Resource guide on the mining sector

"A 'mine' means any place where mechanical disturbance of the ground takes place for the purpose of prospecting for or producing coal, mineral-bearing substances, placer minerals, rock, limestone, peat, clay, sand or gravel and oil sands and shales; it includes all machinery, equipment, building and civil engineering structures (such as tailings dams and waste-rock and overburden dumps) used in conjunction with mining and the subsequent on-site treatment of the products or servicing of these activities. This definition covers the main purpose of the activity, namely the search for, the extraction of and the related crushing, grinding, concentrating or washing of a product."

Safety and health in mines, Report V(1), International Labour Conference, 81st Session, Geneva, 1994 (pdf 917 KB)

On this page: Find information on the mining sector through Labordoc • International Labour Standards • Statistics • In the media • Key ILO documents • ILO databases • ILO links • External links • Photos • Videos

Find information on the mining sector through Labordoc

• ILO publications on the mining sector
• All publications on the mining sector available in Labordoc

By theme

By region

International Labour Standards

Conventions

Most relevant convention

• C176 Safety and Health in Mines Convention, 1995



Other conventions

• C45 Underground Work (Women) Convention, 1935
• C123 Minimum Age (Underground Work) Convention, 1965
• C124 Medical Examination of Young Persons (Underground Work) Convention, 1965

Recommendations

• R183 Safety and Health in Mines Recommendation, 1995

Fundamental Conventions

• C29 Forced Labour Convention, 1930
• C87 Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948
• C98 Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949
• C100 Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951
• C105 Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957
• C111 Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958
• C138 Minimum Age Convention, 1973
• C182 Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999

International labour standards can be found in the NORMLEX database.

Statistics

• LABORSTA: Employment and hours of work, by economic activity (including mining and quarrying) (Excel 5.2 MB)
• LABORSTA: Employees, hours of work and earnings, by economic activity (including mining and quarrying) (Excel 4.7 MB)
• LABORSTA: Statistics by topic (including occupational injuries)
• UN: UNdata: Energy statistics database (including coal)


• You may find statistics on the topic in the following selection of publications.

In the media

Articles

• From child labourer to child advocate: how Rodel succeeded in leaving the mineshaft, 26 May 2011
• Girls in gold-mining: “I don’t want my children to be like me”, 10 June 2009
• Out of sight – girls in mining, 13 September 2007

Statements and speeches

• ILO Director-General Juan Somavia expresses his emotion over the rescue operation of Chilean miners, 13 October 2010