Tripartite Meeting on Employment, Employability and Equal Opportunities in Postal and Telecommunications Services

Geneva, 13 - 17 May 2002

The ability of employees and enterprises in postal and telecommunications services to adapt to the changes currently under way are crucial. These changes in market conditions, technology, globalization, privatization and deregulation have brought with them substantial fluctuations in employment. They are sometimes accompanied by job losses, a shift towards part-time rather than full-time employment, and the erosion or disappearance of civil servant status; however, there has also been simultaneous growth in employment, investment and opportunities, to cover market expansion, the proliferation of new high-value services and so on. The development of equal opportunities policies and initiatives on training for employability in postal and telecommunications enterprises has significantly affected realities and attitudes among employers and workers alike in many countries. An important focus of the Meeting was on restructuring, liberalization and privatization, and their effects on the structure and level of employment, and on training and retraining. In this process of change, social dialogue and the participation of workers are of great importance.

The Tripartite Meeting on Employment, Employability and Equal Opportunities in the Postal and Telecommunications Services was held in Geneva, 13-17 May 2002, using a report prepared by the ILO as a basis for its discussions: Employment, employability and equal opportunities in the postal and telecommunications services, (pdf, 736k).

The Meeting's purpose was to exchange views on:

• trends in employment;
• measures to promote employability and on gender and other equal opportunities questions in the postal and telecommunications services;
• the social and labour implications of these developments for the social partners, and the role of social dialogue in addressing them;

The Meeting was composed of 96 participants from 40 countries, among whom were 66 representatives (government, employers and workers) nominated by governments of ILO member States chosen by the Governing Body of the International Labour Office, and by the Governing Body after consultations with the Employers' and Workers' groups, as well as 4 representatives of intergovernmental organizations, and 26 observers from non-governmental organizations.

The meeting adopted conclusions (pdf, 28k) that included proposals for action by governments, by employers' and workers' organizations at the national level and by the ILO; it also adopted two resolutions (resolution 1, pdf, 79k) (resolution 2, pdf file, 34k).

The Note on the Proceedings of the meeting is now available. (pdf, 315k).

Contact address for more information

Mr. John Myers,
Specialist, Posts and Telecommunications sectors,
International Labour Office,
Tel.: (41.22)799-7860,
Fax: (41.22) 799-7046,
E-mail: myers@ilo.org or sector@ilo.org