April 1998

1. Press release

   Social Crisis in Asia: ILO Meeting identifies areas for priority action

   24 April 1998

   BANGKOK (ILO News) - Expressing grave concern at the deterioration in labour and social conditions in East and South-East Asia, representatives from governments, workers' and employers' organizations from 8 countries - China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Viet Nam - and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, have outlined the priority steps required to address the social dimension of the unfolding financial crisis.

2. Press release

   Thai Premier Opens ILO Meeting on Social Crisis in Asia

   22 April 1998

   BANGKOK (ILO News) - Warning that "sustained development cannot co-exist side-by-side with social inequalities and the deterioration of our human resource," Mr. Chuan Leekpai, Prime Minister of Thailand has called for equal importance to be given to national and international economic and social development policies.

3. Press release

   Changes in global employment in the postal and Telecommunications services

   20 April 1998

   GENEVA (ILO News) ­ Increasing competition from private enterprises, new means of communication, elimination of monopolies and the growth of such new media as the Internet pose major challenges to workers in postal administrations and telecoms around the world, and will prompt increasingly rapid changes in the nature of jobs held by millions workers world wide, especially women, according to a new ILO report.

4. Press release

   ILO calls for new policy responses to the crisis in asia

   15 April 1998

   HONG KONG (ILO News) ­ The pain inflicted on Asian societies will continue to grow in 1998 largely as a result of inadequate policy responses to the financial crisis, says the International Labour Office (ILO) in a new report offering a series of proposals aimed at mitigating its disastrous social consequences.

March 1998

1. Press release

   Draft Declaration on Fundamental Rights within the ILO Mandate Placed on Agenda of 1998 ILO Conference

   27 March 1998

   GENEVA (ILO News) ­ A draft Declaration of principles on the fundamental rights relating to the ILO mandate together with an appropriate follow-up mechanism will be submitted for approval to the Governments, trade union federations and employers' organizations of the 174 member States of the International Labour Organization (ILO) when their representatives meet for the Organization's annual Conference, next June.

2. Press release

   Nigerian Labour Practices Under Scrutiny: ILO Governing Body Establishes Commission of Inquiry

   26 March 1998

   GENEVA (ILO News) ­ The Governing Body of the ILO today established a Commission of Inquiry to examine long-standing allegations of abuses of trade union rights in Nigeria. The procedures, under Article 26 of the ILO Constitution, are invoked in the event of persistent and serious violations of international labour standards and repeated refusal of a member State to align its labour practices with the recommendations of the ILO's supervisory mechanisms.

3. Press release

   Chilean Elected to ILO Top Job

   23 March 1998

   GENEVA (ILO News) ­ The Governing Body of the International Labour Organization today elected Mr. Juan Somavia of Chile to serve as the next Director General of the ILO. He was elected by a vote of 44 votes for his candidacy. A majority of the 56 eligible votes was necessary to be elected. There were no abstentions. Ms María Nieves Roldan-Confesor (Philippines) received 12 votes. Mr. Somavia's five-year term of office begins on 4 March 1999.

4. Press release

   ILO Governing Body to Convene Decisions Expected on Declaration of Fundamental Rights

   11 March 1998

   GENEVA (ILO News) ­ A key decision for the future of human rights and international labour standards is forthcoming at the 271 st session of the ILO Governing Body. In the course of its deliberations between 23-27 March, the Governing Body will examine the draft text of a possible Declaration on fundamental rights, to be submitted to the next session of the International Labour Conference in June 1998.

February 1998

1. Press release

   Global employment in refining industry remains stable, but pressure on jobs grows

   23 February 1998

   GENEVA (ILO News) – Increasing competition, excess refining capacity and the mounting cost of investments needed to meet tightening environmental standards threaten the profitability of the oil refining industry and cast a shadow over the job prospects of oil refinery workers, particularly in OECD countries, a new ILO report says.

2. Press release

   Nominations close for top ILO post

   23 February 1998

   GENEVA (ILO News) – Two candidatures were submitted for election to the post of Director-General of the International Labour Office as nominations to the ILO top job officially closed today.