GENEVA (ILO News) - The International Labour Office's (ILO) Governing Body concluded its 283 rd session here today following two weeks of discussions over issues including forced labour in Myanmar, the impact of globalization and the employment situation in Afghanistan.
The Governing Body welcomed an understanding reached between the International Labour Office and Myanmar to appoint a liaison officer in the country by June of this year.
The issue of the ILO presence in Myanmar has been considered as key for assisting the government in its efforts towards eliminating forced labour and assessing progress in this regard. The establishment of a liaison officer in Myanmar represents a first step towards a full ILO representation that can make an effective contribution to eliminating forced labour.
Globalization issues
In an address to the Working Party on the Social Dimension of Globalization, Minister of Labour, Employment and Social Security of Argentina, Alfredo Atanasof said the pressing social issues in his country had resulted from "policies which considered that the economy should prevail over the social concerns." The Government of Argentina signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the ILO focussed on poverty alleviation, the strengthening of social security networks and employment creation programs.
In an address to the Working Party, Mike Moore, Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) spoke on the theme of "How trade liberalization impacts employment". Mr. Moore welcomed the ILO initiative to establish a World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization and the scope it offered to the WTO and ILO secretariats to continue their existing collaboration on trade liberalization and employment. He also reiterated the WTO commitment to the observance of internationally recognized labour standards and its belief that the ILO was a competent body to deal with these issues. The World Commission holds its first meeting here on 25-26 March.
In an address, Mr. Mir Wais Sadeq, Minister of Labour and Social Affairs of the Interim Administration of Afghanistan said the employment situation in his country was "grim, with open unemployment as high as 2 million out of an estimated labour force of some 8 million." He said returning refugees would swell the figure by some 4000,000 this year and that there remained an "employment gap of over a million jobs". Mr. Sadeq said he had discussed the opening of an ILO office in Kabul and future ILO collaboration with the interim government, including a number of employment programmes developed by the ILO.
Other matters
The Governing Body also reviewed the annual reports required under the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. The reports provide a review of the situation in countries that have not ratified one or more of the ILO's fundamental Conventions. The Chairman of the Governing Body, Mr. Alain Ludovic Tou, noted that the number of countries failing to file reports under the declaration had dropped from 50 in 2000 to 11 this year. In the meantime, several countries from the Gulf region, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Qatar have engaged in a dialogue with the ILO which led to a plan of activities to assure the respect of the principles of freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining.
The Governing Body also agreed to fast-track efforts aimed at forging an agreement on a Protocol concerning improved security for seafarers' identification. This instrument will be submitted to the International Labour Conference next year. The new instrument will address the question of positive verifiable identification of seafarers; set out the purpose for which the document is issued and the procedures for its issuance; regulate the requirements concerning physical characteristics and measures to ensure the unfalsifiable nature of the document as well as procedures for monitoring and control. It would provide for the inclusion of additional information, such as information on certification of seafarers. The adoption of a Code of Practice on Security, Safety and Health in Ports will also be pursued within the next year subject to resources being made available.
On the issue of HIV/AIDS, the ILO Programme on HIV/AIDS reported that the workplace is now a priority location for AIDS prevention and care. In order to show the impact of the epidemic on the world of work, and share information on measures that can be taken in response, the Programme on HIV/AIDS said it had launched a new website which can be found at the following address: www.ilo.org/aids.
Committee on Freedom of Association
The 50 th anniversary of the ILO's Committee on Freedom of Association (CFA) was marked with a roundtable on 14 March. Participants included trade union leaders Dita Sari from Indonesia and Basile Mahan Gahé from Côte d'Ivoire who were released from prison following CFA recommendations. Over the last decade, more than 2,000 trade unionists have been released from prison following examination of their cases by the CFA.
The Governing Body's Committee on Freedom of Association also examined 31 cases. In the case of Colombia, the Committee noted that there has been no progress since its last examination in respect of the situation of violence against trade union leaders there and urged the Government to initiate inquiries into violent acts and to take the necessary steps to end the situation of impunity.
The Committee also requested the Government of the Republic of Korea to extend the right to organize to all those categories of public servants who should enjoy this right in accordance with freedom of association principles; to speed up the process of legalizing trade union pluralism at the enterprise level; to limit restrictions on the right to strike to essential services; and to speed up the legislative process with a view to amending the legislation so as to bring it into line with freedom of association principles.
Noting the Government's indication that, as of September 2001, 190 workers were arrested and detained, as well as the complainant's new allegations that more unionists have been arrested, the Committee urged the Government to take the appropriate measures so that the persons detained or on trial as a result of their trade union activities are released, or that the charges brought against them are dropped.
In the case concerning the assault on the Zimbabwean trade union leader, Mr. Morgan Tsvangirai, and the arson of union offices, the Committee regretted that the Government has maintained that it is not possible to set up an independent inquiry into the matter. The Committee urged the Government to take the necessary measures to institute an independent investigation into this matter and inform it of the outcome.
The Committee also dealt with a complaint submitted by a national employers organization in Yugoslavia concerning restrictions placed upon the right of employers to form and join the organization of their own choosing and to bargain collectively, as a result of obligatory membership in the Chamber of Commerce. Emphasizing that freedom of association standards and principles apply not only to workers but also to employers, the Committee called upon the Government to take the necessary steps to repeal all provisions in the law on the Chamber of Commerce which would give rise to compulsory membership or financing.
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. It takes decisions on ILO policy, decides the agenda of the International Labour Conference, adopts the draft Programme and Budget of the Organization for submission to the Conference, and elects the Director-General.
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 are elected by the Conference every three years. They are Algeria, Burkina Faso, Canada, Chad, Croatia, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guatemala, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Namibia, Peru, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela.