Background

This Meeting was one of a regular series of tripartite sectoral meetings - comprising representatives of governments, employers and workers - held under the auspices of the International Labour Organization to discuss current employment and labour issues of importance in the sector or industry concerned, and to provide guidance for action, at national and international levels, by employers' and workers' organizations, governments and the ILO itself.

Participation

Altogether 56 delegates participated in the Meeting, 12 from Governments, 21 from employers' and 23 from workers' organizations. The participating Governments were Austria, Brazil, China, Egypt, Germany, Italy, Kenya, Malaysia, Spain, Sweden, United Arab Emirates and the United States.

The Employer and Worker delegates were selected on the basis of nominations by the Employers' and Workers' groups of the ILO Governing Body. They did not necessarily come from the same countries as the governments. A number of intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations involved with the construction sector participated as observers, with the right to speak but not to vote.

Purpose of the Meeting

At its 274th (March 1999) Session, the Governing Body decided that the purpose of the Meeting should be: 

• to exchange views on the construction industry in the twenty-first century: its image, employment prospects and training requirements, using a report prepared by the Office as the basis for its discussions;
• to adopt conclusions that include proposals for action by governments, by employers' and workers' organizations at the national level and by the ILO; and 
• to adopt a report on its discussions.

Report to the Meeting and points for discussion

A report was prepared by the International Labour Office as a basis for the discussions. The report, The construction industry in the twenty-first century: Its image, employment prospects and skill requirements, is available in English, French and Spanish (with summaries in Arabic, Chinese, German and Russian). It includes information and analysis of the following issues:

• the distribution of construction output and employment worldwide
• employment trends in developed and developing countries
• the poor image of work in construction
• recent changes in the structure of the industry: the growth of subcontracting and 'outsourcing' of labour
• the impact of these changes on the conditions of employment
• the implications for training and skill formation

The final section of the report presents some examples of 'good practice', drawn from around the world. A common thread in these examples is the use of social dialogue amongst the stakeholders to address the problems currently facing the industry.

At the end of the report four points for discussion were suggested to the meeting. Delegates were invited to consider what could be done to foster social dialogue and collaborative initiatives between the social partners at international, national and local level to meet the future skill requirements of the industry, promote safe working practices and improved conditions of work in the sector. They were also asked to consider what assistance might be needed by employers' and workers' organizations to extend their activities to embrace the subcontractors, labour contractors and temporary workers they employ, as well as the self-employed, so that the real employers and workers could become involved in social dialogue, training and other activities in the sector. Finally, the Meeting was asked to identify priority areas for ILO action to further the 'Decent Work' agenda in the construction industry.

Hard copies of the report to the Meeting as well as the summaries may be obtained from ILO Publications. 
The report is also available in pdf format in English (441K), French (630K) and Spanish (411K).

Panel discussions

Panel discussions, bringing together external experts, participants of the Meeting and ILO specialists, were held during the Meeting to consider the following three themes:

• The role of women in the construction workforce
• Ensuring the health and safety of construction workers
• Improving communication in the construction industry

A summary of the panel discussions is included in the Note on the Proceedings of the Meeting.

Conclusions and resolutions

The Meeting adopted a set of conclusions covering:

• The construction industry's contribution to the economy
• Employment practices
• Social dialogue
• Training
• Occupational safety and health and working conditions
• Procurement
• The role of the ILO

The Meeting also adopted two resolutions concerning health and safety representation for construction workers and the future activities of the ILO.

The "conclusions" embody the consensus of the Meeting on the topic being considered and on appropriate policy actions. The "resolutions" express the sense of the Meeting on general labour and social issues in the sector, including those not covered by the agenda item, or future activities of the ILO relating to the needs of the sector.

Note on the Proceedings

A Note on the Proceedings (pdf , 254K) including a report of the discussion and the text of conclusions and resolutions adopted, as well as a summary of the panel discussions, has been published.

Contact address for more information

Mr. Edmundo Werna,
Construction sector specialist,
Sectoral Activities Branch,
International Labour Office,
4 route des Morillons,
1211 GENEVA 22, Switzerland

Tel.: + 41.22.799.6036 Fax: + 41.22.799.7967
E-mail: werna@ilo.org or sector@ilo.org