INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORG

• 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.
 Fundamental Goal of ILO
SOCIAL JUSTICE

Better Working Conditions

Tripartite
System
Standard Technical
Setting Co-operation
Meetings - Information - Research - Expertise

“Universal and lasting peace can be established only if it is

• ILO symbolises social justice , universal peace and
human dignity. It was set up on April 19,1919.
• Its main objective is the improvement of labour
conditions. In 1946 when united nations came into
being the ILO became its first specialist agency.
• The unique feature of the organisation is that the
representatives of management, labour and
government participate in its proceedings.
 ORIGINS AND HISTORY
• The ILO was founded in 1919, in the wake of a
destructive war, to pursue a vision based on the
premise that universal, lasting peace can be
established only if it is based upon decent treatment
of working people.
• It was born as a result of peace conference convened
at the end of world war 1 at Versailles .
• ILO trying to make the world conscious that world
peace may be affected by unjust conditions of
working population
 DECENT WORK
• Work is central to people's well-being. In addition to providing
income, work can pave the way for broader social and
economic advancement, strengthening individuals, their
families and communities. Such progress, however, hinges on
work that is decent. Decent work sums up the aspirations of
people in their working lives.
• Decent work sums up the aspirations of people in their
working lives – their aspirations for opportunity and income;
rights, voice and recognition; family stability and personal
development; and fairness and gender equality. Ultimately
these various dimensions of decent work underpin peace in
communities and society.
 The concept of Decent Work is being propagated by the ILO. It
encompasses four strategic objectives – 
         I. Promotion of Rights at Work - It calls for renewed
attention to ILO’s standards, as well as a fresh look at
complimentary means and instruments for achieving this goal.
•        II. Employment - Creation of greater employment and
income opportunities for women and men as a  means to reduce
poverty and inequality.
•        III. Social Protection – This section emphasises
expansion of social security schemes.
•        IV. Social Dialogue – This emphasises examining ways
of strengthening the institutional capacity of ILO constituents as
well as their contribution to the process of dialogue
 ILO and child labour
ILO’s interest in child labour, young persons and their problems is well
known. It has adopted a number of Conventions and Recommendations
in this regard. In India, within a framework of the Child Labour
(Prohibition and Regulations) Act, 1986 and through the National Policy
on Child Labour, ILO has funded the preparation of certain local and
industry specific projects. In two kanor projects, viz. Child Labour
Action and Support Programmes (CLASP) and International Programme
on Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC), the ILO is playing a vital role. 

The implementation of IPEC programmes in India has certainly

created a very positive impact towards understanding the problem of
child labour and in highlighting the need to elimination child labour as
expeditiously as possible. A major contribution of the IPEC programme
in India is that it has generated a critical consciousness among all the 3
social partners for taking corrective measures to eliminate child labour. 
 Tripartism: Strength of ILO

ILO
ILO is
is the
the only
only UN
UN agency
agency which
which has
has
the
the “tripartite
“tripartite system”
system” imbedded
imbedded in
in its
its root.
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.
Tripartism: Fundamental Principle

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

To
To seek
seek mutually
mutually agreeable
agreeable solutions
solutions for
for issues
issues of
of
common concerns.
 Tripartism in Shape

Governments

ILO Workers
Employers
 Tripartism: How it works?

Active
Active Interaction
Interaction in
in
order
order to
to seek
seek joint
joint
solutions
solutions

Partners
Partners must
must be
be willing
willing Partners
Partners must
must be
be
to
to reach,
reach, and
and respect,
respect, committed,
committed, competent
competent
agreements
agreements and
and active
active
 Objectives of ILO
• During 2nd world war in April 1944 a conference was
convened where the objectives of ILO were
redefined, known as the declaration of Philadelphia.
• 1. full employment and raising the standard of living.
• 2.employment of workers in a occupation in which
they can have satisfaction of giving the fullest
measure of their skill
• 3. as a means to the attainment of this end facilities
for training and the transfer of labour
 Objectives of ILO contd.
• 4. policies in regard to wages and earnings, bonus,
calculated to ensure a just share of fruits of progress
• 5.the effective recognition of right of collective
bargaining, collaboration in social, eco, measures
• 6.extension of social security to include medical care
• 7. protection of life and health of workers.
• 8. provision for child welfare and maternity
protection
• 9.provision of adequate nutrition, housing and
facilities for recreation and culture.
10. Assurance of equality of education and vocational
opportunity. And Now,
• 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
Major Components of ILO Structure

International Labour Conference

Governing Body

International Labour Office

 How it works ?
• 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
• 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.
 International labour office
• The International Labour Office is the permanent secretariat
of the International Labour Organisation. Its main functions
are:
• To prepare documents on agenda of conference
• To assist government in framing legislation on basis of the
decisions
• observance of conventions, bring out publications
o
 INTERNATIONAL LABOUR STANDARDS
• The ILO is the global body responsible for drawing up and
overseeing international labour standards. Working with its
Member States, the ILO seeks to ensure that labour standards
are respected in practice as well as principle.
• The ILC provides forum for discussion and deliberation on
international labour problems and then formulate standards
in form of conventions and recommendations
• A convention is a treaty which when ratified by member state
creates binding international obligation on that state as a
guide to national action.
• The principal means of action in the ILO is the
setting up the International Labour Standards
in the form of Conventions and
Recommendations. Conventions are
international treaties and are instruments,
which create legally binding obligations on the
countries that ratify them. Recommendations
are non-binding and set out guidelines
orienting national policies and actions. 
 ILO conventions and India
• The approach of India with regard to International Labour Standards has always
been positive. The ILO instruments have provided guidelines and useful framework
for the evolution of legislative and administrative measures for the protection and
advancement of the interest of labour. To that extent the influence of ILO Conventions
as a standard for reference for labour legislation and practices in India, rather than as a
legally binding norm, has been significant. Ratification of a Convention imposes legally
binding obligations on the country concerned and, therefore, India has been careful in
ratifying Conventions. It has always been the practice in India that we ratify a
Convention when we are fully satisfied that our laws and practices are in conformity
with the relevant ILO Convention. It is now considered that a better course of action is
to proceed with progressive implementation of the standards, leave the formal
ratification for consideration at a later stage when it becomes practicable. We have so
far ratified 39 Conventions of the ILO, which is much better than the position obtaining
in many other countries. Even where for special reasons, India may not be in a
position to ratify a Convention, India has generally voted in favour of the Conventions
reserving its position as far as its future ratification is concerned. 
• Core Conventions of the ILO: - The eight Core Conventions of the ILO (also
called fundamental/human rights conventions) are: 
•  Forced Labour Convention (No. 29)
•  Abolition of Forced Labour Convention (No.105)
•  Equal Remuneration Convention (No.100)
•  Discrimination (Employment Occupation) Convention (No.111)
• (The above four have been ratified by India).
• Freedom of Association and Protection of Right to Organised Convention
(No.87)
• Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention (No.98)
• Minimum Age Convention (No.138)
• Worst forms of Child Labour Convention (No.182)
(These four are yet to be ratified by India)