In 2014–15 the ILO helped national employers’ organizations in 73 countries across all regions to enhance their management, extend their service provision to existing and potential members, and improve their policy engagement to ensure an environment conducive to business development and sustainable enterprises.
Building on an assessment of the business environment conducted in the previous biennium, the Honduran Council for Private Enterprise (COHEP) achieved key legal and regulatory reforms through the consolidation and advocacy of the private sector’s policy positions. Business registration procedures have now been simplified – including on collateral and environmental licensing — leading to reduced business registration costs and an increase in the commercial registry by 44 and 41 per cent in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula, respectively. COHEP has established a Business Environment Reform unit responsible for ongoing policy development and advocacy, in addition to a new website that shares information and tracks progress on its policy reform proposals.
The Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation’s (FCEF) newly established Women Entrepreneurs and Business Council (WEBC) provides services and serves as a forum where business women can raise their voice. By early 2015 – a year after the FCEF adopted its first WEBC strategic plan – more than 100 new members had joined the Council.
FCEF has conducted surveys on the entrepreneurial climate for women-owned businesses in Fiji, and launched a policy position paper on overcoming challenges as part of a campaign to remove barriers and promote the development of women’s entrepreneurship in the country.
When FCEF looked at the issue of how to bring more women into the entrepreneurial space, we established WEBC at the 7th Session of the Federation's Council – with the help of the ILO. We’ve made enormous strides during the past two years, with a strategic plan and concrete services being offered to women entrepreneurs who are subscribing to become members. The Council is now working to blend this issue into the fabric of leadership so that we have a holistic approach from the politics of the country and employment laws down to company operations."
—Howard Politini, President, FCEF
The National Confederation of Employers of the Republic of Moldova (CNPM) has expanded its existing services to the regions by setting up ten territorial organizations, and supported them with training and guidance on, for example, governance, strategic planning, social partnerships, risk assessment at the workplace, taxation, labour discipline, and disputes. Three territorial tripartite commissions have also been set up in the districts of Edinet, Balti and Cahul to ensure consultation and collective bargaining (TCCCB). By bringing local employers’ organizations to the table, six territorial collective agreements – a third of those in force – have been negotiated and signed.
Strengthening workers’ organizations
In 2014–15 the ILO focused on workers’ protection through international labour standards (ILS) by building on previous results and lessons learned. Trade unions ensured their effective involvement in policy responses and regulatory frameworks, particularly through legal labour reforms and rights campaigns.
In Colombia, Egypt, Georgia, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Lesotho, Mongolia, Nepal, the occupied Palestinian territory, Thailand, and Zambia trade unions proposed amendments to draft labour codes, bringing them into line with international labour standards.
Trade unions acted together to advocate for the ratification of the core Conventions and to influence labour law processes in India’s Constitutional Assembly and the upcoming labour law reform process in Nepal. By coming together on created platforms, unions were able to send strong, consistent messages to the other social partners at crucial points in the development of legal frameworks. This also enhanced unions’ capacity and increased their role in national social dialogue.
During the biennium, ILO work also focused on crisis responses, and on helping trade unions increase their membership – especially by enhancing the quality and breadth of their member services – and organizing precarious workers.
New trade unions were established for young women and men in the Philippines, migrants in Myanmar and Thailand, domestic workers in Egypt, Indonesia and Lebanon, and informal economy workers in Armenia and Kazakhstan. Trade unions were also set up for the tourism and oil sector in Oman during the period.
Cross-border networking and cooperation proved important to improve trade unions’ provision of services to their members, particularly on matters relating to migration. In Myanmar, Malaysia and Thailand, unions signed a memorandum of understanding addressing the topic.
The Arab Trade Union Confederation (ArabTUC), the ASEAN Trade Union Council (ATUC) and the South Asian Regional Trade Union Council (SARTUC) signed a memorandum of understanding to promote interregional cooperation on migration, in order to protect the interests of migrant workers, promote fundamental principles and rights at work, and develop an interregional trade union position on various ongoing migration initiatives.
Trade unions also received targeted policy advice and customized capacity building through ILO support for advocacy and knowledge sharing. Tools such as training manuals, research and policy briefs were launched to support capacity building. To harness new ways of learning, some of this material includes e-learning programmes and audio-visual materials.
The International Training Centre of the ILO (ITC-ILO) was a key partner in this work and provided capacity building services to trade unions on, for instance, mainstreaming gender equality and empowering women workers in Arab States.
