Features

2004

1. Article

   Danger at sea - Working in the fishing sector

   02 July 2004

   As fish and shellfish become increasingly important as a source of protein, the fishing industry has grown considerably. This growth, however, hasn't come without a cost - in terms of working conditions and occupational safety - to the estimated 35 million full and part-time workers in the fishing sector. To address this, delegates to this year's 92nd International Labour Conference took the first steps toward adopting new international labour standards for what is one of the world's most dangerous professions. Here, in question and answer format, are basic facts about the fishing sector and what the ILO can do to improve conditions there.

2. Article

   Delivering treatment for HIV/AIDS in the workplace: the ILO role

   25 June 2004

   The ILO is working to support the World Health Organization and UNAIDS in providing help for millions of people with HIV/AIDS. As one of the co-sponsors of the "3 by 5" initiative, the ILO will harness the potential of occupational health services in delivering and monitoring treatment, and mobilize its social partners to help spread the "know your status" message to encourage voluntary testing. Dr Benjamin O. Alli, Coordinator, Technical Cooperation and Advisory Services, ILO Programme on HIV/AIDS and the World of Work explains how the ILO can help "3 by 5" to succeed.

3. Article

   Strengthening the voice of women at the ILO

   24 June 2004

   The International Labour Conference of the International Labour Organization (ILO) annually gathers some 3,000 delegates representing governments, worker and employer organizations. Yet walking the halls of the United Nations building in Geneva where the meeting takes place, it was strikingly clear that at the 92nd International Labour Conference - just as during previous conferences - women remained under-represented among the delegates. Now, the ILO is working with its social partners to change this.

4. Article

   New hope for the world's 86 million migrant workers

   23 June 2004

   The ILO's 92nd International Labour Conference has adopted a new plan aimed at providing a fair deal for the world's 86 million migrant workers. The plan includes a host of measures for managing migration, protecting their rights and preventing trafficking. This news feature tells the story.

5. Article

   "No more working, take to books" - Making dreams possible

   17 June 2004

6. Article

   Argentina: decent work as a goal for development

   16 June 2004

   There are signs of employment recovery in Argentina, but a lot remains to be done, outlined tripartite representatives and the ILO who signed a Memorandum of Understanding expressing their support to the launch of a National Decent Work Programme.

7. Article

   Lighting up the opposition Smoking at work: non-smokers gain the upper hand

   14 June 2004

8. Article

   Shackled dreams, lost learning: The costs of child domestic labour

   09 June 2004

   They are the hidden face of child labour. In Latin America, nearly 2 million girls are child domestic labourers. Like millions of other children employed outside of their family homes - often in abusive, exploitative conditions - they form a vast, cadre who are hidden behind closed doors, can't go to school and face a lost childhood. This year's World Day Against Child Labour focuses on their plight, and their hopes for the future.

9. Article

   Getting out of the "poor man's mine shaft": How Poland faces globalization and EU accession

   28 May 2004

   Poland and the other new members of the European Union are jumping on a fast moving train. Will other newcomers be able to do the same? That was the subject of a meeting of workers, employers and governments from Nordic and Baltic States and Poland in Vilnius on 14 May, held to discuss regional aspects of globalization and EU accession, and how they might fit into the process. Piotr Zeydler, a Polish economist, examines the situation in Poland after its accession to the EU.

10. Article

    HIV/AIDS prevention: How empowering men and boys to promote gender equality can help

    25 May 2004

    The empowerment of women has long been considered a crucial element in the response to HIV/AIDS. New evidence, however, points to another important element in the equation - addressing the role of men and boys in promoting gender equality as a way of helping to prevent HIV-infection. ILO online spoke with Linda Wirth, director of the ILO Bureau for Gender Equality about these issues and the first-ever intergovernmental process to address them.