ILO sectoral tools and instruments to protect workers from the pandemic
International labour standards and fundamental principles and rights at work
International Labour Standards provide a tried-and-trusted foundation for COVID-19 policy responses and contain key provisions to address the evolving pandemic and its impact on the world of work. States have the duty to ensure that the fundamental principles and rights at work and ratified international labour Conventions protect and are applied to all workers, particularly also during the pandemic. Governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations have adopted a number of ILO sectoral Conventions and Recommendations that are relevant to addressing the impact of COVID-19 in specific social and economic sectors.- Nursing Personnel Convention (No. 149), 1977
- Nursing Personnel Recommendation (No. 157), 1977
- Labour Relations (Public Service) Convention, 1978 (No. 151)
- Labour Relations (Public Service) Recommendation, 1978 (No. 159)
- ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers (1966) and the UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Higher-Education Teaching Personnel (1997)
- Safety and Health in Agriculture Convention, 2001 (No. 184)
- Safety and Health in Agriculture Recommendation, 2001 (No. 192)
- Work in Fishing Convention, 2007 (No. 188)
- Work in Fishing Recommendation, 2007 (No. 199)
- Safety and Health in Mines Convention, 1995 (No. 176)
- Safety and Health in Mines Recommendation, 1995 (No. 183)
- Safety and Health in Construction Convention, 1988 (No. 167)
- Safety and Health in Construction Recommendation, 1988 (No. 175)
- Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, as amended
- Seafarers' Identity Documents Convention (Revised), 2003, as amended (No. 185)
- Working Conditions (Hotels and Restaurants) Convention, 1991 (No. 172)
- Working Conditions (Hotels and Restaurants) Recommendation, 1991 (No. 179)
Sectoral tools
Governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations have also adopted a number of ILO tools that are relevant to addressing the impact of COVID-19 in specific social and economic sectors.Health services & public emergency services
These include ways to protect workers in health services and public emergency services – the workers that are the first to respond to the health crisis.- ILO/WHO: Occupational safety and health in public health emergencies: A manual for protecting health workers and responders
- HealthWISE - Work Improvement in Health Services - Action Manual
- Policy brief: Decent Working Time for Nursing Personnel: Critical for Worker Well-being and Quality Care
- Guidelines on decent work in public emergency services
Agriculture, forestry & mining
The constituents have also developed tools to protect workers in primary sectors of the economy – agriculture, forestry and mining – and in shipping and transport. These have in many countries been designated as “critical” and continue to operate during the pandemic.- Safety and health in agriculture: An ILO Code of practice
- Safety and health in forestry work. An ILO code of practice
- Code of Practice on safety and health in opencast mining
- Code of Practice on safety and health in underground coalmines
Shipping, ports & road transport
- Maritime Labour Convention, 2006
- Guidelines on the medical examinations of seafarers
- ILO, IMO and WHO: New International Medical Guide for Ships
- ILO/IMO Database on reported incidents of abandonment of seafarers
- Guidelines on the training of ships’ cooks
- Code of Practice on safety and health in ports
- Code of Practice on security in ports
- Guidelines on the Promotion of Decent Work and Road Safety in the Transport Sector
ILO tools for other sectors - construction, shipbuilding & ship repair, utilities, education and tourism
Many other sectors are affected by the COVID-19 crisis as well. The tools the ILO has developed for construction, shipbuilding and ship repair, utilities and education can help save lives as well.- Safety and health in construction: An ILO code of practice
- Code of Practice on safety and health in shipbuilding and ship repair
- WASH@Work: a Self-Training Handbook
- ILO Policy Guidelines on the promotion of decent work for early childhood education personnel
- ILO guidelines on decent work and socially responsible tourism