Publications on freedom of association

February 2019

  1. Publication

    Rules of the Game: An introduction to the standards-related work of the International Labour Organization (Centenary edition 2019)

    20 February 2019

    A brief presentation of the ILO’s standards policy with a view to facilitating understanding and ownership by the ILO’s traditional constituents, as well as the United Nations system, non-specialists and the broader public.

November 2017

  1. Issue Brief no. 1 - Labour Relations and Collective Bargaining

    Trends in collective bargaining coverage: stability, erosion or decline?

    01 November 2017

    Collective bargaining over wages and other working conditions between unions and employers is a key labour market institution in democratic societies. The coverage and impact of this institution varies over time and across countries. This policy brief examines differences in collective bargaining coverage for 75 countries.

October 2017

  1. Good Practice

    Outcome 10: Thematic funding for 2014-15 (Norway-ILO Partnership Programme 2012-15) - Final evaluation

    24 October 2017

December 2015

  1. Factsheet no. 4 - Labour Relations and Collective Bargaining

    The application of collective agreements

    14 December 2015

    Ideally, workers and managers will ensure that collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) are applied. Managers will make sure that workers are paid the agreed rates and that working conditions are as specified in the latest agreement. Trade union officers will communicate with workers, explaining what has been agreed and discussing how to approach the implementation of any changes. Managers and trade union representatives together will monitor the application of the agreement and work together within agreed procedures to resolve any problems that arise with putting it into practice. In many circumstances, however, the application of agreements is not so straightforward.

  2. Factsheet no. 3 - Labour Relations and Collective Bargaining

    Subjects for collective bargaining

    14 December 2015

  3. Factsheet no. 2 - Labour Relations and Collective Bargaining

    Representativity and recognition for collective bargaining

    14 December 2015

    If a collective bargaining agreement is to reflect a fair balance between the interests of the workers and employers that it covers, the organizations that negotiate on behalf of each side must be properly representative.

  4. Factsheet no. 1 - Labour Relations and Collective Bargaining

    Collective bargaining

    14 December 2015

    Negotiating or bargaining is a means of joint decision making. It is used by individuals or groups like trade unions and employers who depend on each other to achieve their goals but who may have different interests.

  5. Issue Brief no. 3 - Labour Relations and Collective Bargaining

    Collective bargaining and non-standard forms of employment: Practices that reduce vulnerability and ensure work is decent

    14 December 2015

    Collective bargaining is widely recognized as an important tool for improving working conditions and labour relations, but can it play the same role for workers in non-standard forms of employment? This issue brief looks at the ways in which collective bargaining is used to negotiate better terms and conditions of employment for workers in temporary and part-time employment, and in forms of employment involving multiple parties, such as temporary agency work.

June 2014

  1. Publication

    Guide to international labour standards (2014)

    10 June 2014

    Provides summaries of the contents of ILO Conventions and Recommendations by subject matter.

November 2011

  1. Publication

    Social dialogue during the financial and economic crisis. Results from the ILO/World Bank Inventory using a Boolean analysis on 44 countries

    14 November 2011

    Employment Working Paper No. 102