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

It will look at the entire sector dealing with transport equipment manufacturing, which includes the following sub-categories: shipbuilding, repair and breaking; railroad equipment (locomotives, subway cars and rolling stock); motor vehicles (cars, buses and trucks); motorcycles and bicycles; aircraft (excluding military); and other.

Participation

The participants will represent the governments, employers and workers from the world of transport equipment manufacturing. In addition, the International Organization of Employers, the relevant international trade union confederations (such as the International Metalworkers' Federation (IMF)), and a number of other intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations (IGOs and NGOs) concerned with this sector will be invited as observers.

There will be 54 official delegates divided equally between employer, worker and government representatives (18 for each group). Governments of the following countries have been invited to designate participants: Austria, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, France, India, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Norway, Romania, Russian Federation, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, United States. In the event that one or more of them does not accept the invitation an alternate from the same region will be invited from the reserve list: Bangladesh, Democratic Republic of Congo, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Finland, Honduras, Lebanon, Panama, Portugal, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, United Kingdom, Venezuela.

Employer and worker participants in the meeting will be selected based on nominations by the Employers' and Workers' groups of the ILO's Governing Body; but they will not necessarily come from the same countries as the governments.

The meeting is open to the general public, but the right to take the floor is restricted to the official delegates, to technical advisers accompanying them, and to representatives of invited intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations.

More details on participation in ILO sectoral meetings are contained in the document on General Characteristics and Standing Orders available on this site.

Purpose and output

The Governing Body at its 273rd session in November 1998 decided that the purpose of the tripartite meeting would be to exchange views on the social and labour impact of globalization in the transport equipment manufacturing industries, including on the implications for employment, working conditions and labour-management relations, and to adopt one or more of the following texts: conclusions that include proposals for follow-up action at the national and international levels; resolutions on other labour and social issues affecting the sector; and a report on the proceedings.

The "conclusions" embody the consensus of the meeting on the nature of the social and labour issues and on the kind of policy actions that are appropriate at national and international level.

If "resolutions" are adopted they will express the sense of the meeting on labour and social issues, other than those covered by the title of the meeting, related to the manufacture of transport equipment or future activities of the ILO.

Panel (roundtable) discussions

Three informal panel discussions on topical issues, including relevant ILO activity in the industry, with invited speakers, will also be held during the meeting.

Wednesday, 10 May, 16:00 - 18:00 - Room II, (R. 3 level), ILO

The UN Global Compact and the application of the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work: Annual Review & Global Report

Thursday, 11 May, 11:00 - 13:00 - Room II, (R. 3 level), ILO

New patterns of vocational training. Are apprenticeship schemes relevant to the 21st Century?

Modular production and concomitant training requirements

• David Robertson, Director of Training, CAW, Canada, co-author of Just another car factory? Lean production and its discontents (requested)

Learning through doing: the experience at MAN, Salzgitter

• Dr. Peter Jansen, WZB, senior consultant to MAN Nutzfahrzeug and (Bundes Institut fuer Berufsbildung), German Federal Institute for Vocational Training

Thursday, 11 May, 16:00 - 18:00 - Room II, (R. 3 level), ILO

How the Internet is changing the automotive industry: Implications of “business-to-business” commerce for the future of work

• Clive Meakins, Oracle Automotive Solutions, presentation on their new B2B Intranet with a discussion of its likely impact on suppliers and assemblers

Agenda and report to the meeting

In order to facilitate discussions, the ILO has prepared a background report entitled Social and Labour Impact of Globalization in the Manufacture of Transport Equipment, in English, French and Spanish (with summaries in other languages).

Its main points include:

• An introduction to the salient features of the "globalization" debate for the transport equipment manufacturing sector
• Placement of the transport equipment sector within the overall manufacturing industry in terms of employment, production, imports, exports, wages, value added and research and development
• A look at the motor vehicle manufacturing sector which includes passenger cars, buses, light commercial vehicles, medium and heavy trucks, their location of production and degree of globalization
• An examination of the supplier industry where more and more production is being shifted, and comparisons with assembly workers
• A review of other transport manufacturing industries, including: ship building; repair (conversion) and ship breaking; locomotives and rolling stock; aircraft manufacturing (including engines and spare parts); motorcycles, mopeds and bicycles
• An overview of various forms of worker representation, collective bargaining and experiments with innovative employment pacts, work organization (team work), information and consultation practices, international fora (e.g. European Works Councils), and implications for social dialogue
• A discussion of other social and labour issues such as: occupational safety and health concerns; early retirements and vocational training.

Related Papers and Information

For a comprehensive study on all aspects of flexibility see the recent report prepared for the meeting on the Impact of flexible labour market arrangements in the machinery, electrical and electronic industries (Geneva, ILO, 1998), as well as its Note on the Proceedings (Geneva, ILO, 1999).

Note on the Proceedings

The ILO has published a Note on the Proceedings (pdf , 288k), which includes a summary of the principal speeches, debates, panel and roundtable discussions and adopted conclusions and a resolution.

Contact address for more information

Mr. Paul Bailey,
Sectoral Activities Department,
International Labour Office,
4, route des Morillons,
CH-1211 GENEVE 22, Switzerland
Tel. (++ 41.22) 799-6430, Fax (++ 41.22) 799-7967,
e-mail: baileyp@ilo.org or sector@ilo.org