Tripartite Declaration of Principles
Concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy
(Adopted by the Governing Body of the International Labour Office
at its 204th Session (Geneva, November 1977) as amended at its 279th Session
(Geneva, November 2000))
The Governing Body of the International Labour Office:
Recalling that the International Labour Organization for many years has been
involved with certain social issues related to the activities of multinational
enterprises;
Noting in particular that various Industrial Committees, Regional
Conferences, and the International Labour Conference since the mid-1960s have
requested appropriate action by the Governing Body in the field of multinational
enterprises and social policy;
Having been informed of the activities of other international bodies, in
particular the UN Commission on Transnational Corporations and the Organization
for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD); Considering that the ILO, with
its unique tripartite structure, its competence, and its long-standing
experience in the social field, has an essential role to play in evolving
principles for the guidance of governments, workers' and employers'
organizations, and multinational enterprises themselves;
Recalling that it convened a Tripartite Meeting of Experts on the
Relationship between Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy in 1972, which
recommended an ILO programme of research and study, and a Tripartite Advisory
Meeting on the Relationship of Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy in
1976 for the purpose of reviewing the ILO programme of research and suggesting
appropriate ILO action in the social and labour field; Bearing in mind the
deliberations of the World Employment Conference;
Having thereafter decided to establish a tripartite group to prepare a Draft
Tripartite Declaration of Principles covering all of the areas of ILO concern
which relate to the social aspects of the activities of multinational
enterprises, including employment creation in the developing countries, all the
while bearing in mind the recommendations made by the Tripartite Advisory
Meeting held in 1976;
Having also decided to reconvene the Tripartite Advisory Meeting to consider
the Draft Declaration of Principles as prepared by the tripartite group; Having
considered the Report and the Draft Declaration of Principles submitted to it by
the reconvened Tripartite Advisory Meeting;
Hereby approves the following Declaration which may be cited as the
Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and
Social Policy, adopted by the Governing Body of the International Labour Office,
and invites governments of States Members of the ILO, the employers' and
workers' organizations concerned and the multinational enterprises operating in
their territories to observe the principles embodied therein.
Multinational enterprises play an important part in the economies of most
countries and in international economic relations. This is of increasing
interest to governments as well as to employers and workers and their
respective organizations. Through international direct investment and other
means such enterprises can bring substantial benefits to home and host
countries by contributing to the more efficient utilization of capital,
technology and labour. Within the framework of development policies
established by governments, they can also make an important contribution to
the promotion of economic and social welfare; to the improvement of living
standards and the satisfaction of basic needs; to the creation of employment
opportunities, both directly and indirectly; and to the enjoyment of basic
human rights, including freedom of association, throughout the world. On the
other hand, the advances made by multinational enterprises in organizing
their operations beyond the national framework may lead to abuse of
concentrations of economic power and to conflicts with national policy
objectives and with the interest of the workers. In addition, the complexity
of multinational enterprises and the difficulty of clearly perceiving their
diverse structures, operations and policies sometimes give rise to concern
either in the home or in the host countries, or in both.
The aim of this Tripartite Declaration of Principles is to encourage the
positive contribution which multinational enterprises can make to economic
and social progress and to minimize and resolve the difficulties to which
their various operations may give rise, taking into account the United
Nations resolutions advocating the establishment of a New International
Economic Order.
This aim will be furthered by appropriate laws and policies, measures and
actions adopted by the governments and by cooperation among the governments
and the employers' and workers' organizations of all countries.
The principles set out in this Declaration are commended to the
governments, the employers' and workers' organizations of home and host
countries and to the multinational enterprises themselves.
These principles are intended to guide the governments, the employers' and
workers' organizations and the multinational enterprises in taking such
measures and actions and adopting such social policies, including those
based on the principles laid down in the Constitution and the relevant
Conventions and Recommendations of the ILO, as would further social
progress.
To serve its purpose this Declaration does not require a precise legal
definition of multinational enterprises; this paragraph is designed to
facilitate the understanding of the Declaration and not to provide such a
definition. Multinational enterprises include enterprises, whether they are
of public, mixed or private ownership, which own or control production,
distribution, services or other facilities outside the country in which they
are based. The degree of autonomy of entities within multinational
enterprises in relation to each other varies widely from one such enterprise
to another, depending on the nature of the links between such entities and
their fields of activity and having regard to the great diversity in the
form of ownership, in the size, in the nature and location of the operations
of the enterprises concerned. Unless otherwise specified, the term
"multinational enterprise" is used in this Declaration to
designate the various entities (parent companies or local entities or both
or the organization as a whole) according to the distribution of
responsibilites among them, in the expectation that they will cooperate and
provide assistance to one another as necessary to facilitate observance of
the principles laid down in the Declaration.
This Declaration sets out principles in the fields of employment,
training, conditions of work and life and industrial relations which
governments, employers' and workers' organizations and multinational
enterprises are recommended to observe on a voluntary basis; its provisions
shall not limit or otherwise affect obligations arising out of ratification
of any ILO Convention.
All the parties concerned by this Declaration should respect the sovereign
rights of States, obey the national laws and regulations, give due
consideration to local practices and respect relevant international standards.
They should respect the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the
corresponding International Covenants adopted by the General Assembly of the
United Nations as well as the Constitution of the International Labour
Organization and its principles according to which freedom of expression and
association are essential to sustained progress. They should contribute to the
realization of the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights and
Work and its Follow-up, adopted in 1998. They should also honour commitments
which they have freely entered into, in conformity with the national law and
accepted international obligations
Governments which have not yet ratified Conventions Nos. 87, 98, 111, 122,
138 and 182 are urged to do so and in any event to apply, to the greatest
extent possible, through their national policies, the principles embodied
therein and in Recommendations Nos. 111, 119, 122, 146 and 190. 1
Without prejudice to the obligation of governments to ensure compliance with
Conventions they have ratified, in countries in which the Conventions and
Recommendations cited in this paragraph are not complied with, all parties
should refer to them for guidance in their social policy.
Multinational enterprises should take fully into account established general
policy objectives of the countries in which they operate. Their activities
should be in harmony with the development priorities and social aims and
structure of the country in which they operate. To this effect, consultations
should be held between multinational enterprises, the government and, wherever
appropriate, the national employers' and workers' organizations concerned.
The principles laid down in this Declaration do not aim at introducing or
maintaining inequalities of treatment between multinational and national
enterprises. They reflect good practice for all. Multinational and national
enterprises, wherever the principles of this Declaration are relevant to both,
should be subject to the same expectations in respect of their conduct in
general and their social practices in particular.
Governments of home countries should promote good social practice in
accordance with this Declaration of Principles, having regard to the social
and labour law, regulations and practices in host countries as well as to
relevant international standards. Both host and home country governments
should be prepared to have consultations with each other, whenever the need
arises, on the initiative of either.
With a view to stimulating economic growth and development, raising living
standards, meeting manpower requirements and overcoming unemployment and
underemployment, governments should declare and pursue, as a major goal, an
active policy designed to promote full, productive and freely chosen
employment. 2
This is particularly important in the case of host country
governments in developing areas of the world where the problems of
unemployment and underemployment are at their most serious. In this
connection, the general conclusions adopted by the Tripartite World Conference
on Employment, Income Distribution and Social Progress and the International
Division of Labour (Geneva, June 1976) should be kept in mind. 3
Paragraphs 13 and 14 above establish the framework within which due
attention should be paid, in both home and host countries, to the employment
impact of multinational enterprises.
Multinational enterprises, particularly when operating in developing
countries, should endeavour to increase employment opportunities and
standards, taking into account the employment policies and objectives of the
governments, as well as security of employment and the long-term development
of the enterprise.
Before starting operations, multinational enterprises should, wherever
appropriate, consult the competent authorities and the national employers' and
workers' organizations in order to keep their manpower plans, as far as
practicable, in harmony with national social development policies. Such
consultation, as in the case of national enterprises, should continue between
the multinational enterprises and all parties concerned, including the
workers' organizations.
Multinational enterprises should give priority to the employment,
occupational development, promotion and advancement of nationals of the host
country at all levels in cooperation, as appropriate, with representatives of
the workers employed by them or of the organizations of these workers and
governmental authorities.
Multinational enterprises, when investing in developing countries, should
have regard to the importance of using technologies which generate employment,
both directly and indirectly. To the extent permitted by the nature of the
process and the conditions prevailing in the economic sector concerned, they
should adapt technologies to the needs and characteristics of the host
countries. They should also, where possible, take part in the development of
appropriate technology in host countries.
To promote employment in developing countries, in the context of an
expanding world economy, multinational enterprises, wherever practicable,
should give consideration to the conclusion of contracts with national
enterprises for the manufacture of parts and equipment, to the use of local
raw materials and to the progressive promotion of the local processing of raw
materials. Such arrangements should not be used by multinational enterprises
to avoid the responsibilities embodied in the principles of this Declaration.
All governments should pursue policies designed to promote equality of
opportunity and treatment in employment, with a view to eliminating any
discrimination based on race, colour, sex, religion, political opinion,
national extraction or social origin. 4
Multinational enterprises should be guided by this general principle
throughout their operations without prejudice to the measures envisaged in
paragraph 18 or to government policies designed to correct historical patterns
of discrimination and thereby to extend equality of opportunity and treatment
in employment. Multinational enterprises should accordingly make
qualifications, skill and experience the basis for the recruitment, placement,
training and advancement of their staff at all levels.
Governments should never require or encourage multinational enterprises to
discriminate on any of the grounds mentioned in paragraph 21, and continuing
guidance from governments, where appropriate, on the avoidance of such
discrimination in employment is encouraged.
Governments should carefully study the impact of multinational enterprises
on employment in different industrial sectors. Governments, as well as
multinational enterprises themselves, in all countries should take suitable
measures to deal with the employment and labour market impacts of the
operations of multinational enterprises.
Multinational enterprises equally with national enterprises, through active
manpower planning, should endeavour to provide stable employment for their
employees and should observe freely negotiated obligations concerning
employment stability and social security. In view of the flexibility which
multinational enterprises may have, they should strive to assume a leading
role in promoting security of employment, particularly in countries where the
discontinuation of operations is likely to accentuate long-term unemployment.
In considering changes in operations (including those resulting from
mergers, take-overs or transfers of production) which would have major
employment effects, multinational enterprises should provide reasonable notice
of such changes to the appropriate government authorities and representatives
of the workers in their employment and their organizations so that the
implications may be examined jointly in order to mitigate adverse effects to
the greatest possible extent. This is particularly important in the case of
the closure of an entity involving collective lay-offs or dismissals.
Arbitrary dismissal procedures should be avoided. 5
Governments, in cooperation with multinational as well as national
enterprises, should provide some form of income protection for workers whose
employment has been terminated. 6
Governments, in cooperation with all the parties concerned, should develop
national policies for vocational training and guidance, closely linked with
employment. 7
This is the framework within which multinational enterprises should pursue
their training policies.
In their operations, multinational enterprises should ensure that relevant
training is provided for all levels of their employees in the host country, as
appropriate, to meet the needs of the enterprise as well as the development
policies of the country. Such training should, to the extent possible, develop
generally useful skills and promote career opportunities. This responsibility
should be carried out, where appropriate, in cooperation with the authorities
of the country, employers' and workers' organizations and the competent local,
national or international institutions.
Multinational enterprises operating in developing countries should
participate, along with national enterprises, in programmes, including special
funds, encouraged by host governments and supported by employers' and workers'
organizations. These programmes should have the aim of encouraging skill
formation and development as well as providing vocational guidance, and should
be jointly administered by the parties which support them. Wherever
practicable, multinational enterprises should make the services of skilled
resource personnel available to help in training programmes organized by
governments as part of a contribution to national development.
Multinational enterprises, with the cooperation of governments and to the
extent consistent with the efficient operation of the enterprise, should
afford opportunities within the enterprise as a whole to broaden the
experience of local management in suitable fields such as industrial relations.
Wages, benefits and conditions of work offered by
multinational enterprises should be not less favourable to the workers than
those offered by comparable employers in the country concerned.
When multinational enterprises operate in developing
countries, where comparable employers may not exist, they should provide the
best possible wages, benefits and conditions of work, within the framework of
government policies. 8
These should be related to the economic position of the enterprise, but should
be at least adequate to satisfy basic needs of the workers and their families.
Where they provide workers with basic amenities such as housing, medical care
or food, these amenities should be of a good standard. 9
Governments, especially in developing countries, should endeavour to adopt
suitable measures to ensure that lower income groups and less developed areas
benefit as much as possible from the activities of multinational enterprises.
Multinational enterprises, as well as national enterprises, should respect
the minimum age for admission to employment or work in order to secure the
effective abolition of child labour.10
Governments should ensure that both multinational and national enterprises
provide adequate safety and health standards for their employees. Those
governments which have not yet ratified the ILO Conventions on Guarding of
Machinery (No. 119), Ionising Radiation (No. 115), Benzene (No. 136) and
Occupational Cancer (No. 139) are urged nevertheless to apply to the greatest
extent possible the principles embodied in these Conventions and in their
related Recommendations (Nos. 118, 114, 144 and 147). The Codes of Practice
and Guides in the current list of ILO publications on Occupational Safety and
Health should also be taken into account. 11
Multinational enterprises should maintain the highest standards of safety
and health, in conformity with national requirements, bearing in mind their
relevant experience within the enterprise as a whole, including any knowledge
of special hazards. They should also make available to the representatives of
the workers in the enterprise, and upon request, to the competent authorities
and the workers' and employers' organizations in all countries in which they
operate, information on the safety and health standards relevant to their
local operations, which they observe in other countries. In particular, they
should make known to those concerned any special hazards and related
protective measures associated with new products and processes. They, like
comparable domestic enterprises, should be expected to play a leading role in
the examination of causes of industrial safety and health hazards and in the
application of resulting improvements within the enterprise as a whole.
Multinational enterprises should cooperate in the work of international
organizations concerned with the preparation and adoption of international
safety and health standards.
In accordance with national practice, multinational enterprises should
cooperate fully with the competent safety and health authorities, the
representatives of the workers and their organizations, and established safety
and health organizations. Where appropriate, matters relating to safety and
health should be incorporated in agreements with the representatives of the
workers and their organizations.
Multinational enterprises should observe standards of industrial relations
not less favourable than those observed by comparable employers in the country
concerned.
Workers employed by multinational enterprises as well as
those employed by national enterprises should, without distinction whatsoever,
have the right to establish and, subject only to the rules of the organization
concerned, to join organizations of their own choosing without previous
authorisation. 12 They should also enjoy adequate protection against acts of anti-union
discrimination in respect of their employment. 13
Organizations representing multinational enterprises or the
workers in their employment should enjoy adequate protection against any acts
of interference by each other or each other's agents or members in their
establishment, functioning or administration. 14
Where appropriate, in the local circumstances, multinational enterprises
should support representative employers' organizations.
Governments, where they do not already do so, are urged to
apply the principles of Convention No. 87, Article 5, in view of the
importance, in relation to multinational enterprises, of permitting
organizations representing such enterprises or the workers in their employment
to affiliate with international organizations of employers and workers of
their own choosing.
Where governments of host countries offer special incentives
to attract foreign investment, these incentives should not include any
limitation of the workers' freedom of association or the right to organize and
bargain collectively.
Representatives of the workers in multinational enterprises
should not be hindered from meeting for consultation and exchange of views
among themselves, provided that the functioning of the operations of the
enterprise and the normal procedures which govern relationships with
representatives of the workers and their organizations are not thereby
prejudiced.
Governments should not restrict the entry of representatives
of employers' and workers' organizations who come from other countries at the
invitation of the local or national organizations concerned for the purpose of
consultation on matters of mutual concern, solely on the grounds that they
seek entry in that capacity.
Workers employed by multinational enterprises should have the
right, in accordance with national law and practice, to have representative
organizations of their own choosing recognized for the purpose of collective
bargaining.
Measures appropriate to national conditions should be taken,
where necessary, to encourage and promote the full development and utilization
of machinery for voluntary negotiation between employers or employers'
organizations and workers' organizations, with a view to the regulation of
terms and conditions of employment by means of collective agreements. 15
Multinational enterprises, as well as national enterprises,
should provide workers' representatives with such facilities as may be
necessary to assist in the development of effective collective agreements. 16
Multinational enterprises should enable duly authorized
representatives of the workers in their employment in each of the countries in
which they operate to conduct negotiations with representatives of management
who are authorized to take decisions on the matters under negotiation.
Multinational enterprises, in the context of bona fide negotiations with the
workers' representatives on conditions of employment, or while workers are
exercising the right to organize, should not threaten to utilize a capacity to
transfer the whole or part of an operating unit from the country concerned in
order to influence unfairly those negotiations or to hinder the exercise of
the right to organize; nor should they transfer workers from affiliates in
foreign countries with a view to undermining bona fide negotiations with the
workers' representatives or the workers' exercise of their right to organize.
Collective agreements should include provisions for the settlement of
disputes arising over their interpretation and application and for ensuring
mutually respected rights and responsibilities.
Multinational enterprises should provide workers'
representatives with information required for meaningful negotiations with the
entity involved and, where this accords with local law and practices, should
also provide information to enable them to obtain a true and fair view of the
performance of the entity or, where appropriate, of the enterprise as a whole.
17
Governments should supply to the representatives of workers'
organizations on request, where law and practice so permit, information on the
industries in which the enterprise operates, which would help in laying down
objective criteria in the collective bargaining process. In this context,
multinational as well as national enterprises should respond constructively to
requests by governments for relevant information on their operations.
In multinational as well as in national entrprises, systems
devised by mutual agreement between employers and workers and their
representatives should provide, in accordance with national law and practice,
for regular consultation on matters of mutual concern. Such consultation
should not be a substitute for collective bargaining. 18
Multinational as well as national enterprises should respect
the right of the workers whom they employ to have all their grievances
processed in a manner consistent with the following provision: any worker who,
acting individually or jointly with other workers, considers that he has
grounds for a grievance should have the right to submit such grievance without
suffering any prejudice whatsoever as a result, and to have such grievance
examined pursuant to an appropriate procedure. 19
This is particularly important whenever the multinational enterprises operate
in countries which do not abide by the principles of ILO Conventions
pertaining to freedom of association, to the right to organize and bargain
collectively and to forced labour.20
Multinational as well as national enterprises jointly with
the representatives and organizations of the workers whom they employ should
seek to establish voluntary conciliation machinery, appropriate to national
conditions, which may include provisions for voluntary arbitration, to assist
in the prevention and settlement of industrial disputes between employers and
workers. The voluntary conciliation machinery should include equal
representation of employers and workers. 21
Note: Paragraphs 1-7, 8, 10, 25, 26, and 52 (formerly paragraph 51) have been
the subject of interpretation under the Procedure for the examination of
disputes concerning the application of the Tripartite Declaration of Principles
concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy. Copies of
interpretations are available upon request to the Bureau of Multinational
Enterprise Activities, International Labour Office, 4, route des Morillons,
CH-1211 Geneva 22, Switzerland, or at http://www.ilo.org.
Procedure for the examination of disputes concerning the application of the Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy by means of interpretation of its provisions*
(Adopted by the Governing Body of the International Labour Office at its 232nd Session (Geneva, March 1986))
The purpose of the procedure is to interpret the provisions of the Declaration when needed to resolve a disagreement on their meaning, arising from an actual situation, between parties to whom the Declaration is commended.
The procedure should in no way duplicate or conflict with existing national or ILO procedures. Thus, it cannot be invoked:
in respect of national law and practice;
in respect of international labour Conventions and Recommendations;
in respect of matters falling under the freedom of association procedure.
The above means that questions regarding national law and practice should be considered through appropriate national machinery; that questions regarding international labour Conventions and Recommendations should be examined through the various procedures provided for in articles 19, 22, 24 and 26 of the Constitution of the ILO, or through government requests to the Office for informal interpretation; and that questions concerning freedom of association should be considered through the special ILO procedures applicable to that area.
When a request for interpretation of the Declaration is received by the International Labour Office, the Office shall acknowledge receipt and bring it before the Officers of the Committee on Multinational Enterprises. The Office will inform the government and the central organizations of employers and workers concerned of any request for interpretation received directly from an organization under paragraph 5(b) and (c).
The Officers of the Committee on Multinational Enterprises shall decide unanimously after consultations in the groups whether the request is receivable under the procedure. If they cannot reach agreement the request shall be referred to the full Committee for decision.
Requests for interpretation may be addressed to the Office:
as a rule by the government of a member State acting either on its own initiative or at the request of a national organization of employers or workers;
by a national organization of employers or workers, which is representative at the national and/or sectoral level, subject to the conditions set out in paragraph 6. Such requests should normally be channelled through the central organizations in the country concerned;
by an international organization of employers or workers on behalf of a representative national affiliate.
In the case of 5(b) and (c), requests may be submitted if it can be demonstrated:
that the government concerned has declined to submit the request to the Office; or
that three months have elapsed since the organization addressed the government without a statement of the government's intention.
In the case of receivable requests the Office shall prepare a draft reply in consultation with the Officers of the Committee on Multinational Enterprises. All appropriate sources of information shall be used, including government, employers' and workers' sources in the country concerned. The Officers may ask the Office to indicate a period within which the information should be provided.
The draft reply to a receivable request shall be considered and approved by the Committee on Multinational Enterprises prior to submission to the Governing Body for approval.
The reply when approved by the Governing Body shall be forwarded to the parties concerned and published in the Official Bulletin of the International Labour Office.
*Official Bulletin (Geneva, ILO), 1986, Vol. LXIX, Series A,
No. 3, pp. 196-197 (to replace Part IV of the Procedures adopted by the
Governing Body at its 214th Session (November 1980)). See Official Bulletin,
1981, Vol. LXIV, Series A, No. 1, pp. 89-90.
Addendum (Multinational Enterprises: Tripartite
Declaration of Principles)
Addendum I
List of international labour Conventions and Recommendations
adopted since 1977 which contain provisions relevant to the Tripartite
Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social
Policy, adopted by the Governing Body of the International Labour Office at its
238th Session (Geneva, November 1987), as amended at its 264th Session (Geneva,
November 1995) and 279th Session (Geneva, November 2000)
A number of international labour Conventions and
Recommendations containing provisions relevant to the Declaration are referred
to in footnotes in the Declaration as well as in an Annex. These footnotes do
not affect the meaning of the provisions of the Declaration to which they refer.
They should be considered as references to relevant instruments adopted by the
International Labour Organization in the corresponding subject areas, which have
helped shape the provisions of the Declaration.
Since the adoption of the Declaration by the Governing Body
on 16 November 1977, new Conventions and Recommendations have been adopted by
the International Labour Conference. The text below is a consolidation of the
lists of Conventions and Recommendations adopted since 1977 (including those
adopted in June 1977), containing provisions relevant to the Declaration. Like
the footnotes included in the Declaration at the time of its adoption, the new
references do not affect the meaning of the provisions of the Declaration.
In keeping with the voluntary nature of the Declaration, all
of its provisions, whether derived from ILO Conventions and Recommendations or
other sources, are recommendatory, except of course for provisions in
Conventions which are binding on the member States which have ratified them.
List of Conventions and Recommendations adopted since 1977
(inclusive) which contain provisions relevant to the Declaration, and number and
title of Convention and Recommendation and the Paragraphs of the Declaration to
which the instrument is relevant
Conventions
No. 148 concerning the Protection of Workers against
Occupational Hazards in the Working Environment Due to Air Pollution, Noise
and Vibration, 1977: 37
No. 154 concerning the Promotion of Collective
Bargaining, 1981: 9, 50
No. 155 concerning Occupational Safety and Health and the
Working Environment, 1981: 37
No. 156 concerning Equal Opportunities and Equal
Treatment for Men and Women Workers: Workers with Family Responsibilities,
1981: 21
No. 158 concerning Termination of Employment at the
Initiative of the Employer, 1982: 9, 26, 27, 28
No. 161 concerning Occupational Health Services, 1985: 37
No. 162 concerning Safety in the Use of Asbestos, 1986:
37
No. 167 concerning Safety and Health in Construction,
1988: 37
No. 168 concerning Employment Promotion and Protection
against Unemployment, 1988: 13
No. 170 concerning Safety in the Use of Chemicals at
Work, 1990: 37
No. 173 concerning the Protection of Workers' Claims in
the event of the Insolvency of their Employer, 1992: 28
No. 174 concerning the Prevention of Major Industrial
Accidents, 1993: 37
No. 176 concerning Safety and Health in Mines, 1995: 37
Recommendations
No. 156 concerning the Protection of Workers against
Occupational Hazards in the Working Environment Due to Air Pollution, Noise
and Vibration, 1977: 37
No. 163 concerning the Promotion of Collective
Bargaining, 1981: 52, 55, 56
No. 164 concerning Occupational Safety and Health and the
Working Environment, 1981: 37
No. 165 concerning Equal Opportunities and Equal
Treatment for Men and Women Workers: Workers with Family Responsibilities,
1981: 21
No. 166 concerning Termination of Employment at the
Initiative of the Employer, 1982: 9, 26, 27, 28
No. 169 concerning Employment Policy, 1984: 9, 13
No. 171 concerning Occupational Health Services, 1985: 37
No. 172 concerning Safety in the Use of Asbestos, 1986:
37
No. 175 concerning Safety and Health in Construction,
1988: 37
No. 176 concerning Employment Promotion and Protection
against Unemployment, 1988: 13
No. 177 concerning Safety in the Use of Chemicals at
Work, 1990: 37
No. 180 concerning the Protection of Workers' Claims in
the event of the Insolvency of their Employer, 1992: 28
No. 181 concerning the Prevention of Major Industrial
Accidents, 1993: 37
No. 183 concerning Safety and Health in Mines, 1995: 37
Addendum II
(adopted by the Governing Body of the International Labour
Office at its 277th Session (Geneva, March 2000))
The International Labour Conference adopted in June 1998 the
ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. By this adoption,
Members renewed their commitment to respect, promote and realize the following
fundamental principles and rights at work, namely:
freedom of association and the effective recognition of
the right to collective bargaining;
the elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory
labour;
the effective abolition of child labour; and
the elimination of discrimination in respect of
employment and occupation.
The ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at
Work applies to all Members. Nevertheless, the contribution of multinational
enterprises to its implementation can prove an important element in the
attainment of its objectives. In this context, the interpretation and
application of the Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational
Enterprises and Social Policy should fully take into account the objectives of
the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. This reference
does not in any way affect the voluntary character or the meaning of the
provisions of the Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational
Enterprises and Social Policy.
Annex (Multinational Enterprises: Tripartite
Declaration of Principles)
List of international labour Conventions and Recommendations referred to in
the Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises
and Social Policy adopted by the Governing Body of the International Labour
Office at its 204th Session (Geneva, November 1977) as amended at its 279th
Session (Geneva, November 2000)**
Conventions
Convention (No. 29) concerning Forced or Compulsory Labour, 1930
Convention (No. 87) concerning Freedom of Association and Protection of
the Right to Organise, 1948
Convention (No. 98) concerning the Application of the Principles of the
Right to Organise and to Bargain Collectively, 1949
Convention (No. 100) concerning Equal Remuneration for Men and Women
Workers for Work of Equal Value, 1951
Convention (No. 105) concerning the Abolition of Forced Labour, 1957
Convention (No. 110) concerning Conditions of Employment of Plantation
Workers, 1958
Convention (No. 111) concerning Discrimination in Respect of Employment
and Occupation, 1958
Convention (No. 115) concerning the Protection of Workers against Ionising
Radiations, 1960
Convention (No. 119) concerning the Guarding of Machinery, 1963
Recommendation (No. 129) concerning Communications between Management and
Workers within the Undertaking, 1967
Recommendation (No 130) concerning the Examination of Grievances within
the Undertaking with a View to Their Settlement, 1967
Recommendation (No. 134) concerning Medical Care and Sickness Benefits,
1969
Recommendation (No. 144) concerning Protection against Hazards of
Poisoning arising from Benzene, 197l
Recommendation (No. 146) concerning Minimum Age for Admission to
Employment, 1973
Recommendation (No. 147) concerning Prevention and Control of Occupational
Hazards caused by Carcinogenic Substances and Agents, 1974
Recommendation (No. 150) concerning Vocational Guidance and Vocational
Training in the Development of Human Resources, 1975
Recommendation (No. 190) concerning the Prohibition and Immediate Action
for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour, 1999
**Copies of the international labour Conventions and
Recommendations referred to in the Tripartite Declaration are available upon
request to ILO Publications, International Labour Office, 4, route des Morillons,
CH-1211 Geneva 22, Switzerland, or at http://www.ilo.org
Recommendation (No. 119) concerning
Termination of Employment at the Initiative of the Employer.
ibid.
Convention (No. 142) and Recommendation
(No. 150) concerning Vocational Guidance and Vocational Training in the
Development of Human Resources.
Recommendation (No. 116) concerning
Reduction of Hours of Work.
Convention (No. 110) and Recommendation
(No. 110) concerning Conditions of Employment of Plantation Workers;
Recommendation (No. 115) concerning Workers' Housing; Recommendation (No. 69)
concerning Medical Care; Convention (No. 130) and Recommendation (No. 134)
concerning Medical Care and Sickness Benefits.
Recommendation (No. 94) concerning
Consultation and Co-operation between Employers and Workers at the Level of
Undertaking; Recommendation (No. 129) concerning Communications within the
Undertaking.
Recommendation (No. 130)
concerning the Examination of Grievances within the Undertaking with a View to
Their Settlement.
Convention (No. 29) concerning Forced or
Compulsory Labour; Convention (No. 105) concerning the Abolition of Forced
Labour; Recommendation (No. 35) concerning Indirect Compulsion to Labour.
Recommendation (No. 92) concerning
Voluntary Conciliation and Arbitration.
