Impact and people
2004
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In Quebec, labour-sponsored "Solidarity Funds" are generating jobs
01 March 2004
The success of the Quebec Federation of Labour Solidarity Fund is founded upon twin objectives. Its main goal is profit, yet the Fund promotes workers' rights, and training and development for employees. Fernand Daoust, former president of the administrative council of the Fund and now special counsellor to the president, explains the vision of a unique organization.
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Waiting in Correntes: Forced labour in Brazil
01 March 2004
In a small, dusty town in Brazil's Piaui State, the "escravos", or modern-day slaves, of Correntes are on the fault lines of forced labour. In this report, the ILO shows how they become ensnared in a trap of debt and coercion - as well as what the ILO, in collaboration with the Government of Brazil, is doing about their plight.
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Asbestos in the workplace: a difficult legacy
01 March 2004
Once used nearly universally for its fire-retardant qualities, asbestos - and the illnesses it causes - has become a major issue for the industries which used and produced it as well as individuals who contracted various diseases and cancers as a result of exposure in the workplace. Journalist Andrew Bibby examines the state of asbestos litigation today, and how workers and employers are facing up to the problem.
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Jobs after war – Building sustainable peace
23 February 2004
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Economic insecurity drags on in Ukraine: ILO survey shows millions in distress
18 February 2004
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Making work a safer place
11 February 2004
Money talks, but does it think? Merging thoughtful workplace practices and the bottom-line is one of the goals of the Global Compact launched in 2000 by the United Nations. The Compact seeks to meet the challenges of globalization and create a more stable and inclusive world economy by embedding UN values in private sector strategies. Now, the ILO Safe Work Programme has joined the Compact to help promote a new health and safety culture at work. German journalist Anne Sieger reports.
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New ILO report: Despite rising unemployment, cause for cautious optimism
11 February 2004
The 2004 Global Employment Trends report, released today by the ILO, paints a grim picture of rising global unemployment. But the annual jobs report sees signs of recovery. Here are questions and answers on the global employment picture, how this affects different people, and what solutions exist for employment generation.
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Eliminating child labour: The costs and benefits
06 February 2004
A just-released study by the ILO International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC), "Investing in Every Child: An Economic Study of the Costs and Benefits of Eliminating Child Labour", argues that the benefits of eliminating child labour will far outweigh the costs. Peter Dorman, the author of the report, explains the costs and benefits of eliminating child labour and how the proposal may be applied.
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Unemployment - an enormous challenge for Latin America and the Caribbean
13 January 2004
A new ILO report paints a grim picture of unemployment in Latin America and the Caribbean. With 19 million jobless workers in Latin America's cities and unemployment hovering at above 10 per cent, the ILO says any recovery will require strong measures - including a reorientation of economic priorities and a more equitable globalization process.
2003
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Migrant health workers: Is one country’s gain another’s pain?
19 December 2003
Severe staff and skill shortages in the health systems of many countries have fostered the active recruitment of health workers from abroad, and this migration poses a potential threat to the health systems of developing countries, says a new ILO report which focuses on the situation of migrant nurses. Monica Evans from the ILO London Office spoke with the author, Dr. Stephen Bach.