The ILO and Mining

The ILO has been dealing with labour and social problems of the mining industry since its early days, making considerable efforts to improve work and life of those in the mining industry -- from the adoption of the Hours of Work (Coal Mines) Convention (No. 31) in 1931 to the Safety and Health in Mines Convention (No. 176), which was adopted by the International Labour Conference in 1995. For over 50 years, tripartite meetings on mining have addressed a variety of issues ranging from employment, working conditions and training to occupational safety and health and industrial relations in coal and non-coal mining. The results are over 140 agreed conclusions and resolutions, some of which have been used at the national level, others have triggered ILO action -- including a variety of training and assistance programmes in member States -- some led to the development of codes of safety practice and the mining Convention.

Labour and social issues in mining cannot be separated from other considerations, whether they be economic, political, technical or environmental. While there can be no model approach to ensuring that the mining industry develops in a way that benefits all those involved, there is clearly a need that it should do so. The ILO is doing what it can, but it cannot work alone. It must have the active involvement of the social partners in order to maximize its impact. The ILO also works closely with other international organizations, bringing the social and labour dimension of mining to their attention and collaborating with them as appropriate. Most recently, the ILO has been associated with the Review of the World Bank's extractive industries activities (see links section). The ILO's objective is to ensure that all mineworkers have the opportunity for decent work in an industry that contributes to sustainable development.

Links to labour standard information in other ILO departments

ILO Conventions (ILOLEX database)
- C31 (Withdrawn) Hours of Work (Coal Mines) Convention, 1931. Ratifications.
- C45 Underground Work (Women) Convention, 1935. Ratifications.
- C46 (Withdrawn) Hours of Work (Coal Mines) Convention (Revised), 1935. Ratifications.
- C123 Minimum Age (Underground Work) Convention, 1965. Ratifications.
- C124 Medical Examination of Young Persons (Underground Work) Convention, 1965. Ratifications.
- C176 Safety and Health in Mines Convention, 1995. Ratifications.

National labour legislation (NATLEX database)
- National legislation dealing with mining.

Committee of Freedom of Association
- Cases related to mining (coal; other mining).