Al Jazeera
13 June 2013
In ratifying two ILO's convections, Yemen has made an important step to reduce their 1.6 million child labourers, which account for 21% of the country's children. However, as Al Jazeera English reports, progress may be difficult while 1/3 of Yemen's 25 million people live below the poverty line. Creating awareness and encouraging children to enroll in school is the next strong initiative by Yemen's Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.
BBC World News
12 June 2013
Millions of children worldwide spend long hours as domestic workers instead of going to school according to a report from the ILO. The hidden nature of this form of employment, makes children especially vulnerable to exploitation and hazardous working conditions that may sometimes verge on slavery.
CNN
03 June 2013
Talking to CNN, ILO's Director General, Guy Ryder, says that people are not reinvesting the money that has been accumulated from the cuts put in place since the 2008 crisis and that it's "a very serious situation". Cash holdings have tripled by publicly listed companies, causing growth in economic inequality where small business cannot access the credit that could create jobs.
BBC World News
03 June 2013
Inequality is getting worst in developed economies while major enterprises are not reinvesting the profits they are making, says ILO's Raymond Torres in a live interview with BBC World News. There is foresight for economic growth in developing countries, but in advanced economies, middle income groups are shrinking. In 2015, 208 million individuals will be without work as long as 6 Trillion US dollars continue to sit unspent in the accounts of large enterprises.
Al Jazeera English
29 May 2013
Support to small businesses may help tackle rising youth unemployment in the EU but it is not enough. Rolling back austerity measures will allow these companies to hire again. In a live interview with Al Jazeera English, ILO's Chief Economist, Ekkehard Ernst, urged South European countries to step up and provide sufficient jobs and the right skills to young people to ease their access to the labour market. He welcomed the recent French-German initiative to boost youth employment, stressing the importance of apprenticeships and the education system to prepare youth for labour market.
Reuters TV
29 May 2013
An additional six million people will join the ranks of the unemployed, accounting for 200 million worldwide, according to the ILO's Director-General Guy Ryder. And this number may reach 250 million in the next five years. Speaking to Reuters, Mr. Ryder welcomed some EU countries' initiatives to tackle youth unemployment, but urged that much more needs to be done. He warned that the rhetoric of a lost generation is not a danger for the future, but already happening and that needs immediate action.
Al Jazeera English
21 May 2013
Al Jazeera English reports from a small town in Batangas, Philippines called "little Italy" where most of its inhabitants have found work abroad. The remittances they have sent back changed its face from a village of coconut trees to Italian-style villas. However, the absence of these migrant workers comes at a cost to their children who have been left behind. Director Lawrence Jeff Johnson of the ILO Country Office for the Philippines talks to Al Jazeera English about migration as a choice and the importance of decent and productive work.
CNN's World Business Today
16 May 2013
ILO's Deputy Director-General for Field Operations, Gilbert Houngbo, welcomed the Bangladesh Accord on Building and Fire Safety but said additional issues such as labour laws, freedom of association and collective bargaining must be respected. Speaking on CNN's World Business Today, Mr Houngbo concluded that action should be taken now, "to make sure we are not just talking the talk, but walking the walk".
CNBC Asia
15 May 2013
Major clothing retailers have agreed to sign a workplace safety agreement, in an effort to avoid future tragedies such as the collapse of the Rana Plaza building in Bangladesh, where over a thousand garment workers lost their lives. Mr. Ryder told CNBC's "Squawk Box" that the agreement, which addresses worker safety and health issues, is a breakthrough, but is only part of the answer.
China Central Television (CNTV)
14 May 2013