ILO LIAISON OFFICE - BRUSSELS
NEWSLETTER 6/2003
International Labour Conference
The ILO's 91st annual conference completed its work on 19 June leading to progress on a number of important
labour issues. While this year's debate focused on eradicating poverty through work, the Conference also adopted a
new convention on identity documents for
seafarers, establishing a more rigorous identification system with a view to protecting the world's 1.2 million
seafarers from terrorism and ensuring that they have the freedom of movement necessary to their wellbeing and
professional activities. This move will facilitate international trade.
The delegates reached an agreement on a global strategy for health and safety at work, calling for "consistent
and targeted" worldwide action aimed at reducing the number of deaths, injuries and illnesses among workers
(some 2 million individuals die every year from work-related causes). The Conference also asked the ILO to prepare
a recommendation on issues related to the employment relationship, paying specific attention to "disguised"
employment (where an employee is intentionally not given the appropriate employment contract and status).
The Conference also held an initial discussion on a new international labour standard dealing with the development of
human resources.
The Committee on the Application of Standards examined cases involving violations of workers' rights in 25 countries.
It singled out Belarus, Myanmar (Burma) and Colombia for violations of Convention 87 on Freedom of Association and
Protection of the Right to Organise (see below). The situation of workers in the occupied Arab territories was also
looked at in depth (see next page).
The full set of Conference documents is available on the ILO website:
working papers,
provisional records,
press release.
Compliance with ILO standards
The Conference singled out Belarus, Myanmar (Burma) and Colombia due to serious and persistent violations of workers'
rights. The workers' delegates called for the creation of a Commission of Inquiry on Freedom of Association in Belarus,
where the regime of President Lukashenko has taken control of the National Federation of Trade Unions and has so far
rejected all ILO recommendations on how to treat independent trade unionists.
On the subject of Myanmar (Burma), ILO Director-General Juan Somavia called for the "immediate release" of
opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi (see photo) and the adoption of measures to abolish forced labour. The
Committee on the Application of Standards held a special meeting on forced labour in Burma and expressed its regret
at the lack of progress made. It reached the same conclusion on freedom of association.
Discussions on Colombia, where 184 trade unionists were murdered last year, led to controversy at the Conference:
the Committee on the Application of Standards did not adopt a special paragraph for that country, as the employers
and most of the governments opposed it. The employers stressed that they supported neither the proposal for a special
paragraph nor the establishment of a Commission of Inquiry, stating that "technical cooperation is the best tool for
achieving our objectives." However, the Committee "once again strongly condemned the killings and kidnappings of
trade unionists".
The reports of the Committee on the Application of Standards, adopted by the Conference,
are available on the website of the ILO (
part I,
part II,
part III).
Workers in the occupied territories
The Conference held a special session to debate the situation of workers in the occupied Arab territories.
According to the report by ILO Director-General Juan Somavia the economic and social situation in the occupied
territories continued to deteriorate seriously last year, leading - along with increased unemployment and lower
incomes - to "an unprecedented humanitarian crisis" (
click here to read the report).
During the Conference, the speakers stressed the need to step up ILO support via technical cooperation in order to
foster employment, fight poverty and bolster the activities of the social partners and the Palestinian Authority's
Ministry of Labour. Many speakers reiterated their support for the ILO's initiative to create a "Palestinian Fund
for Employment and Social Protection". They urged the ILO and the international community of donors to ensure that
this Fund becomes fully operational. The EU representative promised to take action to this end. The Provisional
Record of the Conference on this issue can be read
here.
Campaign on social security for all
Only one in five people around the world have basic social security coverage. With a view to combating this situation,
the International Labour Office launched a campaign on 18 June 2003 to encourage countries to extend social security to
coverage to as many of their citizens as possible. This campaign reflects a consensus that has emerged among governments,
employers and workers to extend social security coverage to include all workers - especially those in the informal
economy ? and to raise public awareness of the impact of social security on economic and social development.
The campaign aims to help forge a broad partnership involving international organisations, donor countries, social
security institutions and the various components of civil society.
For more information on the campaign,
click here.
What kind of pension system should be set up in the EU candidate countries and new member states?
Labour ministers and senior officials from the 13 EU candidate countries, 10 of which will join the EU on 1 May 2004,
met in the margins of the International Labour Conference to discuss reforms to their pension systems.
Their debates were based on an ILO study reviewing changes made to their social security systems since the mid-1990s (
click here to read the study).
According to the study, the public/private debate on the sharing of financial risks and benefits in pension systems is
very topical in the candidate countries. Two trends underlie the debate: the first is the trend towards reducing the
role of the public authorities and the pay-as-you-go system and initiating the parallel introduction of commercially
managed individual contributory schemes (Hungary, Poland, Bulgaria, Lithuania and Estonia). The second trend, as is
the case in the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Turkey and Romania, is the idea to combine adjustments to public pension
systems with supplementary and voluntary schemes. In all cases, the ILO study emphasises that countries in question
will only be able to find a long-term solution to this issue with the help of social dialogue.
New publications
Recent ILO publications include the following, which may be of particular interest to our readers:
- Start Your Business. International Edition
Complete set comprising a Handbook, Workbook and Business Plan: ISBN 92-2-112707-9 (€32)
This set is an extremely valuable tool for individuals planning to start up their own business. The Handbook
(120 pp., ISBN 92-2-11635-2, €16) outlines nine key steps that must be taken before starting a new business
venture (market research, estimating start-up capital, etc.). The Workbook (32 pp., ISBN 92-2-111636-0, €16)
allows readers to test themselves and put into practice what is discussed in the Handbook. The Business Plan
booklet (ISBN 92-2-111637-9, €5.50) contains all the information that has to be provided when discussing the new
business venture with a bank or lending institution.
Click here to order.
Did you know?
The ILO's Department of Communication has overhauled its website to make it more attractive and easier to use.
On it you can find all ILO press releases, fact sheets on work-related issues (youth employment, safety and
health at work|, etc.) and an online version of ILO's World of Work magazine.
Click here to visit the site.
Programme of meetings in 2003
Click here to see the schedule of ILO meetings
planned for 2003 and 2004.