Articles

May 2011

“Working in Russia”: a step towards decent work for migrant workers

16 May 2011

According to the 2011 ILO Global Report on Discrimination, migrant workers encounter discrimination on a daily basis. While many of them are already at risk of all kinds of abuse, they also became the first victims of the financial and economic crisis, the report says. ILO Online reports from the Russian Federation which has been the biggest receiving, sending and transit country for migrant workers in Eastern Europe and Central Asia since the early 1990s.
“Opportunities for all”: promoting employment for disabled jobseekers and persons with HIV/AIDS

16 May 2011

According to the ILO's new global report on discrimination worldwide, the challenge for enhancing the employability of people with disabilities and HIV/AIDS is significant. Promoting the rights of vulnerable groups, such as workers with HIV/AIDS or disabilities, is therefore among the major areas of focus of the ILO. A good example is its Opportunity for All Initiative which is helping seven companies in the north of Viet Nam to include people living with a disability or HIV/AIDS in the workplace. ILO Online reports from Hanoi, Viet Nam.
1919–2011: ILO Conferences in changing times

09 May 2011

The ILO has played a role at key historical junctures – the Great Depression, decolonization, the creation of Solidarność in Poland, the victory over apartheid in South Africa – and today in the building of an ethical and productive framework for a fair globalization. The 100th Session of the International Labour Conference in June 2011 is an occasion to look back at some of its landmark sessions since 1919.
Questions and answers on Growth, Productive Employment and Decent Work in the LDCs

06 May 2011

In preparation for the Fourth UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC-IV), the International Labour Organization (ILO) has produced a report “Growth, Productive Employment and Decent Work in the LDCs,” which argues for transformative policies for decent work in LDCs. UN-NGLS (United Nations Non-Governmental Liaison Service) interviews José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs, Executive Director for Employment, ILO, on the key insights and recommendations of the report.
Reducing poverty through tourism (Questions & Answers)

03 May 2011

Least Developed Countries (LDCs) can draw on a range of policies to drive an agenda of structural transformation and decent work. A special event at the Fourth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries to be held in Istanbul from 9-13 May, 2011, features Hotel, Catering and Tourism (HCT) as one of the fastest-growing economic sectors worldwide which can significantly contribute to social and economic development, as well as poverty reduction in LDCs. ILO Online spoke with Wolfgang Weinz, Hotels, Catering and Tourism Specialist in the ILO’s Sectoral Activities Department.
Indigenous women entrepreneurs in Papua GET Ahead

01 May 2011

Despite being one of the richest regions in Indonesia, 41.8 per cent of the population in Papua is living below the poverty line. Many of them are indigenous Papuans who constitute two-thirds of the region’s population of 2.3 million…
How to EASE social dialogue between sports professionals and their employers

01 May 2011

They are the men and women who each weekend run out on to the world’s football stadiums, basketball courts, baseball diamonds and athletics arenas. But are the world’s professional sportsmen and women also workers?
Employment in the tourism industry to grow significantly

01 May 2011

The travel and tourism industry is one of the largest and most dynamic industries in today’s global economy. It is expected to generate about 9 per cent of total GDP and provide more than 235 million jobs in 2010, representing 8 per cent of global employment. Last November, over 150 government, employer and worker delegates from more than 50 countries, meeting at the ILO’s Global Dialogue Forum on New Developments and Challenges in the Hospitality and Tourism Sector, discussed new developments and challenges in the sector. The Forum was opened by Mr Taleb Rifai, Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and Mr Juan Somavia, Director-General of the ILO.
The International Labour Conference: Motor of the ILO

01 May 2011

In October of 1919, the first International Labour Conference (ILC) opened in an atmosphere of hope and anticipation. As delegates gathered in Washington, D.C., they were about to set in motion elements of the Treaty of Versailles that concerned the world of work.
Pension reform and ageing populations in developed economies

01 May 2011

The forthcoming Session of the International Labour Conference will also discuss pension reform in developed economies. The debate will be continued in 2012 when the Conference will hold a general discussion on employment and social protection in the new demographic context.