GENEVA (ILO News) - The campaign to promote universal observance for its eight core Conventions passed an important milestone this week when the International Labour Office received notification from the Governments of Austria, Ecuador, Saint Kitts and Nevis and Togo that they had ratified ILO Conventions on child labour and the rights of workers to organize free trade unions and engage in collective bargaining.
The wave of ratifications pushed the total number of ILO core Conventions now formally adopted by the Organization's 175 member States from 997 to 1005 practically overnight. They included, specifically:
• Austria, which ratified the Minimum Age Convention, 1973 ( No.138);
• Ecuador, which also ratified Convention No. 138 plus the recently adopted Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 ( No.182), which means Ecuador has now ratified all eight of the core Conventions;
• Togo, which ratified ILO Convention No. 182 on the worst forms of child labour, bringing the total number of ratifications of ILO's most recently adopted instrument to 37;
• Saint Kitts and Nevis, which ratified ILO Conventions on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize, 1948 ( No.87); the Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining, 1949 ( No.98), Equal Remuneration, 1951 ( No.100); and Discrimination (Employment and Occupation), 1958 ( No.111). These are the first ratifications of ILO Conventions since Saint Kitts and Nevis joined the ILO in 1996, shortly after achieving independence.
The ILO Director-General, Mr. Juan Somavia, hailed the progress and noted its significance: "These ratifications move the world's workers closer to the day when the principles of these core labour standards, which we consider as fundamental human rights, are enshrined both in international law and in the domestic labour codes of all ILO member States." He added that we should "move from ratification to implementation in the real life of working people, if we want the benefits of the global economy to reach everyone".
The latest ratifications bring to 22 the number of countries that have ratified all eight of the fundamental Conventions * . Another 52 countries have ratified seven of the eight, and in almost all cases it is the recent Convention 182 which will complete the list. Since its adoption by the International Labour Conference in 1999, Convention 182 has racked up more ratifications than any other ILO Convention during a comparable period.
As part of a drive to increase respect for international labour standards, the ILO has designated these eight Conventions as fundamental to the achievement of basic human rights and "Decent Work", in a world labour market that is increasingly buffeted by the challenges of globalization. These Conventions underlie the ILO Declaration on fundamental principles and rights at work which was adopted in 1998.
The position of the ILO, endorsed by the International Labour Conference and the Governing Body, is that ratification of these Conventions forms the basis on which all other workers' rights - wages, safety and health at work, hours of work, etc. - can be built. Once there is freedom of association, and freedom from forced labour, child labour and discrimination at work, working people and the nations in which they live, can achieve the rest.
The current campaign for the ratification of these fundamental Conventions dates from an ILO initiative undertaken in the aftermath of the UN's World Summit for Social Development - the "Social Summit" - in Copenhagen in 1995. That Summit called upon all countries to apply, and if possible ratify, the ILO's Conventions on these subjects. Shortly afterwards, in May 1995, the Director-General began writing to all member States which had not already ratified the seven of these instruments which had by then been adopted, to ask for their reasons for non-ratification and to offer the ILO's help in overcoming any obstacles.
These ratifications mean an increase of over 25% in the ratification figures since the campaign was launched. Governments of ILO Member States in most regions of the world have responded with a serious examination of the reasons for non-ratification, and many have made a real effort to bring their law and practice into line. A detailed examination of the remaining countries' intentions on ratification of these eight Conventions will be carried out at the November session of the Governing Body.
The present ratification totals of the eight Conventions are (out of a possible total of 1400):
Convention Total ratifications No. 29 Forced Labour (1930) 153 No. 87 Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize (1948) 131 No. 98 Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining (1949) 147 No. 100 Equal remuneration (1951) 148 No. 105 Abolition of Forced Labour (1957) 146 No. 111 Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) (1958) 144 No. 138 Minimum Age Convention (1973) 99 No. 182 Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour (1999) 37 1005
* Belize, Botswana, Bulgaria, Central African Republic, Chile, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, San Marino, Senegal, Seychelles, Slovakia, South Africa, Switzerland, Tunisia, United Kingdom and Yemen.