GENEVA (ILO News) - The Governing Body of the International Labour Office (ILO) elected Carlos A. Tomada, Minister of Labour, Employment and Social Security of Argentina, as Chairman for its 2005-2006 Session.
The 293rd session of the Governing Body also considered a range of other business, including a report of the ILO Committee on Freedom of Association.
Mr. Tomada replaces Philippe Séguin, who served as Governing Body Chairman during the 2004-05 Session. Mr. Tomada is a lawyer with longstanding experience in industrial relations and collective bargaining and has held his current position in Argentina since May 2003.
In his first address to the Governing Body, Mr. Tomada referred to the strong convergence of the policies of the Argentine government and ILO principles and the need to satisfy the demands of "women and men who strive for nothing more but also nothing less than a dignified life" through decent employment. According to the Minister, "efforts in favour of a social dimension of globalization and the promotion of decent work should be central to the agenda of all countries".
Sir Leroy Trotman, General Secretary, Barbados Workers' Union and spokesperson of the Workers' Group in the Governing Body, was re-elected Workers' Vice-chairperson. Daniel Funes de Rioja, President of the Social Policy Department of the Argentine Industrial Union and Chairman of the Employers' Group of the Organization of American States from 1995 to 1998, was re-elected as Employer Vice-chairperson.
The three will serve as Officers of the Governing Body during its 2005-06 Session. The Governing Body is the executive council of the ILO and meets three times annually in Geneva. It takes decisions on policy and establishes the program and budget of the 178 member States of the ILO.
The International Labour Conference of the ILO also elected new members of the Governing Body on 6 June.
Freedom of association
The Governing Body approved the 337th report of the ILO Committee on Freedom of Association. At its May-June meeting, the Committee examined 35 cases. Altogether there are currently 120 cases before the Committee.
The Committee drew special attention to the cases of Cambodia, Colombia, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Myanmar and Zimbabwe in respect of freedom of association.
In the case of Cambodia, the Committee considered that the assassination of two trade union leaders, Chea Vichea and Ros Sovannareth, within a four month interval raised serious concerns. The Committee deeply regretted that the Government only provided partial information in relation to the murder of Chea Vichea and did not send any detailed information on the action taken to determine those responsible for the murder of Ros Sovannareth. It urged the Government to institute without delay independent inquiries in order to identify not only the perpetrators of these crimes, but also the instigators and punish those responsible.
In the case of Colombia, which the Committee has been examining since 1995, it deplored the situation of impunity with respect to numerous murders and other acts of violence against trade union leaders. According to the Committee, impunity inevitably contributed to the climate of violence affecting all sectors of the society and the destruction of the trade union movement.
The Committee strongly urged the Government to take the necessary measures to carry on with the investigations that have begun, and to put an end to the intolerable situation of impunity. Following a request of the Committee for its Chairperson to meet with the Government delegation, the Government of Colombia invited the Chairperson to visit the country and meet with all interested parties.
The Committee also reached interim conclusions in the case of the Islamic Republic of Iran concerning clashes with government security forces on two separate occasions and resulting arrests and trials brought against some trade union leaders. The Committee requested the Government to ensure that all charges brought against trade union leaders related to the organization and participation in the Labour Day 2004 March be immediately dropped. It further asked for detailed information on the specific charges brought against the union leaders.
The Committee continued its examination of the case of Myanmar concerning the lack of a legislative framework for freedom of association, the total absence of recognized workers' organizations, and the arrest and imprisonment of trade unionists and workers who had pursued labour grievances. It urged the Government to take real steps towards ensuring respect for freedom of association in law and in practice in Myanmar in the very near future and recalled that the technical assistance of the Office was available in this respect.
The Committee examined again the case of Zimbabwe, including allegations of arbitrary arrests and detentions, anti-union intimidation, harassment and dismissals of trade union members and leaders for the exercise of legitimate trade union activities. Referring to the expulsion of a trade union mission to the country, the Committee considered that it was fully legitimate for a trade union movement to seek advice and support from other well-established trade union movements in the region to assist in defending or developing the national trade union organizations. The Committee requested the Government to allow in future such mutual support missions and noted with deep concern that the trade union situation in Zimbabwe has not evolved and may have even worsened.
The Governing Body is the executive body of the
International Labour Office (the Office is the
secretariat of the Organization). It meets three
times a year, in March, June and November, and
takes decisions on ILO policy, the agenda of the
International Labour Conference, and the draft
Programme and Budget of the Organization for
submission to the Conference.
It is composed of 56 titular members (28
Governments, 14 Employers and 14 Workers) and 66
deputy members (28 Governments, 19 Employers and 19
Workers). Ten of the titular government seats are
permanently held by States of chief industrial
importance (Brazil, China, France, Germany, India,
Italy, Japan, the Russian Federation, the United
Kingdom and the United States). The other
Government members, and the worker and employer
members, are elected by the Conference every three
years.