Articles

April 2012

1. 

   Zooming in on the safety and health dimension of greening the economy

   23 April 2012

   The 2012 World Day for Safety and Health at Work focuses on the promotion of occupational safety and health (OSH) in a green economy. The shift to a green economy is perceived as a way to reconcile the world’s economic and social needs with environmental sustainability. However, even if certain jobs are considered to be “green”, the technologies used may protect the environment but not be safe at all. In this interview, Ms Manuela Tomei, Director of the ILO Labour Protection Department (PROTRAV), looks at the less visible dimension of green jobs and the greening of traditional sectors.

2. 

   Decent work and social justice: a spiritual perspective

   16 April 2012

   How do different religious traditions view the world of work and can they play a part in promoting ILO core values? A new publication entitled “Convergences: decent work and social justice in religious traditions”, explains the positions of various religious traditions regarding social justice and decent work issues. The ILO’s special adviser for socio-religious affairs, Pierre Martinot-Lagarde spoke to ILO Online.

3. 

   Making public-private partnerships work for better insurance coverage

   10 April 2012

   Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and has seen more than its share of both natural and man-made disasters. In a country like Haiti, microfinance not only helps to create jobs and income, but becomes a relief and survival strategy after disaster. Sarah Bel, Information Officer for the ILO’s Microinsurance Innovation Facility, reports on how public-private partnerships play an important role to scale up quality and affordable insurance products for low-income workers.

4. 

   Social Protection for Thailand’s Informal Economy Workers

   05 April 2012

   People working in the informal economy are vulnerable and often lack social protection. When natural disasters such as the 2011 flood in Thailand strike, they are frequently left without adequate support. But now the International Labour Organization (ILO) and other United Nations agencies are working with the Thai Government to change this and create a suitable social protection system. Alice Molinier and Kakkanang Ghettalae, ILO Social Protection Consultants, and Poonsap Tulaphan, Foundation for Labour and Employment Promotion report.

March 2012

1. 

   Giving an ancient craft a new shine: Training youth in the brassware sector in India

   27 March 2012

   Low levels of education, lack of skills, diplomas or certificates within a technical field severely limit the chances of gainful employment for a vast number of youth in India. A new programme of skills developing and training, however, is providing an alternative. Neelam Agnihotri, ILO communication officer in New Delhi, reports how this initiative is providing new jobs for youth in the centuries-old traditional brassware industry in Moradabad, northern India.

2. 

   Gender equality in the rural sector: The ever-present challenge

   02 March 2012

   The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day – Empower Rural Women, end poverty and hunger – highlights the need to tackle gender inequalities in the rural sector. Women living and working in rural areas are often perceived and treated as second-class citizens. Despite the low level of recognition given to their work, their socio-economic contribution to the welfare of their households and communities is immense. In this interview, ILO Gender Bureau Director Jane Hodges discusses the many facets of the plight of rural women.

3. 

   Decent work and education: A win-win combination

   01 March 2012

   In 2003, Argentina became one the first countries to incorporate the concept of Decent Work to its national development agenda. Since then, a number of government programmes have put into practice different aspects of the Decent Work Agenda. In 2004, Argentina and the ILO teamed up to launch the Building a Future with Decent Work project, which aims to promote and develop the dignity of work in each person. As ILO News explains, this a road that begins in the primary years at school.

February 2012

1. 

   Buried in bricks: Bonded labour in Afghanistan

   06 February 2012

   Bonded labour of adults and children in brick kilns is one of the most prevalent, yet least known forms of hazardous labour in Afghanistan. A new ILO study on the phenomenon marks the first attempt to provide a better understanding of the dynamics of bonded labour in two provinces of the country. ILO Online spoke with Samuel Hall consulting, lead author of the study.

2. 

   After the storm: Rebuilding livelihoods in the Philippines

   02 February 2012

   Natural disasters destroy livelihoods but the aftermath also offers opportunities to create jobs and revitalise the economy as there will be high demand for construction and other recovery works. For the last ten years, the ILO has engaged in post-disaster reconstruction in countries in Asia and the Pacific, including China, Indonesia, Myanmar, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and beyond. So the Organization was also prepared to help when tropical storm Washi heavily affected villages and major cities in the Philippines last December. Minette Rimando from the ILO office in Manila reports.

January 2012

1. 

   Land rights mean social justice for Cambodia's indigenous peoples

   27 January 2012

   February 20 is World Day for Social Justice, focusing attention on the necessity for economic growth to promote equity and social justice, and that “a society for all” must be based on social justice and respect for all human rights and fundamental freedoms. In Cambodia new legislation is helping some indigenous peoples achieve some of these rights and build a more secure future. By Maeve Galvin, Communication and Advocacy Officer, ILO Cambodia.