Decent Work and a Fair Globalization : the role of ILO standards

International Labour Standards Department

Policy views on the role of the law in the global economy Private bargaining always leads to

more efficient outcomes than statutory intervention

Institutional legal framework necessary to produce efficient outcomes

Institutional legal framework determines the distribution of costs and benefits among various stakeholders

World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalisation

Global markets need « governance », i.e., a set of institutions and rules that maintain their smooth and equitable functioning Avoid market « failures » (e.g., economic

crises) Redress vast inequalities between and

within countries Strengthen mechanisms for delivering

social protection-manage change

All standards are related to the four pillars of Decent Work Out of 185 Conventions and 195

Recommendations, approximately 73 Conventions and 70 Recommendations are up-to-date

Fundamental Conventions subject to ratification campaign as part of the essential institutional framework

Take stock of the contribution that other standards can make to the promotion of Decent Work

Standards as tools for the promotion of DW... Statements of basic principles or

objectives Legitimacy, credibility and persuasive

moral force Outcome of a democratic, transparent and

participatory process at the international level

Approved by tripartite constituents Acquired experience and expertise

...in different contexts: Designing national policies and

legislation/Setting up institutional framework

Collective bargaining (including global framework agreements and regional collective agreements)

Voluntary initiatives (e.g. CSR, ethical investment)

Advocacy and social mobilisation

Employment promotion Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No.

122) Human Resources Development

Convention, 1975 (No. 142) Job Creation in Small and Medium-Sized

Enterprises Recommendation, 1998 (No. 189)

Promotion of Cooperatives Recommendation, 2002 (No. 193)

Human Resources Development Recommendation (No. 195)

Social protection- conditions of work Hours of Work (Industry) Convention,

1919 (No. 1) Weekly Rest (Industry) Convention,

1921 (No. 14) Hours of Work (Commerce and Offices)

Convention, 1930 (No. 30) Protection of Wages Convention, 1949

(No. 95) Minimum Wage Fixing Convention, 1970

(No. 131)

Social protection - OSH Occupational Safety and Health

Convention, 1981 (No. 155) and Protocol of 2002

Safety and Health in Agriculture Convention, 2001 (No. 184)

Hygiene (Commerce and Offices) Convention, 1964 (No. 120)

Radiation Protection Convention, 1960 (No. 115)

Asbestos Convention, 1986 (No. 162)

Social protection-social safety net Social Security (Minimum Standards) Convention,

1952 (No. 102) Employment Injury Benefits Convention, 1964

[Schedule I amended in 1980] (No. 121) Invalidity, Old-Age and Survivors’ Benefits

Convention, 1967 (No. 128) Medical Care and Sickness Benefits Convention,

1969 (No. 130) Employment Promotion and Protection against

Unemployment Convention, 1988 (No. 168) Migration for Employment Convention (Revised),

1949 (No. 97) Migrant Workers (Supplementary Provisions)

Convention, 1975 (No. 143)

Social dialogue Tripartite Consultations

Convention, (C144)

Relevant to the informal sector Home Work Convention, 1996 (No. 177) Rural Workers’ Organisations

Convention, 1975 (No. 141) Plantations Convention, 1958 (No. 110)

Linked to the implementation of the fundamental Conventions Maternity Protection Convention, 2000 (No.

183) Workers with Family Responsibilities

Convention, 1981 (No. 156) Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989 (No.

169) Workers’ Representatives Convention, 1971

(No. 135) Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (No. 81)

and Protocol of 1995 Labour Inspection (Agriculture) Convention,

1969 (No. 129)

Integrating standards in DW Emphasis on the essential

message, or operational priorities, in each group of standards

20 families of standards Maritime Convention

20 families of standards freedom of association collective bargaining forced labour child labour equality of opportunity and

treatment tripartite consultation labour administration labour inspection employment policy employment promotion vocational guidance and

training employment security

social policy wages working time occupational safety and

health social security maternity protection migrant workers seafarers fishers dockworkers indigenous and tribal peoples other specific categories of

workers

Integrating standards in DW Distil the core provisions, or basic

principles, in each family of standards

Use TC and advocacy to bridge the gap between current national capacities and the provisions of standards (beyond the fundamental ones)

Standards and TC: where do we stand? Set operational targets to serve as TC

objectives and benchmarks for the evaluation of TC outcomes

Standards country profiles giving snapshot of national situation can serve as a basis for consultations and the setting of national priorities (e.g. OSH country profiles)

Respect-ratify-implement cycle Integration in DWCP

Standards and advocacy Build capacity of participants in

social dialogue and participatory processes (including PRSPs)

Need for empirical studies making the economic case for standards

Need for examples of best practices