ILO

The International Labour Organization (ILO) is devoted to advancing opportunities for women
and men to obtain decent and productive work in conditions of freedom, equity, security and
human dignity. Its main aims are to promote rights at work, encourage decent employment
opportunities, enhance social protection and strengthen dialogue in handling work-related issues.

In promoting social justice and internationally recognized human and labour rights, the
organization continues to pursue its founding mission that labour peace is essential to prosperity.
Today, the ILO helps advance the creation of decent jobs and the kinds of economic and working
conditions that give working people and business people a stake in lasting peace, prosperity and
progress.

Mission and objectives

“Social justice is the best way to ensure sustainable peace and eradicate poverty. And I believe
in people coming together organizing, joining forces, making their voices heard.”
Juan Somavia, ILO Director-General

As the world's only tripartite multilateral agency, the ILO is dedicated to bringing decent work
and livelihoods, job-related security and better living standards to the people of both poor and
rich countries. It helps to attain those goals by promoting rights at work, encouraging
opportunities for decent employment, enhancing social protection and strengthening dialogue on
work-related issues.

The ILO is the international meeting place for the world of work. We are the experts on work
and employment and particularly on the critical role that these issues play in bringing about
economic development and progress. At the heart of our mission is helping countries build the
institutions that are the bulwarks of democracy and to help them become accountable to the
people.

The ILO formulates international labour standards in the form of Conventions and
Recommendations setting minimum standards of basic labour rights: freedom of association, the
right to organize, collective bargaining, abolition of forced labour, equality of opportunity and
treatment and other standards addressing conditions across the entire spectrum of work-related
issues.

The ILO's diverse tasks are grouped under four strategic objectives:

The four strategic objectives

 Promote and realize standards and fundamental principles and rights at work
  Create greater opportunities for women and men to secure decent employment and income
 Enhance the coverage and effectiveness of social protection for all
 Strengthen tripartism and social dialogue

Origins and history

The ILO was created in 1919, as part of the Treaty of Versailles that ended World War I, to
reflect the belief that universal and lasting peace can be accomplished only if it is based on social
justice.

The Constitution was drafted between January and April, 1919, by the Labour Commission set
up by the Peace Conference, which first met in Paris and then in Versailles. The Commission,
chaired by Samuel Gompers, head of the American Federation of Labour (AFL) in the United
States, was composed of representatives from nine countries: Belgium, Cuba, Czechoslovakia,
France, Italy, Japan, Poland, the United Kingdom and the United States. It resulted in a tripartite
organization, the only one of its kind bringing together representatives of governments,
employers and workers in its executive bodies.

The Constitution contained ideas tested within the International Association for Labour
Legislation, founded in Basel in 1901. Advocacy for an international organization dealing with
labour issues began in the nineteenth century, led by two industrialists, Robert Owen (1771-
1853) of Wales and Daniel Legrand (1783-1859) of France.

The driving forces for ILO's creation arose from security, humanitarian, political and economic
considerations. Summarizing them, the ILO Constitution's Preamble says the High Contracting
Parties were 'moved by sentiments of justice and humanity as well as by the desire to secure the
permanent peace of the world...'

There was keen appreciation of the importance of social justice in securing peace, against a
background of exploitation of workers in the industrializing nations of that time. There was also
increasing understanding of the world's economic interdependence and the need for cooperation
to obtain similarity of working conditions in countries competing for markets. Reflecting these
ideas, the Preamble states:

 Whereas universal and lasting peace can be established only if

it is based upon social justice;
 And whereas conditions of labour exist involving such
injustice hardship and privation to large numbers of people as
to produce unrest so great that the peace and harmony of the
world are imperilled; and an improvement of those conditions
is urgently required;
  Whereas also the failure of any nation to adopt humane
conditions of labour is an obstacle in the way of other nations
which desire to improve the conditions in their own countries;
The areas of improvement listed in the Preamble remain relevant today, for example:

 Regulation of the hours of work including the establishment of

a maximum working day and week;
 Regulation of labour supply, prevention of unemployment and
provision of an adequate living wage;
 Protection of the worker against sickness, disease and injury
arising out of his employment;
 Protection of children, young persons and women;
 Provision for old age and injury, protection of the interests of
workers when employed in countries other than their own;
 Recognition of the principle of equal remuneration for work of
equal value;
 Recognition of the principle of freedom of association;
 Organization of vocational and technical education, and other
measures.

Early days
The ILO has made signal contributions to the world of work from its early days. The first
International Labour Conference held in Washington in October 1919 adopted six International
Labour Conventions, which dealt with hours of work in industry, unemployment, maternity
protection, night work for women, minimum age and night work for young persons in industry.

The ILO was located in Geneva in the summer of 1920 with France's Albert Thomas as the first
Director of the International Labour Office, which is the Organization's permanent Secretariat.
Under his strong impetus, 16 International Labour Conventions and 18 Recommendations were
adopted in less than two years.

This early zeal was quickly toned down because some governments felt there were too many
Conventions, the budget too high and the reports too critical. Yet, the International Court of
Justice, under pressure from the Government of France, declared that the ILO's domain extended
also to international regulation of conditions of work in the agricultural sector.

A Committee of Experts was set up in 1926 as a supervisory system on the application of ILO
standards. The Committee, which exists today, is composed of independent jurists responsible
for examining government reports and presenting its own report each year to the Conference.

Depression and War

The Great Depression with its resulting massive unemployment soon confronted Britain's Harold
Butler, who succeeded Albert Thomas in 1932. Realizing that handling labour issues also
requires international cooperation, the United States became a Member of the ILO in 1934
although it continued to stay out of the League of Nations.

American John Winant took over in 1939 just as the Second World War became imminent. He
moved the ILO's headquarters temporarily to Montreal, Canada, in May 1940 for reasons of
safety but left in 1941 when he was named US Ambassador to Britain.

His successor, Ireland's Edward Phelan, had helped to write the 1919 Constitution and played an
important role once again during the Philadelphia meeting of the International Labour
Conference, in the midst of the Second World War, attended by representatives of governments,
employers and workers from 41 countries. The delegates adopted the Declaration of
Philadelphia, annexed to the Constitution, still constitutes the Charter of the aims and objectives
of the ILO. In 1946, the ILO became a specialized agency of the newly formed United Nations.
And, in 1948, still during the period of Phelan's leadership, the International Labour Conference
adopted Convention No. 87 on freedom of association and the right to organize.

The Post-War Years

America's David Morse was Director General from 1948-1970 when the number of Member
States doubled, the Organization took on its universal character, industrialized countries became
a minority among developing countries, the budget grew five-fold and the number of officials
quadrupled. The ILO established the Geneva-based International Institute for Labour Studies in
1960 and the International Training Centre in Turin in 1965. The Organization won the Nobel
Peace Prize on its 50th anniversary in 1969.

Under Britain's Wilfred Jenks, Director-General from 1970-73, the ILO made advanced further
in the development of standards and mechanisms for supervising their application, particularly
the promotion of freedom of association and the right to organize.

His successor Francis Blanchard of France, expanded ILO's technical cooperation with
developing countries and averted damage to the Organization, despite the loss of one quarter of
its budget following US withdrawal from 1977-1980. The ILO also played a major role in the
emancipation of Poland from dictatorship, by giving its full support to the legitimacy of the
Solidarnosc Union based on respect for Convention No. 87 on freedom of association, which
Poland had ratified in 1957.

Belgium's Michel Hansenne succeeded him in 1989 and guided the ILO into the post-Cold War
period, emphasizing the importance of placing social justice at the heart of international
economic and social policies. He also set the ILO on a course of decentralization of activities and
resources away from the Geneva headquarters.

On 4 March 1999, Juan Somavia of Chile took over as Director General. He emphasizes the
importance of making decent work a strategic international goal and promoting a fair
globalization. He also underlines work as an instrument of poverty alleviation and ILO's role in
helping to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, including cutting world poverty in half
by 2015.
How the ILO works
The ILO accomplishes its work through three main bodies, all of which comprise government,
employer and worker representatives.

International Labour Conference

The member States of the ILO meet at the International Labour Conference in June of each year,
in Geneva. Two government delegates, an employer delegate and a worker delegate represent
each Member State. Technical advisors assist the delegations, which are usually headed by
Cabinet Ministers who take the floor on behalf of their governments.

Employer and worker delegates can freely express themselves and vote according to instructions
received from their organizations. They sometimes vote against each other or even against their
government representatives.

The Conference establishes and adopts international labour standards and is a forum for
discussion of key social and labour questions. It also adopts the Organization's budget and elects
the Governing Body.

The Governing Body

The Governing Body is the executive council of the ILO and meets three times a year in Geneva.
It takes decisions on ILO policy and establishes the programme and the budget, which it then
submits to the Conference for adoption. It also elects the Director-General.

The ILO Governing Body is composed of 28 government members, 14 employer members and
14 worker members. States of chief industrial importance permanently hold ten of the
government seats. Government representatives are elected at the Conference every three years,
taking into account geographical distribution. The employers and workers elect their own
representatives respectively.

The International Labour Office

The International Labour Office is the permanent secretariat of the International Labour
Organization. It is the focal point for ILO's overall activities, which it prepares under the scrutiny
of the Governing Body and under the leadership of a Director-General, who is elected for a five-
year renewable term.

The Office employs some 1,900 officials of over 110 nationalities at the Geneva headquarters
and in 40 field offices around the world. In addition, some 600 experts undertake missions in all
regions of the world under the programme of technical cooperation. The Office also contains a
research and documentation centre and a printing facility, which issue many specialized studies,
reports and periodicals.
How ILO Works---Tripartism
The ILO aims to ensure that it serves the needs of working women and men by bringing
together governments, employers and workers to set labour standards, develop policies and
devise programmes. Its tripartite structure makes the ILO unique among world
organizations because employers' and workers' organizations have an equal voice with
governments in all its deliberations.

The ILO encourages tripartism within member States by promoting social dialogue to help
design and implement national policies. Achieving fair terms of employment, decent working
conditions, and development for the benefit of all cannot be achieved without the active
involvement of workers, employers and governments, including a broad-based effort by all of
them. To encourage such an approach, one of the strategic objectives of the ILO is to strengthen
social dialogue among the tripartite constituents. It helps governments, employers' and workers'
organizations to establish sound labour relations, adapt labour laws to meet changing economic
and social needs and improve labour administration.

'The war against want requires to be carried on with unrelenting vigor within each nation, and
by continuous and concerted international effort in which the representatives of workers and
employers, enjoying equal status with those of governments, join with them in free discussion
and democratic decision with a view to the promotion of the common welfare.'
Declaration Concerning the Aims and Purpose of the International Labour Organization,
Philadelphia, 1944.

What is social dialogue?

The ILO defines social dialogue as including all types of negotiation, consultation and exchange
of information between, or among, representatives of governments, employers and workers on
issues of common interest. How social dialogue actually operates varies from country to country
and from region to region. Effective social dialogue depends on:

 Respect for the fundamental rights of freedom of association

and collective bargaining;
 Strong, independent workers' and employers' organizations
with the technical capacity and knowledge required to
participate in social dialogue;
 Political will and commitment to engage in social dialogue on
the part of all parties;
 Appropriate institutional support.
For social dialogue to work, the State cannot be passive because it is responsible for creating the
stable political and civil climate required for employers' and workers' organizations to operate
without fear of reprisal. Collective bargaining is the most widespread form of social dialogue and
is a useful indicator of the capacity within a country to engage in national level tripartism.
Freedom of association: Essential for Social Dialogue

Independent organizations for workers and employers are the cornerstones of ILO's tripartite
structure and its efforts to promote freedom of association. ILO's Committee on Freedom of
Association, set up in 1950, has examined over 2,000 cases of violation of workers' and employers'
freedom to organize themselves. It has a mandate to handle complaints in all ILO member States,
including those that have not ratified freedom of association conventions.

At times, the tripartite partners may open the dialogue to other relevant actors in society to gain a
wider consensus. The forms of social dialogue vary according to the need. It can be tripartite,
with the government as an official participant, or bipartite. It can be informal or institutional, and
is often a combination of the two. It can take place at the national, regional or enterprise level. It
can be inter-professional, sectoral or a combination of all of these.

HOW ILO WORKS---Technical

cooperation
The overall purpose of ILO technical cooperation is the implementation of the Decent Work
agenda at a national level, assisting constituents to make this concept a reality for all men and
women. ILO’s technical cooperation and capacity-building programmes help to build bridges
between the ILO’s standard-setting role and the people. An extensive network of offices
throughout Africa, Asia, Latin America, Central and Eastern Europe and the Middle East
provides technical guidance on policy issues, and assistance in the design and implementation of
development programmes.

Since the early 1950s, the ILO has been providing technical cooperation to countries on all
continents and at all stages of economic development. In the last decade, an average of some
US$130 million was spent annually on technical cooperation projects. The projects are
implemented through close cooperation between recipient countries, donors, and the ILO, which
maintains a network of area and regional offices worldwide.

The ILO now conducts more than 1,000 technical cooperation programs in over 80 countries
with the help of some 60 donor institutions worldwide. They receive support from individual
governments as well as through the European Union, UN agencies, the World Bank, regional
development banks, employers' and workers' organizations and industry associations. The ILO
has decentralized most such activities to its regional, area and branch offices in over 40
countries.

More than half of ILO's resources are devoted to technical cooperation programs divided into
four main categories:

 Labour law reform

  Labour administration and dispute settlement
 Strengthening the ability of employers’ and workers’
organizations to engage in organizing and bargaining
collectively
 Awareness raising
The ILO’s standard-setting and technical cooperation are reinforced by an extensive research,
training, education and publications program. It has established two specialized educational
institutions: the International Institute for Labor Studies in Geneva, and the International Center
for Advanced Technical and Vocational Training in Turin, Italy.

The ILO’s strategic objectives of rights at work, employment, social protection and social
dialogue are translated into capacity building and technical cooperation in several areas, for
example:

Promote and apply the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work,
which covers:
 Freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining;
 Elimination of forced and compulsory labour;
 Abolition of child labour;
 Elimination of discrimination in the workplace.

Create greater opportunities for women and men to secure decent employment and
income, including:
 Reconstruction and employment-intensive investment;
 Investing in knowledge, skills and employability;
 Boosting employment through small enterprise development.

Enhance the coverage and effectiveness of social protection for all, including:
 The ILO’s SafeWork programme, which improves security and productivity through safety and
health at work;
 Social security tailored to the needs of poor people.

Deepen tripartism and social dialogue by strengthening the capacities and knowledge
base of the social partners.

Reflecting these standards, the ILO’s goal of decent work, in a context of fair globalization, involves
capacity building to:

 Improve rights for all workers, whether in the formal or informal sectors;
 Promote work opportunities involving a decent quality of employment and basic social security;
 Protection against vulnerability and contingency, which might take people out of work.
 Constitution

Preamble

Chapter I - Organization (Articles 1-13)

Article 1 Establishment, Membership, Withdrawal,Readmission

Article 2 Organs

Article 3 Conference: Meetings and delegates, Advisers, Advisers from non-

metropolitan territories, Nomination of non-governmental representatives, Status of
advisers, Credentials

Article 4 Voting rights

Article 5 Place of meetings of the Conference

Article 6 Seat of the International Labour Office

Article 7 Governing Body: Composition, Government representatives, States of chief

industrial importance, Employers' and Workers' representatives, Term of office,
Vacancies, substitutes, etc., Officers, Procedure

Article 8 Director-General

Article 9 Staff: Appointment, International character of responsibilities

Article 10 Functions of the Office

Article 11 Relations with governments

Article 12 Relations with international organisations

Article 13 Financial and budgetary arrangements, Arrears in payment of contributions,

Financial responsibility of Director-General

Chapter II - Procedure(Articles 14-34)

Article 14 Agenda for Conference, Preparation for Conference

Article 15 Transmission of agenda and reports for Conference

Article 16 Objections to agenda, Inclusion of new items by Conference

Article 17 Officers of Conference, procedure and committees, Voting, Quorum

Article 18 Technical experts

Article 19 Conventions and Recommendations

Article 20 Registration with the United Nations

Article 21 Conventions not adopted by the Conference

Article 22 Annual reports on ratified Conventions

Article 23 Examination and communication of reports

Article 24 Representations of non-observance of Conventions

Article 25 Publication of representation

Article 26 Complaints of non-observance

Article 27 Cooperation with Commission of Inquiry

Article 28 Report of Commission of Inquiry

Article 29 Action on report of Commission of Inquiry

Article 30 Failure to submit Conventions or Recommendations to competent

authorities

Article 31 Decisions of International Court of Justice

Article 32 Decisions of International Court of Justice

Article 33 Failure to carry out recommendations of Commission of Inquiry or ICJ

Article 34 Compliance with recommendations of Commission of Inquiry or ICJ

Chapter III - General (Articles 35-38)

Article 35 Application of Conventions to non-metropolitan territories

Article 36 Amendments to Constitution

Article 37 Interpretation of Constitution and Conventions

Article 38 Regional Conferences

Chapter IV - Miscellaneous provisions (Articles 39-40)

Article 39 Legal status of Organisation

Article 40 Privileges and immunities

Annex Declaration concerning the aims and purposes of the International Labour
Organisation (DECLARATION OF PHILADELPHIA)

Amendments to the Constitution

Index to the Constitution of the International Labour Organization and to the

Standing Orders of the International Labour Conference

ILO Standards
Freedom of association
he principle of freedom of association is at the core of the ILO's values: it is enshrined in the ILO

Constitution (1919), the ILO Declaration of Philadelphia (1944), and the ILO Declaration on

Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work (1998). It is also a right proclaimed in the Universal

Declaration of Human Rights (1948). The right to organize and form employers' and workers'

organizations is the prerequisite for sound collective bargaining and social dialogue. Nevertheless,

there continue to be challenges in applying these principles: in some countries certain categories of

workers (for example public servants, seafarers, workers in export processing zones) are denied the

right of association, workers' and employers' organizations are illegally suspended or interfered with,

and in some extreme cases trade unionists are arrested or killed. ILO standards, in conjunction with

the work of the Committee on Freedom of Association and other supervisory mechanisms, pave the
way for resolving these difficulties and ensuring that this fundamental human right is respected the

world over.

Selected relevant ILO instruments

Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948

(No. 87) - [ratifications]
This fundamental convention sets forth the right for workers and employers to establish and join
organizations of their own choosing without previous authorization. Workers' and employers'
organizations shall organize freely and not be liable to be dissolved or suspended by administrative
authority, and they shall have the right to establish and join federations and confederations, which
may in turn affiliate with international organizations of workers and employers.

Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98) -

[ratifications]
This fundamental convention provides that workers shall enjoy adequate protection against acts of
anti-union discrimination, including requirements that a worker not join a union or relinquish trade
union membership for employment, or dismissal of a worker because of union membership or
participation in union activities. Workers' and employers' organizations shall enjoy adequate
protection against any acts of interference by each other, in particular the establishment of workers'
organizations under the domination of employers or employers' organizations, or the support of
workers' organizations by financial or other means, with the object of placing such organizations
under the control of employers or employers' organizations. The convention also enshrines the right
to collective bargaining.

Workers' Representatives Convention, 1971 (No. 135) - [ratifications]

Workers' representatives in an undertaking shall enjoy effective protection against any act
prejudicial to them, including dismissal, based on their status or activities as a workers'
representative or on union membership or participation in union activities, in so far as they act in
conformity with existing laws or collective agreements or other jointly agreed arrangements.
Facilities in the undertaking shall be afforded to workers' representatives as may be appropriate in
order to enable them to carry out their functions promptly and efficiently.

Rural Workers' Organisations Convention, 1975 (No. 141) - [ratifications]

All categories of rural workers, whether they are wage earners or self-employed, shall have the right
to establish and, subject only to the rules of the organization concerned, to join organizations, of
their own choosing without previous authorization. The principles of freedom of association shall be
fully respected; rural workers' organizations shall be independent and voluntary in character and
shall remain free from all interference, coercion or repression. National policy shall facilitate the
establishment and growth, on a voluntary basis, of strong and independent organizations of rural
workers as an effective means of ensuring the participation of these workers in economic and social
 development.

Labour Relations (Public Service) Convention, 1978 (No. 151) - [ratifications]

Public employees as defined by the convention shall enjoy adequate protection against acts of anti-
union discrimination in respect of their employment, and their organizations shall enjoy complete
independence from public authorities as well as adequate protection against any acts of interference
by a public authority in their establishment, functioning or administration.

Further relevant instruments

Equality of opportunity and treatment

Millions of women and men around the world are denied access to jobs and training, receive low

wages, or are restricted to certain occupations simply on the basis of their sex, skin colour, ethnicity

or beliefs, without regard to their capabilities and skills. In a number of developed countries, for

example, women workers earn up to 25% less than male colleagues performing equal work. (Note 1)

Freedom from discrimination is a fundamental human right and is essential for both workers to choose

their employment freely, to develop their potential to the full and to reap economic rewards on the

basis of merit. Bringing equality to the workplace has significant economic benefits, too. Employers

who practise equality have access to a larger and more diverse workforce. Workers who enjoy equality

have greater access to training, often receive higher wages, and improve the overall quality of the

workforce. The profits of a globalized economy are more fairly distributed in a society with equality,

leading to greater social stability and broader public support for further economic development. (Note

2) ILO standards on equality provide tools to eliminate discrimination in all aspects of the workplace

and in society as a whole. They also provide the basis upon which gender mainstreaming strategies

can be applied in the field of labour.

Selected relevant ILO instruments

Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100) - [ratifications]

This fundamental convention requires ratifying countries to ensure the application to all workers of
the principle of equal remuneration for men and women workers for work of equal value. The term
"remuneration" is broadly defined to include the ordinary, basic or minimum wage or salary and any
additional emoluments payable directly or indirectly, whether in cash or in kind, by the employer to
the worker and arising out of the worker's employment.

Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111) -

 [ratifications]
This fundamental convention defines discrimination as any distinction, exclusion or preference made
on the basis of race, colour, sex, religion, political opinion, national extraction or social origin, which
has the effect of nullifying or impairing equality of opportunity or treatment in employment or
occupation. It requires ratifying states to declare and pursue a national policy designed to promote,
by methods appropriate to national conditions and practice, equality of opportunity and treatment in
respect of employment and occupation, with a view to eliminating any discrimination in these fields.
This includes discrimination in relation to access to vocational training, access to employment and to
particular occupations, and terms and conditions of employment.

Workers with Family Responsibilities Convention, 1981 (No. 156) - [ratifications]

With the aim of creating effective equality of opportunity and treatment for men and women
workers, the convention requires ratifying states to make it a goal of national policy to enable
persons with family responsibilities who are engaged or wish to engage in employment to exercise
their right to do so without being subject to discrimination and, to the extent possible, without
conflict between their employment and family responsibilities. The convention also requires
governments to take account of the needs of workers with family responsibilities in community
planning and to develop or promote community services, public or private, such as childcare and
family services and facilities.

In addition to these standards, numerous other ILO standards include provisions on equality
in relation to the specific topic they cover.

Further relevant instruments

Collective bargaining

Freedom of association ensures that workers and employers can associate to efficiently negotiate work

relations. Combined with strong freedom of association, sound collective bargaining practices ensure

that employers and workers have an equal voice in negotiations and that the outcome will be fair and

equitable. Collective bargaining allows both sides to negotiate a fair employment relationship and

prevents costly labour disputes. Indeed, some research has indicated that countries with highly

coordinated collective bargaining tend to have less inequality in wages, lower and less persistent

unemployment, and fewer and shorter strikes than countries where collective bargaining is less

established. (Note 1) Established collective bargaining practices were an element that allowed the

Republic of Korea to weather the Asian financial crisis and enabled South Africa to make a relatively

peaceful transition into the post-apartheid era. (Note 2) ILO standards promote collective bargaining

and help to ensure that good labour relations benefit everyone.

 Selected relevant ILO instruments

Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98) -

[ratifications]
This fundamental convention provides that measures appropriate to national conditions shall be
taken, where necessary, to encourage and promote the full development and utilization of
machinery for voluntary negotiation between employers or employers' organizations and workers'
organizations, with a view to the regulation of terms and conditions of employment by means of
collective agreements.

Labour Relations (Public Service) Convention, 1978 (No. 151) - [ratifications]

The convention promotes collective bargaining for public employees, as well as other methods
allowing public employees' representatives to participate in the determination of their conditions of
employment. It also provides that disputes shall be settled through negotiation between the parties
or through independent and impartial machinery, such as mediation, conciliation and arbitration.

Collective Bargaining Convention, 1981 (No. 154) - [ratifications]

Defines collective bargaining and calls for its promotion in all branches of economic activity,
including public service.

Further relevant instruments

Forced labour

Although forced labour is universally condemned, the ILO recently estimated that at least 12.3 million

people are victims of forced labour worldwide. Of these, 9.8 million are exploited by private agents,

including more than 2.4 million in forced labour as a result of human trafficking. Another 2.5 million

are forced to work by the State or by rebel military groups. Traditional slavery is still found in some

parts of Africa, while forced labour in the form of coercive recruitment is present in many countries of

Latin America, in parts of the Caribbean and elsewhere. In numerous countries, domestic workers are

trapped in situations of forced labour, and in many cases they are restrained from leaving the

employers' home by means of threat or actual violence. Bonded labour persists in South Asia where

millions of men, women, and children are tied to their work through a vicious cycle of debt. In Europe

and North America, an increasing number of women and children are victims of traffickers who sell

them into forced prostitution or sweatshops. Finally, forced labour is sometimes still imposed as a

punishment for expressing one's political views.

For many governments around the world the elimination of forced labour remains an important

challenge for the 21st century. Not only is forced labour a serious violation of a fundamental human

right, it is a leading cause of poverty and a hindrance to economic development. ILO standards on

forced labour, in combination with targeted technical assistance, are the primary international tools for

combating this scourge.

Selected relevant ILO instruments

Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29) - [ratifications]

This fundamental convention prohibits all forms of forced or compulsory labour, which is defined as
"all work or service which is exacted from any person under the menace of any penalty and for
which the said person has not offered himself voluntarily." Exceptions are provided for work required
by compulsory military service, normal civic obligations, as a consequence of a conviction in a court
of law (provided that the work or service in question is carried out under the supervision and control
of a public authority and that the person carrying it out is not hired to or placed at the disposal of
private individuals, companies or associations), in cases of emergency, and for minor communal
services performed by the members of a community in the direct interest of the community. The
convention also requires that the illegal extraction of forced or compulsory labour be punishable as a
penal offence, and that ratifying states ensure that the relevant penalties imposed by law are
adequate and strictly enforced.

Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957 (No. 105) - [ratifications]

This fundamental convention prohibits forced or compulsory labour as a means of political coercion
or education or as a punishment for holding or expressing political views or views ideologically
opposed to the established political, social or economic system; as a method of mobilizing and using
labour for purposes of economic development; as a means of labour discipline; as a punishment for
having participated in strikes; and as a means of racial, social, national or religious discrimination.

Additionally, forced or compulsory labour is considered as one of the worst forms of child labour in
the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182).

Further relevant instruments

Child labour
Child labour is a violation of fundamental human rights and has been shown to hinder children's

development, potentially leading to lifelong physical or psychological damage. Evidence points to a

strong link between household poverty and child labour, and child labour perpetuates poverty across

generations by keeping children of the poor out of school and limiting their prospects for upward social
mobility. This lowering of human capital has been linked to slow economic growth and social

development. A recent ILO study has shown that eliminating child labour in transition and developing

economies could generate economic benefits nearly seven times greater than the costs, mostly

associated with investment in better schooling and social services. (Note 1) ILO standards on child

labour are primary international legal tools for fighting this problem.

Selected relevant ILO instruments

Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138) - [ratifications]

This fundamental convention sets the general minimum age for admission to employment or work at
15 years (13 for light work) and the minimum age for hazardous work at 18 (16 under certain strict
conditions). It provides for the possibility of initially setting the general minimum age at 14 (12 for
light work) where the economy and educational facilities are insufficiently developed.

Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182) - [ratifications]

This fundamental convention defines as a "child" a person under 18 years of age. It requires
ratifying states to eliminate the worst forms of child labour, including all forms of slavery or
practices similar to slavery, such as the sale and trafficking of children, debt bondage and serfdom
and forced or compulsory labour, including forced or compulsory recruitment of children for use in
armed conflict; child prostitution and pornography; using children for illicit activities, in particular for
the production and trafficking of drugs; and work which is likely to harm the health, safety or morals
of children. The convention requires ratifying states to provide the necessary and appropriate direct
assistance for the removal of children from the worst forms of child labour and for their
rehabilitation and social integration. It also requires states to ensure access to free basic education
and, wherever possible and appropriate, vocational training for children removed from the worst
forms of child labour.

Further relevant instruments

Employment promotion

Convention No. 122 sets out the goal of full, productive and freely chosen employment; other ILO

instruments put forward strategies for attaining this aim. Employment services (public and private),

the employment of disabled persons, small and medium enterprises and cooperatives all play a part in

creating employment. ILO standards in these fields provide guidance on using these means effectively

in order to create jobs.

Selected relevant ILO instruments

 Employment Service Convention, 1948 (No. 88) - [ratifications]
Requires ratifying states to establish and operate an employment service accessible to everyone,
free of charge both to workers and employers.

Private Employment Agencies Convention, 1997 (No. 181) - [ratifications]

Requires ratifying states to ensure that private employment agencies respect principles on non-
discrimination. Provides for cooperation between private and public employment services, general
principles to protect jobseekers against unethical or inappropriate practices, and protection of
workers under subcontracting arrangements and workers recruited from abroad. Also applies to
temporary work agencies.

Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (Disabled Persons) Convention, 1983

(No. 159) - [ratifications]
Sets forth the principles of national policy for the vocational rehabilitation and employment of
persons with disabilities and provides for the setting up and evaluation of vocational guidance,
vocational training, placement and unemployment services for persons with disabilities.

Employment Relationship Recommendation, 2006 (No. 198)

Provides that member States should formulate and apply a national policy of the protection for
workers in an employment relationship. The national policy should include measures to provide
guidance on establishing the existence of an employment relationship and on the distinction
between employed and self-employed workers, and to combat disguised employment relationships,
such as contractual arrangements where the employer treats an individual as other than an
employee in a manner that hides his or her true legal status as an employee. The determination of
the existence of an employment relationship should be guided primarily by the facts relating to the
performance of work and the remuneration of the worker, notwithstanding how the relationship is
characterized in a contractual or other arrangement that may exist. The instrument also suggests
characteristics and sets forth specific indicators, for determining the existence of an employment
relationship.

Older Workers Recommendation, 1980 (No. 162)

Recommends that older workers should, without discrimination on the grounds of their age, enjoy
equality of opportunity and treatment in employment.

Job Creation in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Recommendation, 1998 (No.

189)
Suggests that member states should adopt measures which are appropriate to national conditions
and consistent with national practice in order to promote small and medium-sized enterprises, in
regard to their importance in promoting employment and sustainable economic growth.

Promotion of Cooperatives Recommendation, 2002 (No. 193)

Aims to promote cooperatives, in particular in relation to their role in job creation, mobilizing
resources, and generating investment.

Further relevant instruments