ILO Social Justice and Tripartism:

1
ILOSocial Justice and Tripartism
Programme for Workers Activities
(ACTRAV) International Training Center of ILO
2
Objectives of this Session

• We will try to understand
• Fundamental Goal and Principle of ILO
• Structure (Major Components) of ILO
• Major Functions of ILO
• Roles of ACTRAV (Bureau for Workers Activities)

3
Fundamental Goal and Principle of ILO
4
Fundamental Goal of ILO
SOCIAL JUSTICE
Better Working Conditions
PREAMBLE Universal and lasting peace can be
established only if it is based upon social
justice
Standard Setting
Technical Co-operation
Tripartite System
Meetings - Information - Research - Expertise
5
Tripartism Fundamental Principle

• Tripartism is
• The active interactions among the government,
  workers and employers as representative, equal
  and independent social partners.

To seek mutually agreeable solutions for issues
of common concerns.
6
Tripartism in Shape
7
Tripartism How it works?
Active Interaction in order to seek joint
solutions
Partners must be willing to reach, and respect,
agreements
Partners must be committed, competent and active
8
Tripartism Strength of ILO
ILO is the only UN agency which has the
tripartite system imbedded in its root.

• The Tripartite System enables
• the representatives of workers and employers to
  participate on an equal footing with those of
  governments in all discussions and the process of
  decision-makings.

9
2. Structure of ILO
10
Major Components of ILO Structure
International Labour Conference
Governing Body
International Labour Office
11
International Labour Conference (1)
- Meet every year in Geneva in June - Each
member State is represented bytwo G delegates,
one E delegate one W delegate, plus advisers.

• Main Tasks
• Discuss (in Committee) and adopt (in Plenary)
  international labour standards, and supervise
  their application
• Elect Governing Body
• Admit a new Member
• Pass resolutions which provide guidelines for the
  ILO's general policy and future activities.
• Adopt every two years the ILO's biennial work
  programme and budget

12
International Labour Conference (2)
Conference Committees 1. Selection Committee
(28G, 14E, 14W) 2. Credentials Committee (G, E,
W) 3. Conference Drafting Committee 4.
Committee on the Application of Conventions and
Recommendations 5. Finance Committee of
Government Representatives 6. Other
committees - such as a committee to discuss a
new standard
13
Governing Body of ILO (1)

• The executive body of the ILO
• Meets three times a year (in March, June and
  November)
• Takes decisions on ILO policy
• Decides the agenda of the Conference and
• Elects the Director-General.
• Composition
• 56 titular (28 G, 14 E and 14 W) and 66 deputy
  (28 G, 19 E and 19 W)
• Ten of the titular government seats are
  permanently held by States of chief industrial
  importance (Brazil, China, France, Germany,
  India, Italy, Japan, the Russian Federation, the
  United Kingdom and the United States) and
• The Employer and Worker members are elected in
  their individual capacity and
• GB Election is held every three years (2005 is
  the election year!)

14
Governing Body of ILO (2)

• The Governing Body has the following committees
• Committee on Freedom of Association (CFA)
• Programme, Financial and Administrative Committee
  (PFA)
• Committee on Legal Issues and International
  Labour Standards (LILS)
• Working Party on Policy regarding the Revision of
  Standards (WP/PRS)
• Subcommittee on Multinational Enterprises (MNE)
• Committee on Employment and Social Policy (ESP)
• Committee on Sectoral and Technical Meetings and
  Related Issues (STM)
• Committee on Technical Cooperation (TC)
• Working Party on the Social Dimension of
  Globalization (WP/SDG)

15
International Labour Office (1)

• The permanent secretariat of the ILO, located in
  Geneva.
• Focal point for the overall activities that it
  prepares under the scrutiny of the Governing Body
  and under the leadership of a Director-General

• Some 1,900 officials of over 110 nationalities at
  the headquarters and in 40 field offices around
  the world.
• Some 600 experts undertaking missions in all
  regions of the world under the programme of
  technical cooperation.
• A research and documentation centre and a
  printing house

16
International Labour Office (2)

• The Regional Office (RO)
• Sub-Regional Office (SRO)
• The Area Office (AO)
• International Training Center of ILO

17
Major Functions of ILO
18
Standard Setting
International Labour Standards (ILS)
Conventions
Recommendations
Adoption by the Conference
Application at national level (through
legislation and practice)
19
ILS Classification
Basic human rights
Conditions of work
Employment
Social security
Social policy
Women
Labor administration
Industrial relations
Children and young persons
Protection of special groups
20
ILS Core Labour Standards

• Standards concerning fundamental human/social
  rights

Freedom of Association
Freedom from Discrimination
Freedom from Forced Labour
Minimum Age for Employment
21
Technical Cooperation (1)

• Purpose
• To achieve social justice through active
  implementation of the Decent Work agenda at a
  national level
• To assist ILO constituents to make the Decent
  Work concept a reality for all men and women
• To achieve universal ratification and
  implementation of international labour standards
• Dispatch specialists to Member States to advise
  on technical matters, e.g. labour policy,
  legislation, and design implementation of
  development programmes.

22
Technical Cooperation (2)

• An average of some US130 million was spent
  annually on technical cooperation projects
• Close cooperation among recipient countries,
  donors, and the ILO for implementation and
• In the fields of
• vocational training and vocational
  rehabilitation
• employment policy
• labour administration
• labour law and industrial relations
• working conditions
• management development
• cooperatives
• social security
• labour statistics and occupational safety and
  health.

23
4. Roles of ACTRAV
24
Tripartism Summary
Active Partnership
ACTEMP
ACTRAV
Achievement of Social Justice through
establishment and maintenance of Active
Partnership among the Governments, Workers and
Employers Organizations.
25
Tripartism Role of ACTRAV

• For the spirits and purposes of the Tripartism,
  trade unions must be representative, competent
  and responsible, which give real effect to the
  system and methodology.

ACTRAV supports the establishment and
strengthening of free, independent, democratic
and representative trade unions in all countries
in the world.
26
What does ACTRAV do?

• Supports trade unions to be formed and to develop
  as truly representative social partners
• Disseminate policies and programmes of the ILO
  and its technical units to trade unions
• Reflect interests of trade unions in programmes
  and actions of the ILO
• Support workers representatives in ILOs
  decision making bodies and
• Educate and train trade union leaders/
  activists/staff.

27
Tripartism Structure of ACTRAV
Bureau for Workers Activities (ILO/ACTRAV-Geneva)
Desk for Anglophone Africa Ditiro Saleshando

• Overall policy/strategy making
• Liaison with other unit
• Support for Workers Group
• Reflection of workers interests

ILO/ACTRAV-Turin (International Training Center
of the ILO) Africa Ben Insa Dia
Field Specialists (RO, SRO and AO) Region
Mwamadzingo Harare F. Parry Addis Ababa J.
Fallah

• Direct contact with unions
• Implementation of ACTRAV policies and strategies
  in each country
• Dissemination of information

• Implementation of training policies and programmes

28
ACTRAV-Team For Asia/Pacific

• ILO HQ / ACTRAV
• Ditiro Saleshando Desk for Anglophone Africa
• ILO Sub-Regional Office in Harare
• M. Mwamadzingo Regional Specialist for
  Workers Education
• ILO Sub-Regional Office in Harare
• F. Parry Senior Specialist for Workers
  Activities(Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi,
  Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland,
  Zambia and Zimbabwe)
• ILO Sub-Regional Office in Addis Ababa
• J. Fallah Senior Specialist for Workers
  Activities(Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya,
  Liberia, Mauritius, Nigeria, Seychelles, Sierra
  Leone, Somalia, Uganda and Tanzania)
• ITC-ILO (Turin Center)
• Ben Insa Dia Programme Officer for Africa

29
ACTRAV-Turin Team

• Enrico Cairola - Programme Manager
• Marc Belanger - IT Specialist
• Ben I. Dia - Africa and Arab States
• Carmen Benitez - Americas Gender
• Hiro Ishibashi - Asia and the Pacific
• Freek Thomasson Europe

30
5. Issues for Discussion
31
Current Issues Concerning ILO

• Low and declining union density? Question of
  Representativeness
• Organized full-time male workers Model
• Most competent workers organizations provision
• Widening North-South gap? Question of
  Universality
• Lack of representations of developing countries
  in many of ILO structures and activities
• Euro-centrism

32
Summary of this Session

• Fundamental Goal and Principle of ILO
• Achievement of Social Justice through
  Tripartism
• Structure of ILO
• International Labour Conference, Governing Body
  and International Labour Office
• Major Functions of ILO
• Standard Setting and Technical Cooperation.
• Roles of ACTRAV
• Empowerment of workers organizations

33
Thank you for your attention!

• Programme for Workers Activities (ACTRAV)
• ITC-ILO