All ILO Newsroom content

June 2013

1. 

   Watch

   Protecting worker rights in global supply chains

   10 June 2013

   At an information session of the 2013 International Labour Conference, trade union representatives criticized the practice of social audits and workplace certification for failing to protect worker rights, particularly in global supply chains. They welcomed the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh that aims to prevent tragedies like the Ran Plaza factory building collapse in which over 1100 workers died.

May 2013

1. 

   Labour rights

   Myanmar celebrates May Day

   01 May 2013

   Government, worker and employer representatives gather in Yangon one year after the adoption of the Organization of Labour Law.

April 2013

1. 

   Arab Labour Conference

   Ryder: Arab region must seize opportunity for reform

   15 April 2013

   ILO Director-General, Guy Ryder, highlighted the need for strengthened social dialogue, social protection measures and efforts to tackle youth unemployment in Arab countries, at the opening of the Arab Labour Conference in Algeria.

October 2012

1. Labour rights

   Domestic workers in Europe falling through the loopholes

   24 October 2012

   Many domestic workers in Europe do not enjoy as much legal protection as other workers. ILO Convention 189 on Decent Work for Domestic Workers – which will come into force in a year’s time – offers a chance to improve the lives of the millions of people who work in this profession.

June 2012

1. 

   Article

   Boosting the signal: Helping migrant workers from Myanmar in Thailand

   25 June 2012

   More than 80 per cent of migrant workers in Thailand are from Myanmar. A community radio has caught their ear helping them to understand Thailand’s immigration laws and advocating for their rights at work. Allan Dow reports.

December 2011

1. 

   Video

   Video: Rights at Work and Social Dialogue in Asia and the Pacific

   04 December 2011

   Throughout the region increasing numbers of collective and individual disputes are creating strain on dispute resolution mechanisms. Underpinning any solution must be a system that delivers more equitable growth. For this to happen, the region's future development must be based around adherence to international labour standards - including core and governance Conventions, respect for fundamental principles and rights at work, and effective mechanisms supporting dialogue, voice and organizational rights. Reducing informality of work, regulating the employment relationship and targeting persistent discrimination are ways forward. Improved productivity can be linked to better wages, using effective labour market institutions and social dialogue, and measures to ensure that workers have sufficient leverage in determining and protecting standards of living.

March 2011

1. 

   Video

   Tunisian Trade Unions Working For Peace and Democracy (in Arabic)

   21 March 2011

   Mr. Abdessalem Jerad, General Secretary of the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT) spoke to the ILO Governing Body in a high-level discussion on Challenges and Change in the Arab World. Mr. Jerad thanked the Director-General for his support for the Tunisian revolution and for helping to meet the people's needs for decent work, decent wages and social justice. He referred to the Director-General's statement of 19 January 2011, supporting the demands of the revolutionaries and workers of Tunisia and the workers' movement, and said it had a significant impact coming at a moment when there was no guarantee that the revolution would succeed in its efforts to overthrow the dictatorship and put an end to corruption. Other participants in the discussion included H.E. Dr. Ahmed El-Borai, Minister of Manpower and Migration of Egypt; and Mr. Habib Yousfi, President of the General Confederation of Algerian Enterprises (CGEA).

2. 

   Video

   The Egyptian Revolution as a Model for Peaceful Change (in Arabic)

   21 March 2011

   H.E. Dr. Ahmed El-Borai, Minister of Manpower and Migration of Egypt, spoke to the ILO Governing Body in a high-level discussion on Challenges and Change in the Arab World. He thanked the ILO Director-General for his support and for coming to Egypt to join in their declaration for trade union freedom. He described the Egyptian revolution as a model for "peaceful and rational changes in the region and the whole world" and as the inception of a new development process leading to a better future based on freedom, dignity and social justice. Other participants in the debate included Mr. Habib Yousfi, President of the General Confederation of Algerian Enterprises (CGEA); and Mr. Abdessalem Jerad, General Secretary of the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT).

3. 

   Video

   The Value of Social Dialogue for Algerian Employers

   21 March 2011

   Mr. Habib Yousfi, President of the General Confederation of Algerian Enterprises (CGEA), spoke to the ILO Governing Body in a high-level discussion on Challenges and Change in the Arab World. He discussed the value of social dialogue between governments, employers and workers to “realize social peace and create a climate fostering economic development”. He also welcomed the ILO Director-General’s strategic initiatives in several countries in the region, insisting on values and rights, as “an example of political courage: You were at the right place at the right time, encouraging young people to seek a greater degree of freedom”. Other participants in the debate included H.E. Dr. Ahmed El-Borai, Minister of Manpower and Migration of Egypt; and Mr. Abdessalem Jerad, General Secretary of the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT). (in French)

4. 

   Video

   Director-General Juan Somavia says ILO Ready to Assist in Egypt and Tunisia

   21 March 2011

   Referring to the situations in Egypt and Tunisia the ILO Director-General, Juan Somavia, said it is “a time when all actors of society are called upon to exercise their responsibilities so that they will be on the right side of history being made in front of your eyes by the peaceful, popular expression of the people’s will”, adding that “we at the ILO must be ready to assist them”. The Director-General spoke to the ILO Governing Body introducing a high-level discussion on Challenges and Change in the Arab World. Panel participants included H.E. Dr. Ahmed El-Borai, Minister of Manpower and Migration of Egypt; Mr. Habib Yousfi, President of the General Confederation of Algerian Enterprises (CGEA); and Mr. Abdessalem Jerad, General Secretary of the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT).