News

May 2009

  1. Member State

    The Republic of Maldives becomes 183rd ILO member State

    18 May 2009

    The Republic of Maldives has become the 183rd member State of the International Labour Organization (ILO)...

  2. Media Advisory

    Media Advisory: 98th ILO Annual Conference - Agenda and accreditation information

    14 May 2009

    The International Labour Organization (ILO) will hold its annual International Labour Conference here from 3-19 June and will discuss a global response to the impact of the economic and financial crisis on working women and men.

  3. Forced Labour

    New ILO report says “cost of coercion” to workers in forced labour surpasses USD 20 billion per year

    12 May 2009

    In a new study on the patterns of forced labour worldwide, the International Labour Office (ILO) says the “opportunity cost” of coercion to the workers affected reaches over USD 20 billion per year.

  4. Better Work global program

    IFC-ILO Better Work partnership scales up to improve labor standards in developing countries

    11 May 2009

    IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, and the International Labour Organization (ILO) are scaling up their Better Work partnership to help raise labor standards in global supply chains, which will improve the lives of about 1.2 million workers in developing countries.

  5. Forced labour

    From labour exploitation to forced labour: a fine line

    11 May 2009

    Forced labour is a crime that requires severe punishment. But clear guidance is needed, to determine the often thin dividing line between labour exploitation and forced labour. Zambia is one of the African countries to have taken steps both to understand the problems through research and to instigate measures to combat them. The case illustrates some of the dilemmas.

  6. Forced Labour

    Questions and answers on “The cost of coercion"

    11 May 2009

    A new ILO report on forced labour entitled “The cost of coercion” says that victims of forced labour lose an estimated USD 20 billion ever year in unpaid earnings. This and other findings provide a powerful economic argument for stepping up global action against forced labour. ILO Online spoke with Roger Plant, head of the ILO’s Special Action Programme to combat Forced Labour.

  7. Oil and gas industry

    Governments, oil firms and oil workers meeting at ILO to discuss implications of global crisis for oil and gas industry

    11 May 2009

    Amid a global downturn in employment in the oil and gas sector, senior representatives of governments, workers’ and employers’ organizations are to discuss the state of industrial relations in the petroleum industry at a meeting at the International Labour Office (ILO) on 11-14 May.

  8. G-20

    Argentina and Brazil request the ILO takes part in G-20 meetings

    06 May 2009

    The presidents of Argentina and Brazil called for the ILO’s participation in the meetings of the G-20, taking into account the organization's experience in promoting social dialogue, advocating social justice and developing its Decent Work Agenda.

April 2009

  1. Article

    Start at home: promoting local economic development to stem the global economic crisis

    29 April 2009

    Much policy advice has been given to facilitate global finance, trade and investments to connect with the global economy. But much less to reinforce local communities and local markets where people live and want to stay if given the opportunity. Strengthening local communities in developing countries is also a means to help those who will suffer most from the global economic and jobs crisis. ILO Online spoke with Local Economic Development Specialists Kees van der Ree and Matthieu Cognac.

  2. World Day for Safety and Health at Work

    World Day for Safety and Health at Work to be commemorated amid concerns over impact of global economic crisis

    27 April 2009

    World Day for Safety and Health at Work is to be marked in scores of countries and hundreds of localities on all continents this year with a host of events aimed at raising awareness about what ILO Director-General Juan Somavia called the “human tragedy” of unsafe work.