International Labour Organization

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

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International labour organization

Prepared By: Maged Elsakka

International Labour Organization

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:

1. Whereas universal and lasting peace can be established only if it is based upon social justice;

2. 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;

3. 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:

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International Labour Organization

Regulation of the hours of work including the establishment of a maximum working day and week;

1. Regulation of labour supply, prevention of unemployment and provision of an adequate living wage;

2. Protection of the worker against sickness, disease and injury arising out of his employment;

3. Protection of children, young persons and women;

4. Provision for old age and injury, protection of the interests of workers when employed in countries other than their own;

5. Recognition of the principle of equal remuneration for work of equal value;

6. Recognition of the principle of freedom of association;

7. Organization of vocational and technical education, and other measures.

Mission and objectives:The International Labour Organization (ILO) is devoted to promoting social justice and internationally recognized human and labour rights, pursuing its founding mission that labour peace is essential to prosperity. Today, the ILO helps advance the creation of decent work and the economic and working conditions that give working people and business people a stake in lasting peace, prosperity and progress. Its tripartite structure provides a unique platform for promoting decent work for all women and men. Its main aims are to promote rights at work, encourage decent employment opportunities, enhance social protection and strengthen dialogue on work-related issues.

The ILO has four strategic objectives

Promote and realize standards and fundamental principles and rights at work

Create greater opportunities for women and men to decent employment and income

Enhance the coverage and effectiveness of social protection for all Strengthen tripartism and social dialogue

In support of its goals, the ILO offers unmatched expertise and knowledge about the world of work, acquired over more than 90 years of responding to the needs of people everywhere for decent work, livelihoods and dignity. It serves its tripartite constituents - and society as a whole - in a variety of ways, including:

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International Labour Organization

1. Formulation of international policies and programmes to promote basic human rights, improve working and living conditions, and enhance employment opportunities

2. Creation of international labour standards backed by a unique system to supervise their application

3. An extensive programme of international technical cooperation formulated and implemented in an active partnership with constituents, to help countries put these policies into practice in an effective manner

4. Training, education and research activities to help advance all of these efforts

Structure:**Tripartite constituents:The International Labour Organization (ILO) is the only tripartite U.N. agency with government, employer, and worker representatives. This tripartite structure makes the ILO a unique forum in which the governments and the social partners of the economy of its Member States can freely and openly debate and elaborate labour standards and policies. **International Labour Office:The International Labour Office is the permanent secretariat of the International Labour Organization. It is the focal point for International Labour Organization's overall activities, which it prepares under the scrutiny of the Governing Body and under the leadership of the Director-General.**ILO Director-General:ILO Director-General Guy Ryder took office on 1 October 2012. Guy Ryder sees the ILO as absolutely central to the questions of the day: jobs, social protection, the fight against poverty, and equality. For this reason, he wants to reinforce the ILO's place at the centre of international decision-making on issues that affect the world of work. 

**ILO Administrative Tribunal:The Administrative Tribunal examines employment-related complaints by officials of the International Labour Office and of the other international organizations that have recognized its jurisdiction. It is currently open to approximately 46,000 international civil servants who are serving or former officials of some 60 organizations.

**ILO Centers and Institutes:The ILO is a major resource centre for information, analysis and guidance on the world of work. Research accompanies and reinforces all of the Organization’s standard-setting and technical cooperation activities and the ILO is universally

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International Labour Organization

regarded as an authoritative source of knowledge on the world of work. Its institutes and Centres are specialized departments of the Organization which provide specialized support for ILO’s offices and constituents. 

How the ILO works:Tripartism and social dialogueUnderlying the ILO’s work is the importance of cooperation between governments and employers’ and workers’ organizations in fostering social and economic progress. 

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. The very structure of the ILO, where workers and employers together have an equal voice with governments in its deliberations, shows social dialogue in action. It ensures that the views of the social partners are closely reflected in ILO labour standards, policies and programmes.

The ILO encourages this tripartism within its constituents and member States by promoting a social dialogue between trade unions and employers in formulating, and where appropriate, implementing national policy on social, economic, and many other issues.

The ILO accomplishes its work through three main bodies (The International labour Conference, the Governing body and the Office) which comprise governments', employers' and workers' representatives.

The work of the Governing Body and of the Office is aided by tripartite committees covering major industries. It is also supported by committees of experts on such matters as vocational training, management development, occupational safety and health, industrial relations, workers’ education, and special problems of women and young workers. 

Regional meetings of the ILO member States are held periodically to examine matters of special interest to the regions concerned.

Labour standards:International labour standards have grown into a comprehensive system of instruments on work and social policy, backed by a supervisory system designed to address all sorts of problems in their application at the national level.

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International Labour Organization

Supervisory bodies and proceduresGeneral Introduction

1. Supervising the application of standards

Reports of the supervisory bodies

1. 2014 Report of the Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations

2. 2014 General Survey on Minimum Wage Systems3. 2014 Information document on ratifications and standards-related activities4. 2014 Report of the Conference Committee on the Application of Standards5. 372nd Report of the Committee on Freedom of Association (June 2014)

Complaint procedures

1. List of representations under article 24 of the ILO Constitution

2. List of Commissions of InquiryInternational labour organization Achievement2014:

**Sustainable Development.. Decent Work at heart of UN development goals As the UN crafts its post-2015 goals, a look at how decent work for all underpins sustainable development.

**World Conference on Indigenous Peoples When indigenous and world leaders meet A historic meeting at the UN General Assembly in New York is set to bolster further ratification of the ILO’s Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention.

** G20 Labour and Employment Ministers meeting - Melbourne

ILO Chief welcomes G20's "ambitious" commitments to promote decent jobs

ILO Director-General has welcomed commitments made by the G20 Ministers to tackle the global jobs crisis with a package of measures to support the creation of decent jobs that can lift working families out of poverty and drive sustainable development.

** Ebola outbreak: Workplace briefing note

Healthcare workers infected with the Ebola virus in Western Africa underscore the risks posed by all workers who come in to contact with the disease. The ILO and WHO have issued joint briefing note for employers and workers on Ebola, providing guidance on preventing the virus in the workplace.

Working papers2014: Decent Work in Caribbean Small Island Developing States

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International Labour Organization

Microcredit in France: What impact does it have on employment? Disabled beggars in Addis Ababa: Current situation and prospects for

change Comparing indicators of labour market regulations across databases: A

post scriptum to the employing workers debate Growth with equity in Singapore: Challenges and prospects Deregulating labour markets: how robust is the analysis of recent IMF

working papers? Analysis of employment, real wage, and productivity trends in South

Africa since 1994 In search of good quality part-time employment Poverty, Inequality and Employment in Chile The use of working time-related crisis response measures during the

Great RecessionChallenges faced by the ILO:

Incidents occurring at the workplace resulting in deaths, compensation and work-offs are still on the rise.

The United Nations Non-Governmental Liaison Service (UN-NGLS) released a report on unfair practices at the workplace. Discrimination is rising in new forms, such as treatment towards the physically challenged, sexual orientation, partiality in hiring younger or older laborers and unfair treatment to those infected with HIV/AIDS.

Law enforcement is not effective. More than 180 conventions set up by the ILO in 1919 are not taken seriously by many companies. Some of these conventions that are usually not adhered to are fundamental safety standards at the workplace, equality, child labor, eight-hour work day and maternity protection.

The ILO has more than 160 member countries. The US, the UK, the Russian Federation, Japan, France, Germany, Italy, Brazil, India and China hold permanent seats in the governing body.

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