Audio

2008

1. ILC coverage: Effects of globalization on employment in India

   13 June 2008

   Neelam Agnihotri from ILO Radio interviews the President of the Employers Federation of India, Mr. N. Venkataramini.

2. ILC coverage: What does Decent Work mean to you?

   13 June 2008

   During the International Labour Conference a shuttle bus transported delegates back and forth from the ILO building to the United Nations Palais des Nations. Olga Bogdanova from ILO Radio went along for the ride and asked delegates what Decent Work meant to them. (in English, French, Portuguese and Spanish)

3. 

   ILC coverage: Tackling the food crisis

   11 June 2008

   Speaking at a high level panel of the 97th International Labour Conference, the Right Honourable Mr Pakalitha Mosisili, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Lesotho, shares his views on how to tackle the food crisis through investment, production and decent work.

4. 

   Making Chocolate Child Labour Free

   11 June 2008

   There are over a quarter of a million children who work in the cocoa plantations of West Africa. It's hazardous work, which exposes children to highly toxic pesticides. ILO Radio reports from Cameroon, where the International Labour Organization has been working to eliminate child labour from cocoa production and help children return to school.

5. 

   ILC coverage: Decent Work in Bahia, Brazil (in Portuguese)

   10 June 2008

   The Governor of the Brazilian State of Bahia Jacques Wagner today presented the world’s first state-level Decent Work initiative at the annual conference of the International Labour Organization. The plan was created with support from employers and workers and is considered an innovative model to generate more and better jobs.

6. Balancing economic growth and climate change in Asia with Green Jobs

   10 June 2008

   In the light of global warming Asian countries are faced with the complex challenge of maintaining their economic growth and promoting opportunities for decent work while reducing their environmental impact. The view is gaining ground that climate change is directly related to the way we work, and ultimately can only be halted by changing the patterns of work and shifting to new modes of production and consumption. In response the ILO has launched its Green Jobs Initiative. Sophy Fisher asked Peter Poschen, ILO speciaist in Sustainable Development, to explain what is meant by Green Jobs.

7. 

   ILC coverage: New Panama Canal built with respect for labour rights (in Spanish)

   10 June 2008

   The President of Panama, Martín Torrijos, today told the annual conference of the ILO that “work to expand the Panama Canal will be carried out with respect for decent work and labour rights, and profits from the Canal will be used to combat poverty”, which he described as "a universal shame" requiring firm political decisions.

8. 

   ILC coverage: Urgent counter measures needed to ward off "sub-prime work" says ILO Director General

   09 June 2008

   Urgent counter measures are needed to ward off "sub-prime work", says the ILO Director General, Juan Somavia. The balance can be found in the Decent Work Agenda and a fair globalization.

9. ILC coverage: The issues surrounding climate change in Africa - the road to green jobs (in French)

   09 June 2008

   The debate on global warming is gaining momentum in Africa. According to experts, African countries will be especially vulnerable to climate change due to the specific challenges they are facing, including the AIDS pandemic, diseases like malaria, and youth unemployment. However, couldn't climate change be for Africa an opportunity to get new impetus for development, rather than a major threat? In this interview, Peter Poschen, an ILO sustainable development specialist, ponders over this question and describes the "Green Jobs" initiative launched by the International Labour Organization.

10. ILC coverage: After the Cyclone - the ILO's work in Myanmar

    09 June 2008

    In the immediate aftermath of Cyclone Nargis hitting Myanmar the focus was inevitably on humantarian relief and the aid operation. Now attention is shifting to the longer term, and issues such as whether the next rice harvest can be saved and food shortages averted, and what measures need to be taken to stop forced labour being used in reconstruction work. The prevention of forced labour is at the heart of the ILO's mandate in Myanmar. The ILO's Liaison Officer for Myanmar, Steve Marshall, has been in Geenva, reporting to the International Labour Conference on the situation. As he prepares to return to Yangon, Sophy Fisher asked him what he thought the longer term effects of the cyclone disaster would be, in terms of the ILO's work.