Feature articles

July 2003 

• ILO Recommendation 193 one year after: The revival of the cooperative idea
  23 July 2003 - This June marked the first anniversary of the ILO's initiative to encourage the idea of cooperative business.
• Labour-sponsored investment funds: more jobs, more money and job security
  11 July 2003 - Over 20 years ago, the economy of the Canadian province of Quebec was mired in deep recession, brought on by an international economic downturn and souring relations between the provincial government and labour.
• Job stability in industrialized countries remains surprisingly strong
  08 July 2003 - ILO study sees labour markets less volatile than generally assumed
• New HIV/AIDS initiative: growing solidarity in the world of work
  08 July 2003 - With an estimated 25 million or more workers infected with HIV, finding ways to help them and their employers deal with the consequences of the epidemic is a top priority. Top managers, employers' and workers' representatives and other stakeholders met recently at the ILO under the auspices of the UN Global Compact, to discuss action at the workplace to tackle the challenges posed by HIV/AIDS.
• UN Convention on migrant workers rights enters into force
  02 July 2003 - GENEVA (ILO Online) – In a major development aimed at improving the lives of the world's vast mobile workforce, the UN International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families enters into force on today (1 July).

May 2003 

• Employment in the utilities sector continues to decline
  23 May 2003 - Mergers and acquisitions in the water, electricity and gas services have resulted in a continuous employment decline in most countries since 1985, according to a new report by the International Labour Office (ILO) to be discussed at a "Tripartite Meeting on Challenges and Opportunities Facing Public Utilities" here on 19-23 May 2003.
• After the G8: ILO discussion on security for seafarers takes on new urgency
  23 May 2003 - The just-ended G8 meeting in Evian, France, cited the need to work urgently through the ILO to develop a heightened security regime for the world's 1.2 million seafarers. ...
• ILO: Travel woes: tourism and travel jobs suffer new decline
  23 May 2003 - Since January of 2002, when the ILO first reported major job losses in the travel and tourism sector due to post-September 11 economic woes and security concerns, the sector  is facing new problems. The recent outbreak of SARS has further cut into the sector, axing more jobs. ILO analyst Dirk Belau answers questions about the problems facing the sector.
• ILO concern: the unbearable fate of child soldiers
  23 May 2003 - Among the voiceless victims of the worst forms of child labour are child soldiers - or children who fight - for whatever reason - or provide various forms of support in conflicts. Many of these children face not only the dangers of combat, but suffer physical abuse or rape at the hands of their fellow combatants. ...
• ILO: Workplace discrimination, a picture of hope and concern
  23 May 2003 - A new ILO report on discrimination at work - the most comprehensive to date - says workplace discrimination remains a persistent global problem, with new, more subtle forms emerging. While significant progress in combatting inequalities at the workplace is cause for hope, the report says new forms of discrimination are cause for growing concern.