Impact and people

2011

  1. Recognition for India’s invisible workers

    30 May 2011

    Domestic workers play an important role in the economy and they allow others to go out and earn money. Yet they remain invisible, unprotected and their contribution is often not recognized. At the forthcoming International Labour Conference (in Geneva, 1-17 June) the ILO and its members will debate drafts that could lead to the first international instruments specifically designed to protect domestic workers. By Neelam Agnihotri, Communication & Information Officer, ILO Country Office for India

  2. World Day against Child Labour, 12 June 2011

    26 May 2011

    More than half (53 per cent) of the 215 million child labourers worldwide do hazardous work. While their number is increasing among older children, aged 15-17, progress is being made for younger children, aged 5-14, says the latest ILO report on child labour “Children in Hazardous Work”. Some of them succeed in leaving the dark tunnel of a mineshaft or other dangerous workplaces, as the example of Rodel from the Philippines shows.

  3. Combating pay discrimination: The example of Jordan

    18 May 2011

    According to the ILO’s global report on discrimination “Equality at work: The continuing challenge”, significant progress has been made in recent decades in advancing gender equality in the world of work. However, the gender pay gap still exists, with women’s wages representing between 70-90 per cent of wages earned by their male counterparts. Jordan has a longstanding commitment to the achievement of pay equity for women and men at work. The country has ratified several international conventions which assert the right to equal pay for equal value of work. Yet, in reality, the measures which ensure equality of pay are often not applied. ILO Online spoke with Asma Khader, Secretary-General of the Jordanian National Commission for Women (JNCW).

  4. “Working in Russia”: a step towards decent work for migrant workers

    16 May 2011

    According to the 2011 ILO Global Report on Discrimination, migrant workers encounter discrimination on a daily basis. While many of them are already at risk of all kinds of abuse, they also became the first victims of the financial and economic crisis, the report says. ILO Online reports from the Russian Federation which has been the biggest receiving, sending and transit country for migrant workers in Eastern Europe and Central Asia since the early 1990s.

  5. “Opportunities for all”: promoting employment for disabled jobseekers and persons with HIV/AIDS

    16 May 2011

    According to the ILO's new global report on discrimination worldwide, the challenge for enhancing the employability of people with disabilities and HIV/AIDS is significant. Promoting the rights of vulnerable groups, such as workers with HIV/AIDS or disabilities, is therefore among the major areas of focus of the ILO. A good example is its Opportunity for All Initiative which is helping seven companies in the north of Viet Nam to include people living with a disability or HIV/AIDS in the workplace. ILO Online reports from Hanoi, Viet Nam.

  6. Questions and answers on Children in hazardous work

    10 May 2011

    The 2011 World Day Against Child Labour will provide a global spotlight on hazardous child labour. The ILO’s most recent global estimate is that 115 million children are involved in hazardous work. This is work that by its nature or the circumstances in which it is carried out, is likely to harm children’s health, safety or morals.

  7. 1919–2011: ILO Conferences in changing times

    09 May 2011

    The ILO has played a role at key historical junctures – the Great Depression, decolonization, the creation of Solidarność in Poland, the victory over apartheid in South Africa – and today in the building of an ethical and productive framework for a fair globalization. The 100th Session of the International Labour Conference in June 2011 is an occasion to look back at some of its landmark sessions since 1919.

  8. The MLC, 2006 will benefit both seafarers and quality shipowners

    09 May 2011

    Interview with Arthur Bowring, Managing Director of Hong Kong Shipowners Association

  9. Questions and answers on Growth, Productive Employment and Decent Work in the LDCs

    06 May 2011

    In preparation for the Fourth UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC-IV), the International Labour Organization (ILO) has produced a report “Growth, Productive Employment and Decent Work in the LDCs,” which argues for transformative policies for decent work in LDCs. UN-NGLS (United Nations Non-Governmental Liaison Service) interviews José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs, Executive Director for Employment, ILO, on the key insights and recommendations of the report.

  10. Why training is essential for the enforcement of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006

    05 May 2011

    “This training activity is related to flag State ship inspection which is not just important, it is essential for the enforcement of the Maritime Labour Convention 2006”. - Interview with Dominick Devlin, Special Advisor on the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 and one of the experts involved in the Maritime Labour Academy.