Food and employment

Employment in the tobacco sector

Jobs in the tobacco industry have been declining in the industrialized countries over the past five years, both as a result of the introduction of new technology and national and international tobacco control policies. In developing countries, on the other hand, both tobacco consumption and employment in the tobacco industry have been on the rise. However, the extent to which tobacco control policies are a decisive factor in affecting employment has not yet been determined.

ILO Activities

Within its mandate, the ILO is currently engaged in research analysing the employment consequences of tobacco control policies worldwide. The tobacco sector in Argentina has been a subject of attention, as well as Indonesia’s kretek cigarette sector with a focus on women workers.

To examine ways to provide capacity to the social partners to assist in dealing with social dialogue issues in the tobacco industry, the ILO organized a sub-regional tripartite meeting (selected CEE countries) in Kiev, Ukraine (13-14 Sep. 2005). Participating countries were Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania, Moldova, Russian Federation and Ukraine.

An ILO Tripartite Meeting on the Future of Employment in the Tobacco Sector was held in Geneva, 24 - 28 February 2003.

No-smoking policies

The ILO, within its Safework Programme, has been developing guidelines on no-smoking policies in the workplace.

Framework Convention on Tobacco Control

On 21 May 2003, the World Health Organization (WHO) and its States Parties adopted the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). Article 22.1(b) calls on the Parties to cooperate directly or through competent international bodies in implementing the Convention through, inter alia:

"...

ii. assisting, as appropriate, tobacco workers in the development of appropriate economically and legally viable alternative livelihoods in an economically viable manner; and

iii. assisting, as appropriate, tobacco growers in shifting agricultural production to alternative crops in an economically viable manner; ...".

Article 8.2 stipulates that "Each Party shall adopt ... measures, providing for protection from exposure to tobacco smoke in indoor workplaces ...". The WHO FCTC entered into force on 27 February 2005.

UN Ad Hoc Interagency Task Force on Tobacco Control

The ILO continues to be a member of the UN Ad Hoc Interagency Task Force on Tobacco Control (UNTF) which reports to ECOSOC. The sixth session of the Task Force (30 November–1 December 2005) recognized the implementation of comprehensive tobacco control policies in member States, as stipulated in the WHO FCTC, as a priority.

Useful links/resources

• Making ends meet: Bidi workers in India today A study of four states (pdf, 782k), Sectoral Activities Programme Working Paper, WP.202, Geneva, 2003.
• Employment trends in the tobacco sector: Selected provinces of Bulgaria and Turkey (pdf, 261k), Sectoral Activites Programme Working Paper, WP. 194, Geneva 2003.
• A study of the tobacco sector in selected provinces of Cambodia and China (pdf, 332k), Maeda, Yuko; He Yongqing; Zhang Yunling. Sectoral Activities Programme Working Paper, WP.185, Geneva, 2003.
• Tobacco: An economic lifeline? The case of tobacco farming in the Kasungu Agricultural Development Division, Malawi (pdf, 382k), Mwasikakata, Michael. Sectoral Activities Programme Working Paper, WP.184, Geneva, 2003.
• The tobacco sector in the United States: A study of five states (pdf, 284k), Kennedy, Maureen, Sectoral Activities Programme Working Paper, WP.183, Geneva, 2002.
  
• The world tobacco industry: Trends and prospects (pdf, 2295k), Liemt, Gijsbert van. Sectoral Activities Programme Working Paper, WP.179, Geneva, 2002.