Ports- ILO Activities

The ILO has also adopted a number of standards which specifically concern the social and labour conditions of portworkers. Most of these are aimed at improving the safety of dock work. Among the most important of these are the Dock Work Convention, 1973 (No. 137), the Dock Work Recommendation, 1973 (No. 145), the Occupational Safety and Health (Dock Work) Convention, 1979 (No. 152) and the Occupational Safety and Health (Dock Work) Recommendation, 1979 (No. 160). The first two instruments concern protections for dockers against changes in their employment resulting from technological changes and structural changes. The second two concern health and safety issues.

A Tripartite Meeting of Experts on Security, Safety and Health in Ports was held in Geneva, 8-17 December 2003. The Meeting reviewed and adopted a Code of Practice on Security in Ports (pdf, 126k) and a Code of Practice on Safety and Health in Ports (pdf, 1039k). The Report of the discussion of the Meeting is available in two parts: Final report - Security in ports (pdf, 61k) and Final report - Safety and health in ports (pdf, 92k). For additional information on the ILO's work in the are of port security, please visit the Maritime and Port Security webpage.

A Regional Seminar on Social and Labour Effects of Structural Adjustment in the Port Industry of Selected Asian and Pacific Countries was held in Thailand in March 1995 and was followed by a global tripartite meeting on the same problems held in Geneva in May 1996. Reports prepared for the meetings, as well as the proceedings of the meetings, are available from SECTOR. The assistance of field offices and MDTs is sought in the promotion of the results of these meetings and in the holding of national seminars and workshops on the same issues.

The ILO has provided technical advisory services and executed technical cooperation projects covering areas such as recruitment and placement of portworkers, occupational safety and health, organization of work in ports, the assessment of training needs and subsequent curricula development for training programmes, the training of instructors, the establishment of port training centres and supervisory training.

Portworker Development Programme

The most recent activity has been the preparation of the Portworker Development Programme (PDP). The objective of the programme is to enable governments and port authorities of developing countries to establish effective and systematic portworker training schemes, designed to improve cargo-handling performance, working conditions and practices, safety and the status and welfare of portworkers. The means of accomplishing this objective is the preparation of centrally produced training material. So far the material prepared covers container terminal portworkers designed in such a way that it will enable the preparation of an open-ended series of self-contained but interrelated units of instruction by recognized experts in the field of port training working together with a team of subject-matter experts. Further information on PDP is available from SECTOR.

The ILO works closely with UNDP, UNCTAD, IMO, WHO and FAO on port issues. It has worked particularly closely with UNCTAD to provide technical assistance to developing countries.