News, articles and statements
May 2013
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Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC)
ILO meets with social partners in Bangladesh following building collapse
04 May 2013
CBC news reports on the ILO visit to Dhaka to meet with government, workers and employers organizations following the collapse of the Rana Plaza building, which resulted in deaths and serious injury of hundreds of garment workers. Speaking at a press conference, the ILO's Deputy Director-General for Field Operations, Gilbert Houngbo, described Bangladesh as a victim of its own success with rapid manufacturing growth creating the need for a new "modus operandi".
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© Munir Uz Zaman / AFP 2024
Workplace safety
Conclusions of the ILO's high level mission to Bangladesh
04 May 2013
Joint statement issued by the tripartite partners at the conclusion of the ILO's high-level mission sent to Dhaka, Bangladesh, following the Rana Plaza Building collapse.
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Al Jazeera English
Bangladesh building collapse tragedy could easily have been avoided, says ILO
03 May 2013
The challenge is for concrete action to be taken now, said the ILO's Deputy Director-General for Field Operations, Gilbert Houngbo in a live interview from Dhaka, with Al Jazeera English Newshour. This will include passing a new labour law in Bangladesh, inspecting over 3500 factories, and importantly, creating a different working environment, where workers, employer and government are in dialogue to prevent any such future tragedies.
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BBC World News
ILO on ground in Dhaka presses the government to make changes
01 May 2013
ILO's Deputy Director General for Field Operations, Gilbert Houngbo, pushes for reforms in Bangladesh on freedom of association and collective bargaining to ensure that individuals "do have possibility to negotiate better working conditions" in the field of labour. Mr. Huongbo, in an interview with BBC World News, emphasises the need for reform of labour laws in Bangladesh at the highest levels of government, to make sure that changes will be adopted quickly.
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CNN Quest Means Business
ILO's Director General says "Everything can be done to change the situation" in Bangladesh
01 May 2013
The Bangladesh disaster will happen again "if action is not taken now", affirmed ILO's Director General Guy Ryder. Mr. Ryder, speaking to CNN's Richard Quest, urged authorities to take action for necessary measures. While everybody has a role to play in making these changes happen, it is "in the governments capacity" to implement a plan that will adopt a legislation in the field of labour.
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BBC World Business Report
ILO's Deputy Director General, Gilbert Houngbo, called for new labour law addressing occupational safety in Bangladesh
01 May 2013
The ILO's high-level mission to Bangladesh is pressing the Government to take action that will improve the working conditions of the garment business that makes up 80% of the country's $24 billion export industry. ILO's Deputy Director General for Field Operations, Gilbert Houngbo, told BBC World Business Report that there is a "need for much higher political commitment" and the root causes can be accounted to the need for labour law, freedom of association, and collective bargaining among the field of labour.
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Labour Day
Statement by ILO Deputy Director General in Bangladesh on May Day 2013
01 May 2013
by Mr. Gilbert Fossoun Houngbo, Deputy Director General of Field Operations and Partnerships
April 2013
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Freedom of association
First conference of labour organizations in Myanmar since freedom of association law
30 April 2013
Hundreds of workers come together to mark first anniversary of Labour Organization Law.
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© Munir uz Zaman / AFP 2024
Workplace safety
ILO sends high-level mission to Bangladesh following the Rana Plaza Building collapse
29 April 2013
ILO Director-General Guy Ryder says it is time for horror and regret to translate into urgent action.
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Occupational Safety and Health
Beating the Dust Disease in Thailand
28 April 2013
An estimate of 200,000 workers are at risk of developing pneumoconiosis in Thailand. ILO’s Senior Specialist in Occupational Safety and Health, Dr. Igor Fedotov says, “It would not be an exaggeration to say that millions are at risk around the world” and these cases are often being unreported. With the help of the ILO, however, the Thai Ministry of Health has increased the number of skilled doctors to treat and support workers diagnosed with the lung disease, making Thailand a leader among developing economies.
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World Day for Safety and Health at Work
Video message by ILO Director-General Guy Ryder
28 April 2013
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© Gianluigi Guercia / AFP 2024
World Day for Safety and Health at Work
ILO calls for urgent global action to fight occupational diseases
26 April 2013
According to a new ILO report, prevention is key to tackling the growing number of work-related diseases, which claim an estimated 2 million lives per year.
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© ILO/Hoa Tran 2024
World Day for Safety and Health at Work
Fighting a slow and invisible killer
23 April 2013
Rock quarries are among the most dangerous workplaces in Viet Nam. The International Labour Organization (ILO) is helping enhance self-inspection and training on occupational safety and health (OSH) to try to make work in the quarries healthier and safer.
March 2013
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Press release
Fire safety - Tripartite partners adopt National Tripartite Plan of Action on Fire Safety for the Ready-Made Garment Sector in Bangladesh
25 March 2013
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ILO Statement to the 57th Commission on the Status of Women
Ending gender-based violence is critical to achieve decent work and promote development
15 March 2013
Gender-based violence in the world of work represents an obstacle to development and implies significant costs for developing and developed country economies alike.
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Swaziland
Getting across the message on male circumcision and HIV in the workplace
14 March 2013
Many Swazi men have decided to get circumcised to reduce their risk of contracting HIV, after attending workplace information sessions organised by the ILO.
January 2013
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Safety at work
Turning computer junk into jobs
18 January 2013
Vast amounts of electrical and electronic waste end up in developing countries where the recycling methods are often hazardous. Integrating informal e-waste operations into the formal sector can help make the process safer, according to an ILO study titled "The global impact of e-waste".
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Press release
Tripartite Meeting on Fire Safety in the Workplace in Bangladesh
15 January 2013
A tripartite meeting on fire safety in the work place in Bangladesh was organized jointly by the Ministry of Labour and Employment and the ILO on 15 January 2013. Following the daylong deliberations, a tripartite statement of commitment was adopted and signed at the meeting.
November 2012
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Video
The ILO and the EU improving safety and health at work through a Decent Work Agenda (short version)
30 November 2012
The European Union and the ILO SAFEWORK programme have engaged in a joint project to improve safety and health at work in Honduras, Malawi, The Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, and Zambia. This video gives an overview of the successes reached in these countries, leading to safe and healthy, decent workplace for all.
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Press release
ILO’S Press Release on the tragic incident of fire in a garment factory at Ashulia
27 November 2012
The International Labour Organization (ILO) is greatly shocked and saddened by the tragic incident of fire in a garment factory at Ashulia adjacent to Dhaka on 24 November 2012 that resulted in the unfortunate deaths of more than 100 workers. The ILO extends its sincere condolences to the bereaved families of the victims and conveys its sympathy to those injured due to the fire.