors, to the formal and informal economy, and in both urban or rural areas," said an official statement released by the Office of the President of Uruguay. The statement also said that legislation will require employers to take appropriate steps to prevent violence and harassment in the world of work.

The ratification process was facilitated by the fact that Uruguay already has laws in place to address some of the issues covered by C190, such as legislation on sexual harassment in the workplace and concerning student-teacher relationships, as well as on gender-based violence against women.

In November last year, IndustriALL Global Union launched a campaign to encourage affiliates to work together to ensure the ratification of the Convention and incorporation into domestic law. Through the gender office of Uruguay's central union PIT-CNT, IndustriALL's affiliates in Uruguay were actively involved in the tripartite talks on the ratification process.

Gender office representative and UNTMRA member Fernanda Ceballos says on the recent ratification: "We promoted the ratification of C190 in Uruguay from the gender equality and diversity office of PIT-CNT. We have worked on the issue of sexual harassment and zero tolerance of violence in the workplace for a long time, and we are very aware of the issue of raising awareness with the different unions through workshops on gender violence.

"In turn, we work on gender clauses, in conjunction with companies and the labour ministry. Once C190 was ratified, we held assemblies with UNTMRA to inform people of its scope. Many workers affiliated with UNTMRA have faced of sexual harassment at work, so we believe that ratification is very important to fight for a world of violence-free work."

IndustriALL's regional secretary, Marino Vani, says: "Convention 190 is an important tool for fighting discrimination and inequality in the workforce. We congratulate our affiliates in Uruguay for their tireless efforts to tackle gender-based violence, and the government for ratifying the new convention, which will help to create a world of work that is free of violence and harassment."

Source:  IndustriALL Global Union--IndustriALL represents 50 million workers in 140 countries


190 reasons and more for ratifying ILO C190

25 November 2019:   Today we commemorate the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. The strongest message and best possible way of celebrating this International Day would be the announcement by several governments of the ratification of ILO Convention C190 on Violence and Harassment.

This new international instrument - Convention 190 and Recommendation 206 - on violence and harassment in the world of work was adopted at the Centenary International Labour Conference in June 2019.

Much progress has been made but we still have a long way to go. It is exactly two decades since the United Nations officially designated 25th November as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women in memory of the three Mirabal sisters, assassinated in 1960 in the Dominican Republic. Public Services International (PSI) celebrates the adoption of Convention 190 as a major milestone and strongly urges all ILO Member States to ratify and implement it.

Rosa Pavanelli, PSI General Secretary: "Violence and harassment is not part of life, it is not something you have to go through because you are a woman. The campaign for C190 was initiated by women trade unionists many years ago, fighting for the elimination of gender-based violence at work. It gathered momentum and obtained global consensus culminating with adoption of a new international instrument for everyone, dealing with violence and harassment in the world of work. This goes to show that the struggle for women's rights can advance the rights for all".

Source:  Public Services International--PSI uniting more than 30 million workers in 163 countries


Call for ratification of ILO C87 in Malaysia

16 September 2019:   Together with other unions in the country, IndustriALL's affiliates in Malaysia are calling on the government to immediately ratify ILO convention 87 on freedom of association and the right to organize.

Unions are saying that since the new government has taken steps to reform the Trade Union Act (1959) and the Industrial Relations Act (1967) by removing restrictive provisions that violate the principle of freedom of association, there are no obstacles for the government to ratify the convention, as domestic laws will soon be in compliance with the convention.

"The Malaysian union movement has been been urging the government to ratify the convention, and past leaderships of the Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) have tirelessly campaigned for its ratification. Saying that unions don't support the ratification is wrong and the call for a ten-year moratorium doesn't make sense," said Gopal Kishnam, general secretary of IndustriALL affiliate National Union of Transport Equipment and Allied Industry Workers (NUTEAIW) and Labour Law Reform Coalition (LLRC) co-chairperson at a press conference during an LLRC Symposium on Freedom of Association on 8 September. Around 100 national union leaders and worker organization representatives attended the meeting.

"There is a misunderstanding that C87 promotes multiplicity of trade unions in workplaces and would add to disunity among Malaysian workers, but in fact the convention is instrumental in protecting workers' right to organize without interference from governments and employers. Effective and democratic unions will definitely have the unanimous support of workers," added Gopal.

"We believe that with the implementation of C87, Malaysian workers will prefer to join industrial union rather than enterprise union, as industry-wide bargaining has greater leverage safeguarding workers' interest and general well-being."

The LLRC was established in the wake of the first regime change at federal level in Malaysia in 2018, and is a coalition of 58 trade unions and NGOs and formerly known as the decent work working group. The coalition organizes consultation meetings with union leaders on reforming the Employment Act, Trade Union Act and Industrial Relations Act.

Source:  IndustriALL Global Union--IndustriALL represents 50 million workers in 140 countries


Trade Unions in South Korea for Ratification of ILO Core Conventions

15 April 2019 Today the Korean Construction Workers' Union (KCWU) affiliated to the Korean Federation of Construction Industry Trade Unions (KFCITU) held a rally demanding the government guarantee construction workers basic labor rights in front of Namdaemun on April 13th. Then they marched to join more than 20,000 at the main rally organized by its national center, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU). The key demands of the main rally included ratify ILO core conventions including conventions 87 and 98; amend Article 2 of the Labour Union Act; and guarantee specially-employed workers such as self-employed, contractor, and "misclassified" workers basic labor rights."

In addressing the protesters, KCTU Chairman Kim Myeong Hwan stated, "President Moon Jae-in promised to guarantee specially-employed workers basic labor rights even before he took office, but he has failed to do so after three years from in office and now he is attempting to eliminate the right to association for specially employed workers. We call on President to keep his promise to workers in South Korea."

Lee Young Cheol, Chair of the Specially Employed Workers' Association and the Vice President of the KCWU added, "We must not forget the martyrs who sacrificed themselves for the rights of workers for the past two decades. We will continue to fight and mobilize until the ILO General Assembly in June to ratify the ILO core conventions and revise the labor union law. The specially employed workers, will take the lead in this important struggle."

Following the rally, participants marched to the Presidential office Cheong Wa Dae.

The BWI along with UNI and ITF sent letters to the South Korean government this week calling for the immediate ratification of the ILO core conventions to ensure basic labor rights.

In the letter, BWI General Secretary Ambet Yuson urged President Moon Jae In to live up to his campaign promises to South Korean workers. He stated, "This is the 100th anniversary of the ILO. It would be only fitting that South Korea shows its commitment to abide by international standards by ratifying the core ILO conventions."

Source:  Building and Wood Workers International--BWI uniting 12 million members in 334 trade unions in 130 countries


PSI supports KCTU's general strike for ratification of ILO Core Conventions without regression

05 March 2019:   Social dialogue towards ratification of ILO Core Conventions 87 (freedom of association) and 98 (collective bargaining) in the Republic of Korea appears to be moving in the direction of actually weakening fundamental labour rights.

Public Services International (PSI) expresses its support for the KCTU General Strike and concern that social dialogue towards ratification of ILO Core Conventions 87 (freedom of association) and 98 (collective bargaining) in the Republic of Korea appears to be moving in the direction of actually weakening fundamental labour rights.

Discussions on ratification of ILO conventions and revision of labour law are currently taking place in the Committee on Improvement of Labour Relations Law and Practice of the Economic, a subcommittee of the Social and Labour Council (ESLC), a social dialogue body established by South Korean President Moon Jae-in. The committee is scheduled to issue recommendations on labour law revision on March 7.

Public interest members of the committee have already issued recommendations on labour law revision, which fall well below international standards by failing to guarantee trade union rights for self-employed workers, maintaining restrictions on freedom of association and political activities for government employees and teachers, and calling for new concrete limitations on the participation of dismissed and unemployed workers and officers of unions formed above the company level. Legislation based on these recommendations, but that is even more restrictive, has already been proposed in the National Assembly.

Further, PSI has learned that employers' representatives involved in the ESLC process have called for further revisions of the Trade Union and Labour Relations Adjustment Act (TULRAA), which put even greater restrictions on trade union rights, particularly the right to strike, while granting employers new powers, such as to make claims of 'unfair labour practices' against unions. The Moon Jae-in government has indicated willingness to accept many of these demands, claiming this is necessary to win support for ratification of ILO conventions.

PSI is particularly concerned that throughout committee discussions, guarantees for self-employed and precarious workers are being side-lined. The ILO Committee on Freedom of Association has, on several occasions, recommended that the South Korean government take the necessary steps to protect the rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining for these workers. The European Commission, which is currently engaged in formal consultation over the Korean government's failure to live up to obligations under the EU-ROK FTA, has also raised the issue of the exclusion of self-employed, unemployed and dismissed workers from the right to freedom of association as an essential issue the South Korean government must address.

The question of a system of minimum services in line with ILO standards has been left out of the discussion. As it now stands, the broad and vague definition of 'public interest businesses' in South Korean labour law means that many public institutions and other sectors not considered 'essential services in the strict sense of the term' have set excessively high levels of minimum services to be maintained during strikes and that employers may freely use replacement workers to break strikes.

The ILO has also recommended on several occasions that restrictions on the right to strike in workplaces that are not 'essential services in the strict sense of the term', such as railway, airlines and energy companies be keep to a minimum and that unions be granted the right to participate on equal footing with employers in deciding these minimum levels.

PSI General Secretary Rosa Pavanelli has expressed her concern over these developments, stating: "Since 1996 when South Korea joined the OECD, the government has made repeated promises to the international community to ratify ILO Core Conventions and improve the legal framework on trade union rights. PSI welcomed President's Moon promise to live up to these commitments when he first took office, but has been disappointed by what has followed since. The current discussions that tie regressive revision of the labour law to ratification of ILO conventions and ignore past ILO recommendations are unacceptable. Dialogue concerning ratification of ILO conventions should take place following a strict commitment to the principle of non-regression in existing laws and with a view towards actually improving the rights of workers in South Korea."

Source:  Public Services International--PSI uniting more than 20 million workers in 154 countries


International Labour Organisation - 50 for Freedom

Malta has become the 30th country worldwide to ratify the ILO Protocol on Forced labour, thereby committing to take effective measures to prevent all forms of forced labour, including trafficking in persons, protect victims and ensure their access to justice and compensation.

The Government of Malta has ratified the legally-binding treaty that requires countries to take new measures to tackle forced labour and modern slavery with a keen focus on protection, prevention and compensation.

"As the International Labour Organisation (ILO) celebrates its Centenary, we are faced with the realisation that the work and values that the organisation stands for remain relevant and applicable more so in today's world", Ambassador Olaph Terribile, Permanent Representative of Malta to the UN Office and other International Organizations in Geneva said. "Malta shall continue to seek and promote the enhancement of labour conditions both at a national level as well as within the appropriate multilateral platforms, confident in the belief that decent work is undeniably linked to sustainability and prosperity", he added.

The Government of Malta has taken significant measures to develop the legal and institutional framework for combatting trafficking in persons, including by criminalizing all forms of trafficking as well as forced labour, with penalties of four to 12 years imprisonment. Malta has also strengthened its efforts towards the protection of victims of trafficking in persons by enacting the "Victims of Crime Act" in April 2015, which includes provisions regarding access to assistance services and compensation. Moreover, the Anti-Human Trafficking Monitoring Committee was set up in 2011 for drawing up and monitoring the implementation of anti-trafficking policies. A National Referral Mechanism has also been active in Malta since 2013 and is mainly involved in the identification of victims or potential victims of trafficking.

The ILO Director-General, Mr. Guy Ryder, welcomed the step: "With the ratification of the Protocol, Malta once again confirms its commitment to promoting and implementing fundamental rights and principles at work".

This ratification supports the effective promotion of the ILO's Decent Work Agenda and achievement of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, in particular Target 8.7 to eradicate forced labour, modern slavery, human trafficking and child labour, and represents a significant contribution to mark ILO's centenary. The ILO estimates that about 24.9 million people worldwide are victims of forced labour, with 16 million people exploited in the private sector in activities such as domestic work, construction or agriculture; 4.8 million in forced sexual exploitation, and 4 million in forced labour imposed by state authorities. The ILO also estimates that this exploitation generates some US$150 billion a year in illicit profits.

In November 2017, during the Global Conference on child labour and forced labour in Argentina, the European Union pledged to "promote actively swift ratification of the Forced Labour Protocol among EU members". Malta is the 14th EU member state to ratify the ILO Protocol on Forced Labour.

Source:  Kiran Mehra-Kerpelman, 50 for Freedom Campaign


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