ILO LIAISON OFFICE – BRUSSELS
NEWSLETTER NO. 12/2005
The services sector to the rescue of European employment
"Global economic growth is increasingly failing to translate into new and better jobs that lead to a reduction in poverty", according to a new ILO
report, the 4th edition of "Key Indicators of the Labour Market". The report goes on to explain that at present half the world's workers still do not
earn enough to lift themselves and their families above the $2 a day poverty line, and deplores the fact that globalisation has so far failed to create
sufficient and sustainable decent work opportunities around the world.
"Key Indicators of the Labour Market" paints a detailed picture of the quantity and quality of jobs throughout the world, examining 20 key indicators,
including the labour force participation rate, employment elasticities, labour productivity, hours of work and wages, amongst others. These indicators
show that in Western Europe and North America it is the services sector that has enjoyed the most vigorous growth, in terms of both value added and
actual jobs. They also show that in Central and Eastern Europe the transition to a market economy has led to productivity gains, but also caused a
drop in employment.
Click
here to access this new ILO report, or
here to read the press release summarising its main findings.
Cooperation between the EESC and the ILO
On December 1st, the President of the European Economic and Social Committee, Ms. Anne-Marie Sigmund, and the ILO Director General, Juan Somavia,
signed a Joint Declaration on the strengthening of the relations between the two institutions. In this statement, both organisations express their
intention to step up opportunities for contacts and cooperation, to promote the social dimension of globalisation, to secure the respect for
workers' fundamental rights and to enhance social dialogue.
Click here to read (in French) an interview with Ms.
Sigmund giving her views on the future development of the Committee's relations and cooperation with the ILO.
International Migrant's Day
International Migrant's Day will take place on 18 December. According to ILO estimates, there are 175 million people living outside either their
country of origin or the country where they have citizenship. Some 56 million of them live in Europe, of whom 27.5 million are gainfully employed,
a number representing around 4% of Europe's working population. Despite the sometimes negative image of migrants in some host countries, ILO
projections suggest that if no remedial measures are taken, the labour shortage in Europe due to negative demographic trends will lead to a drastic
reduction in GDP (gross domestic product) to only 78% of the expected level in 2050.
Ever since its foundation in 1919, the ILO has fought for the adoption of an international agreement aimed at regulating migrant workers and protecting
workers employed outside their country of origin. It also conducts research and provides training on the impact of immigration policies, and promotes
respect for human rights and the principle of decent jobs for immigrants. Two ILO projects implemented with the support of the European Union merit
singling out in this connection. One concerns the management of immigration in the context of the Euromed and in West and East Africa as a driver of
development (the $100 billion that migrant workers send back to their country of origin each year is higher than the sum total of all international
development aid budgets). A second project supports integration and the fight against discrimination towards immigrants in Europe, in particular by
disseminating information and running future campaigns on the topic of "equality in diversity".
Click here to find out more about the activities of the International
Labour Migration section of the ILO website.
A close look at framework agreements
The growing importance of multinational companies has prompted major changes in industrial relations and collective bargaining. Since the 1990s,
dozens of international framework agreements have been concluded between international trade union federations and multinational companies. Under
the terms of such agreements, multinationals undertake to respect the fundamental rights of their workers in every country where they are active.
Thus these agreements pursue the same objectives at international level as collective agreements aim to do at national level. A new study published
by the ILO's International Institute for Labour Studies considers these new social dialogue instruments by examining three key issues: the contents
of framework agreements and the procedures for monitoring them; the conditions which facilitate the negotiation and adoption of such agreements;
and their effectiveness. To read the study (which is currently only available in French),
click here.
A project combating the trafficking of women in China
Last year, poverty, the lack of local jobs and the lure of the city prompted nearly 130 million Chinese to take to the streets and head, in most cases,
for the booming region on China's east coast. Whereas most of these migrant workers are men, the percentage of women is rising very fast, especially
amongst the very young. Often girls leave school very early to try their luck in China's towns and cities, having made no preparations and totally
unaware of the dangers awaiting them and of the precautions they ought to take. Many of them fall victim either to unscrupulous employers or to sexual
exploitation.
The ILO's International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) has teamed up with the Chinese authorities to set up a project designed
to prevent such exploitation. The aim is to secure the paths taken by girls leaving rural areas, in particular by putting them in touch with employers
who are likely to offer them decent jobs. Various awareness-raising actions are also being conducted, via schools and the media, whereas networks for
raising the alert about human trafficking are being set up in rural regions.
To learn more about this project, please read the ILO article
published here.
Gaining a better understanding of the trafficking of Moldovan and Ukrainian migrants
The ILO has just published two new studies on human trafficking involving people originating from Eastern Europe. The first focuses on forced labour,
to which numerous workers from Moldova fall victim, both in Western Europe and in the former USSR. This study, which you can access by
clicking here, highlights the various types of forced
labour (in the construction industry, agriculture, domestic work, prostitution, and so on), details how such trafficking is organised and proposes
solutions for breaking out of it. The second study spotlights the trafficking of migrants from Ukraine and raises the same issues as the Moldova study.
Click here to access it.
New publications
The following recent ILO publication may be of special interest to our readers:
Reaching out to SMEs. An electronic toolkit for employers' organizations
2005, CD ROM, €28
More than 90% of companies in most countries of the world are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), but employers' organisations often fail
to represent them fully. This CD ROM contains an array of tools enabling them to gain a better understanding of the specific concerns and interests
of SMEs and show them how employers' organisations can help them more effectively. On the basis of specific examples, this CD ROM proposes
strategies for integrating SMEs more closely into employers' organisations. You can place an order for a copy of the publication by
clicking here.
Scheduled meetings
Please
click here for a list of ILO meetings scheduled for 2005 and 2006.
The ILO Liaison Office in Brussels wishes you all a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!!!