Opportunities and Challenges of ILO Fundamental Conventions and the Promotional Framework for OSH

1
Opportunities and Challenges of ILO Fundamental
Conventions and the Promotional Framework for OSH

• Annie Rice,
• ILO Sub-Regional Office for Central and Eastern
  Europe
• International Conference
• INTEGRATED LABOUR PROTECTION SYSTEM
• AND SOCIAL DIALOGUE
• Riga, Latvia,
• 9-10 November 2006

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ILO standards and relationship to CSR the
opportunities

• Provide targets for countries to aim for and
  indicate means for governments, employers and
  trade unions to attain them (CSR company-level
  concept)
• Provide minimum standards for incorporation into
  national law and practice (CSR goes over and
  above law)
• Strength in tripartite system (criterion of CSR
  is involvement of stakeholders)

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ILO Fundamental Conventions

• C. 87 and 98 on freedom of association and right
  to collective bargaining
• C. 29 and 105 on elimination of forced and
  compulsory labour
• C. 100 and 111 on elimination of discrimination
  in respect of employment and occupation
• C. 138 and 182 on abolition of child labour.

• Sustainable development
• basic human rights to live,
• speak and move freely
• freedom from discrimination based
• on gender, ethnic origin, age, etc.
• freely-chosen, good quality
• employment
• safe job with good working
• conditions so workers can live in
• dignity and self-reliance

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Human rights, development and social
responsibility closely interwoven.

• Some of worlds worst development problems in
  countries with worst record for observing human
  rights
• Exploitation gave rise to CSR and social labels
  based on ILO standards

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C. 187 - Promotional FrameworkConvention on OSH

• Designed to promote the development of a
  preventive safety and health culture
• Places OSH high on national agenda
• Aimed at increasing policy coherence and helping
  countries acquire capacity to improve OSH
  through
• A national policy on OSH
• A national programme
• A national system (infrastructure to ensure
  implementation)
• A spirit of social dialogue

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Promotional Framework Convention on OSH involves

• Political will at national level
• Coherent action at the enterprise level

Cooperation between management, workers and their
representatives
Support mechanisms for SMEs and informal sector
Protection of vulnerable groups (migrants, young
workers) and reproductive health
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ILO-OSH 2001 a system for continual improvement
in OSH

• Policy
• Organizing
• Planning and implementation
• Evaluation
• Action for improvement

Key features Top management commitment,
Worker participation Certification?
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ILO standards and relationship to CSR the
challenges

• Labour standards and their enforcement seen as
  obstacles to greater business efficiency
• Government interventions in interest of labour
  protection result in higher wages
• Allegedly limits opportunities to compete in
  global markets

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Reality in CEE

• Standards (ILO, EU and national) are not being
  implemented
• Workers are not joining trade unions
• Workers being laid off
• So what does CSR mean to you in this region?

CSR
Sports facilities
Day care for children
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The challenge !

• Proof of commitment if and when the government
  ratifies C. 187 and employers organisations and
  trade unions participate in developing national
  programmes and employers implement osh management
  systems at the workplace.