Social Protection Sector
Implementation report 2000-2001

Operational Objective 3c:  Improved working and employment conditions for vulnerable groups

 

Indicator	Target and Outcome
3c.1. The number of countries in which policies and programmes to extend the coverage of social security to the most difficult-to-reach have been introduced, either through public schemes or voluntary initiatives.	Target: 15 member States Outcome: 13 Tunisia: case study on country experiences and best practices on the extension of coverage has led to the improvement of government policy on the extension of social protection. Cameroon and Democratic Republic of the Congo: new health care schemes through voluntary initiatives are operational. Senegal: “Solidarity-Employment-Retirement” scheme established. Democratic Republic of the Congo: 800 teachers and farmers in Kinshasa set up mutual health scheme. Benin, Cameroon and Gabon: tripartite structures have been set up, including representation groups of the informal sector, in order to help the rehabilitation of existing voluntary initiative schemes and their assistance to the non-formal sector. Burkina Faso, Senegal, Benin and Guinea: micro health insurance schemes set up within various community organisations and network for the exchange of information and sharing of experience established Bangladesh: extension of coverage through micro health insurance schemes currently promoted through partnerships with Grameen Kalyan, BRAC and government Argentina: new phase of a project aiming at fighting social exclusion in health starting with government funding. Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Viet Nam: projects to extend the coverage of social protection through a combination of voluntary schemes and social security reforms started their activities in November 2001
3c.2. The number of countries launching programmes based on ILO guidelines for achieving equality for men and women migrant workers.	Target: 3 member States Outcome: 5 Denmark: the Government adopted anti‑discrimination policies based on ILO guidelines. Ireland: the Irish Congress of Trade Unions launched a national effort promoting employer, union and government anti-discrimination measures. Belgium: the Minister of Labour proposed a new anti-discrimination policy and legislation initiative, based in part on ILO studies and materials. Finland: Government Action Plan launched to combat ethnic discrimination and racism drew on ILO anti-discrimination documentation Netherlands and Spain: Findings and recommendations from research initiated as part of ILO studies on discrimination against migrants in access to employment contributed to national programmes Costa Rica: ILO helped launch information campaign on migrant domestic workers’ rights by Association of Migrant Domestic Workers Durban Conference: ILO contributed important elements for draft Programme of Action on non-discrimination against migrant workers and combating racism and xenophobia
3c.3. The number of member States in which local institutions are using ILO tools and methodologies to improve working conditions in small-scale enterprises and the informal sector.	Target: 6 member States Outcome: 6 member States Haiti: Under a US-funded project to improve working conditions in the garment assembly sector, in collaboration with the Haitian employers’ organization ADIH, initial WISE training has been conducted for business owners and for supervisors: local trainers will be trained by the end of 2001. Lao People’s Democratic Republic: Following training of local trainers and translation of the WISE Action Manual into Lao, WISE training has been integrated into an export promotion programme for small-scale garment and handicraft manufacturers and WISE trainers have been trained in the garment and handicraft employers’ organizations. Mongolia: WISE training programmes are continuing by the Mongolian Employers Federation after initial ILO support. Philippines: WISE has been institutionalised, with 130 workshops conducted by the Department of Labour and Employment in 2000 and 25 in the first half of 2001, as well as a further 15 refresher courses for WISE trainers. Trainers from the Philippines are being requested to provide training of trainers and advisory services in other countries. Thailand: 50 labour inspectors were trained in 2001 to conduct WISE training in the provinces. Following pilot WISE training for homeworkers, a national workshop on working conditions and safety and health for home-based workers was held by the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare in April 2001. This concluded that WISE and job safety analysis together would provide the best results in improving working conditions at community level amongst homeworkers. WISE training for home-based workers has subsequently been conducted in Chiang Mai province. Viet Nam: The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) has integrated the WISE training methods into their labour inspector training courses. Three training courses for labour inspectors were conducted using the WISE methods to upgrade their knowledge and skills. The Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) also conducted a pilot WISE course in Hanoi for their members and VCCI members were trained as WISE trainers. The trained trainers subsequently held two WISE courses by themselves. For information on results of working conditions improvements in micro-enterprises see also 2d.2.
3c.4. The number of member States addressing the issue of HIV/AIDS and the world of work with ILO assistance	Target: 10 member States Outcome: 10 member States Burkina Faso: ILO Code of Practice presented to constituents. MOL has set up tripartite AIDS Committee, guidance from ILO on integrating HIV/AIDS into labour legislation was requested. Ghana: Technical guidance provided on training labour inspectors on HIV/AIDS. India: Project on HIV/AIDS prevention in the world of work is operational. Malawi: ILO acting as facilitator for national work-place policy on HIV/AIDS, also working on capacity building with Ministry of Labour. Malaysia: Guidance and technical assistance provided by the ILO in the formulation of a national code of practice on HIV/AIDS. Senegal: Government has undertaken the training of labour inspectors on HIV/AIDS prevention, non discrimination and policy development. South Africa: Assistance to National School of Public Health to develop lectures for HIV/AIDS management at the workplace Diploma. Tanzania: ILO assisting in drafting national workplace policy on HIV/AIDS and conducts awareness-raising among tripartite constituents. Thailand: Collaboration with Government on reforming legislation in line with Code of Practice, capacity building with Ministry of Labour and Thai and Asian Business Coalition. Zambia: Technical and financial assistance to set up Zambia Business Coalition on AIDS, and to formulate workplace policy based on Code of Practice.
3c.5. The number of member States in which data are generated on maternity protection, work and family, and working time and used in policy formulation	Target: 10 member States Outcome: 4 member States Haiti: A detailed analysis of the provisions of the draft labour code of Haiti, covering hours of work, overtime, part-time employment, night work, rest breaks, and maternity protection was used by the Ministry of Social Affairs in revising the draft code. Saint Lucia: A detailed analysis of the provisions of the draft labour code of Saint Lucia, covering hours of work, overtime, part-time employment, night work, rest breaks, and maternity protection was used by the government in revising the draft code. South Africa: A country study investigating the potential for progressive reduction in hours of work was prepared. The data and analysis contained in this report has been used by the South African National Economic, Development, and Labour Council (NEDLAC) in their deliberations considering whether or not to reduce normal (statutory) hours of work in South Africa from 44 to 40 hours. Former Republic of Yugoslavia: A detailed analysis of the provisions of the draft labour code of the Republic of Serbia, covering hours of work, overtime, part-time employment, night work, rest breaks, and maternity protection was used by the Serbian Ministry of Labour in revising the draft code. The labour code is now being considered by the Serbian Parliament.

Strategies, Results and Lessons Learned

For 2000-01, this operational objective included a diverse range of issues, including social security, migrant workers, working conditions, HIV/AIDS and some occupational health and safety issues. Accordingly, the individual programmes at headquarters responsible for each of these issues pursued independent strategies, including collaboration with other programmes and through field units. For 2002-03, these issues have been divided between the two new broader operational objectives under this strategic objective.

Access to insurance for health care in Africa accounted for a large share of the results for the biennium related to the extension of social protection. This built on work that began more than a decade earlier, particularly in West Africa, with analyses of gaps and opportunities in social protection for health care. Those analyses led to the development of specific community-based strategies, methodologies and tools. This was supported most notably through collaboration between the field, headquarters and the Turin Centre. Related work was also in progress on a broader range of social protection issues in a wider range of member States. This is expected to generate a wider set of results for 2002-03. The same should be true of a pilot initiative that began during the biennium to test the use of reinsurance mechanisms to support and build sustainability in micro-insurance schemes.

ILO policies recognize the vulnerability of migrant workers and the discrimination and lack of protection that they often face. The modest target under this indicator is explained by the uncertainties that existed in the area when the indicator was defined and the target was set. The work to date suggested a potential for sustainable results in this area, which helped lead to the decision to raise the target for 2002-03 from three to eight member States. This is likely to build on work that is largely taking place in Europe.

It is expected that the partnership agreement signed in 2001 between ILO and the International Organization for Migration will facilitate the development of a more integrated strategy of action in this area. That strategy would likely include follow up to results of the World Conference against Racism held in Durban 2001. The progressive development of national capacities in this field would lead to more efficient programmes and more support and participation from ILO field units.

Workers in small and medium enterprises, all the more when they are considered to be part of the informal sector, are among those most vulnerable in terms of working conditions. Over the years, the Office has developed a number of tools and instruments, including the Work Improvement in Small Enterprises methodology as noted in the tables, to help countries address this situation. Those tools and instruments were applied in line with projected targets. The impact of their application needs to be monitored.

A key element of the strategy pursued to make ILO tools operational was to integrate issues of working conditions into broader services such as business and community development. Much of this work also took place with the support of the Bureau for Employers’ Activities and Office staff in the field as part of efforts to strengthen employers’ organizations. This proved to be an effective means to communicate the message that “protection pays”, and to build links with local organizations that deliver such services to these target groups. Other initial work to develop innovative approaches combining micro-enterprise development and improvement of working conditions was undertaken successfully in close partnership with business development services.

One area that was identified for future work was the need for greater clarity and better internal collaboration related to the part of operational objective 2d relating to the application of ILO policy and practical tools on productivity and management development and the part of operational objective 3c relating to the improvement of working conditions in small-scale enterprises and the informal sector. The expectation is that working quality should be an integral element of ILO-supported enterprise development.

The ILO HIV/AIDS programme only started its activities in November 2000, which led to a relatively modest target of 10 member States addressing HIV/AIDS and the world of work with ILO assistance. However, that target was met, largely on the basis of work in Africa where the issue has a very high priority. Much of that success was due to the substantial cooperation between the field and headquarter units and through collaboration with workers’ organizations and employers’ organizations. The sound network of interested partners meant that it was possible to address specific HIV/AIDS priorities where ILO intervention was most likely to have impacts.

HIV/AIDS actions have begun to expand in other regions such as Asia and the Caribbean. A tripartite Conference in Moscow in December 2001 followed the adoption by representatives of the Commonwealth of Independent States of a regional integrated strategy to combat HIV/AIDS. This added the 12 members of the CIS to the list of those working with the Office to define a specific approach to HIV/AIDS and the world of work.

ILO work in this field was based on close collaboration between headquarters and field units and was linked to activities of many UN agencies. In all regions, much of the strategies required design and delivery through innovative tripartite approaches drawing on the strengths of employers’ and workers’ organizations.

Development of ILO tools and methodologies took place to support the initiatives in various regions. Within six months of its adoption, the ILO Code of Practice on HIV/AIDS and the world of work had been translated into nine languages in addition to its original English, French and Spanish versions.

In the areas of maternity protection, working time and work-and-family, the strategy emphasized the importance of elevating these issues in national policy debates. Efforts to secure improvements and to integrate them into employment policy were hampered in many countries by an insufficient information base on which to make policy choices. This made data generation and analysis an essential first step and helps to explain the reason that data was only used in policy formulation in only four countries, compared to a target of ten.

The experience with Office efforts relating to working time and work-and-family issues was that the process of data generation leading to national debate and eventually policy formulation would take longer than two years. By the end of the biennium, work was in progress in fourteen countries, through a combination of country studies (both on working time and work-and-family) and representative national surveys (on work-and-family). These studies are expected to help lead to more substantive results in the next biennium.

The strategy for maternity protection was to promote ratification of the Maternity Protection Convention (No. 183) that was adopted in June 2000, to promote improvements based on the Convention where ratification was not immediately feasible, and to support added maternity protection, especially to women who have the least protection. The strategy emphasized the coherence between this target and improved working and employment conditions for vulnerable groups. It supported analysis of labour cost implications and set out to demonstrate that “protection pays”. To this end, a series of studies identified local initiatives around the world that were providing maternity protection to previously unprotected women.

The results of the work in 2000-01 will support efforts in the next biennium to expand the use of best initiatives in expanding protection. This is likely to include the development of practical tools and methodologies on maternity protection and on work-and-family. The use of a wide range of contact people in the field and in other agencies will also continue to be used as a means of dealing with resource and expertise constraints in the regions.

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