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Interactive Conference on Organized Labour in the 21st Century
In its 1997-1998 World Labour Report, the International Labour Organization(ILO) provided an overview of the state of industrial relations worldwide. National systems for regulating employment have been affected by global competition, new technology, new industrial organizations and changes in the workforce. At the same time, many countries are facing a decline in trade union membership, reduced coverage of collective bargaining, and a weakening of legal protection for workers.
The International Institute for Labour Studies(IILS) of the ILO carried out a programme on "Organized Labour in the 21st Century", with the following objectives: to investigate in more detail the challenges facing trade unions today, to present a summary of their varying responses, and to identify the policies and activities which have proved particularly successful in different regions of the world.
The On-line Conference on "Organized Labour in the 21st Century"
The Conference was an electronic podium for interactive discussion on trade union responses to changes in industrial relations worldwide. It was organized by the IILS in cooperation with the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) in order to facilitate discussion among union practitioners, the academic community and the ILO. Some 800 individuals worldwide participated in the on-line Conference on "Organized Labour in the 21st Century," which was launched in 1999 with the key note addresses by the Director-General of the ILO and the Secretary General of the ICFTU.
The Conference has been widely acclaimed to be a productive venture of collaboration between the unions, academics and the ILO. It has demonstrated that many in the labour world wish to communicate with each other and they have useful information and ideas to share with an international audience. Some key issues emerged during the Conference. These included: the need for trade unions to find a better balance between defending employed workers, the unemployed and those in precarious jobs and defending the immediate needs of their members and in maintaining the right conditions for sustainable economic development; the case for broadening the agenda of unions with greater emphasis on the development of human rights and democratic institutions; and finally, the significance of unions entering into alliances with other interest groups and representative organizations in civil society in fulfilment of their objectives.
Conference Proceedings
The conference has come to an end. A detailed report on the proceedings along with an anthology of key contributions by participants is available on this website. The proceedings have been broken up into four sections: Trade Unions and International Labour Standards; Trade Unions and the Challenges of Globalization; Trade Unions and Organizing Strategies; and Organizing the Informal Sector, each section prefaced by an introductory summary. This website is meant to serve as a reference tool for labour researchers and trade unions worldwide.
International Seminar- The Labour Movement: Opportunities and Strategies
A Report
Agenda
Documents Available
Discussion Papers
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