ILO LIAISON OFFICE – BRUSSELS
NEWSLETTER NO. 11/2005
What kind of future awaits the textile sector following the end of quotas?
The quotas limiting some countries' exports in the global trade in textiles and clothing expired on 1 January 2005, heralding a revolution in the
sector. As predicted, Chinese imports rocketed on the two main markets, the European Union and the United States. In the 25 EU Member States,
employment in the sector fell by 5% between February 2004 and February 2005 and further job losses are expected in the future.
The ILO held a tripartite meeting on the globalisation in this sector from 24 to 26 October in Geneva. Delegates asked the ILO to coordinate the
international response to problems related to adapting the textile and clothing sector, which employs 40 million workers and comprises hundreds of
thousands of companies worldwide. They also stressed that developed countries should support initiatives for compliance with international labour
standards in developing countries and provide technical assistance to help workers who lose their jobs to find new employment.
Click here for an
ILO report prepared for this meeting and
click here to read a press release.
More than 1.1 million jobs need to be recreated in Pakistan
The ILO estimates that more than 1.1 million jobs could have been lost following the earthquake that devastated parts of Pakistan. An initial
assessment conducted on 8 October, the day after the earthquake, showed that it had caused widespread destruction of most infrastructure and shops
in the affected region. It also caused heavy losses of the livestock and agricultural implements that help generate income in rural areas. According
to this assessment, of the more than 1.4 million workers engaged in agricultural activities, 40% lost their jobs, as did an estimated half of the
730,000 workers in the services sector (many in the informal economy) and a similar proportion of the 230,000 workers in industry (construction,
manufacturing, utilities and mining).
The ILO believes that the top priority now is to guarantee and support the creation of decent employment opportunities for hundreds of thousands of
victims, in order to ensure them a future income. The ILO is ready to play its part in a global effort, along with the national authorities, to assist
families and communities in rehabilitating the region, rebuilding lives, and restoring hope.
Click here to access the impact assessment of the earthquake in
Pakistan and
click here for a press release.
Better reintegration of female ex-combatants in Liberia
A large number of female combatants were involved in the war that tore apart Liberia, yet their reasons for taking up arms remain very unclear.
To shed light on this subject, the ILO recently launched a research project in Liberia, the first in a series to be carried out in various countries
affected by war. The project's researchers talked face-to-face with young women under 35 who were actively involved in the fighting. The ILO will now
use this research to boost its aid programme for Liberia, which focuses in particular on using work as a means of reintegrating former soldiers into
society. Previous programmes to reintegrate combatants implemented by other actors generally took the girls back to their initial situation without
resolving the fundamental problems that led them to become combatants in the first place, such as discrimination and violence against women. The ILO
wants to avoid this pitfall.
An article in the World of Work magazine, available
here, provides further information on the situation in Liberia and
on the ILO's activities in the country, which include an assessment of the labour market and training needs.
New loom reduces child labour
Mr Saeed Awan, inventor of a new 'ergonomic' loom that will help reduce the use of child labour in the carpet weaving sector, has been awarded the
2005 Tech Museum Prize. Mr Awan carried out a study on child workers in the carpet industry on behalf of the ILO's International Programme on the
Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC). The study found that carpet weavers suffer from major health problems due to a loom design that hasn't changed
for centuries. He therefore came up with the idea of an 'ergonomic' loom for adult weavers. Installed in 30 homes and workplaces in Pakistan, these
new looms have resulted in major health improvements for adult carpet weavers. Better health makes the weavers more productive, which in turn
increases their income by up to 100%. This also helps to reduce child labour in this sector as families become less dependent on children's work.
ILO/IPEC is using this method to encourage families to send their children to school rather than to work. So far, 26,000 child workers in this
sector have been integrated into school as a result of the programme. A press release on the loom and its related social benefits is available
here.
Update on work in the agricultural sector
Of the approximately 1.1 billion workers in the agricultural sector worldwide, around 40% are salaried employees. However, they are the category with
the highest incidence of poverty and famine. A joint report by the ILO, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the International Union of
Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Associations (IUF) provides an update on this sector. The report notes
that agricultural worker households generally spend over 70% of their wages on food, making it very difficult for parents to send their children to
school. Moreover, of the 246 million child workers worldwide, over 170 million are employed in agriculture. This sector is also one of the three most
dangerous sectors for workers (along with mining and construction).
Click here to access this report or
click here for a press release about the report.
New publications
The following recent ILO publications may be of special interest to our readers:
- Gender Equality and Decent Work. Good practices at the workplace
2005, 134 pp; ISBN 92-2-116991-3; €17
Drawing on the practices and experiences of 25 countries, this book shows how governments, employers’ organizations and trade unions around the
world bring gender equality into their institutional structures, policies, programmes and activities. These good practices are intended to stimulate
fresh ideas and invite adaptation.
Click here to order a copy.
- Restructuring for corporate success. A socially sensitive approach
By Nikolai Rogovsky
2005, 180 pp.; ISBN 92-2-115430-0; €25
How can a company restructure to maximise economic output whilst minimising costs for workers and society? Many people think that cutting staff
numbers has a positive impact on the company's performance and on 'survivors'. This new ILO publication shows that this is not always the case,
that other solutions should be considered and that staff cuts, if really necessary, should be made in such a way as to keep negative consequences
to a minimum.
Click here to order a copy or
click here to read an article providing further information
on this issue.
Scheduled meetings
Click here for a list of ILO meetings scheduled for 2005 and 2006.