NCM 120 DECENT WORK EMPLOYMENNT AND TRANSCULTURAL NURSING

CONCEPT:
International Labor Organization & MNE Declaration

1. What is the International Labor Organization (ILO)?

a. The International Labor Organization is the UN agency in charge of
addressing labor and social policy issues. It is the only tripartite UN
agency, which means that it’s governed by government, workers, and
employers.
b. It was born in 1919, as part of the Treaty of Versailles. This was, in
part, what ended the first World War.
c. The ILO is a United Nations specialized agency; the first that is focused
on bettering opportunities of decent and productive work for men and
women, within a freedom, equity, security, and human dignity
framework. (Official International Labor Organization website - ilo.org)
2. When was it established and why?
a. The International Labor Organization, on its website, establishes that:
“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 only if it is based on social justice.”
b. The creation of the ILO was driven by security, humanitarian, political
and economic reasons. ILO’s Constitution states that they were:
“moved by sentiments of justice and humanity as well as by the desire
to secure the permanent peace of the world.”
c. They understood that international measures needed to be taken so
that all countries competing for markets could reach equal, secure
and just working conditions.
d. The Preamble of the ILO Constitution states that:
i. Lasting universal peace can be established only if based upon
social justice.
ii. They found it urgent to improve the working conditions of many,
many people because the peace of the work was being
obstaculized by injustice. (Official International Labor
Organization website - ilo.org)
3. What are the aims and objectives of the ILO?
a. The ILO seeks to promote social justice and human and labor rights.
They believe that social justice is essential to universal and lasting
peace. As stated by the ILO, it has four strategic objectives:
i. “Promote and realize standards and fundamental principles and
rights at work
 ii. Create gender opportunities for women and men to decent
employment and income
iii. Enhance the coverage and effectiveness of social protection for all
iv. Strengthen tripartism and social dialogue” (Official
International Labor Organization website - ilo.org)
4. How is membership in the ILO established and who are the current
members?
a. According to the Membership in the International Labor Organization
Information Guide, found on the ILO website, the process to become a
member of the ILO, depends on whether the State is a member of the
United Nations or not.
b. It is established that membership in the ILO is open to any nation
that is a member of the United Nations, by notifying the Director
Nations that are not part of the UN may be admitted to membership
by a two-thirds vote of the delegates in ILO Conference.
c. The ILO currently has 187 Member States around the World that
are represented by its Government, workers’ organizations and
employers’ organizations. (Official International Labour Organization
website - ilo.org)
5. How is the ILO structured?
a. The ILO has over 45 offices and 5 regional offices around the World, and
it is structured by:
i. the ILO Conference: an annual gathering of over 4,000 delegates,
in which each country is represented by 2 Government
delegates, 1 Workers’ organization delegate, and 1 Employers’
organization delegate. They gather each year to adopt
international standards, supervise the application of ratified
conventions, and to examine the Director General’s report.
ii. the Governing Body, which is composed of 56 members: 28
Government representatives, 14 Workers’ organization
representatives, and 14 Employers’ organization representatives.
They are responsible for setting the ILC agenda, selecting the
Director General of the International Labour Organization, and
building the programme and budget of the Organization.
iii. the International Labour Office, headed by a Director General,
is composed of more than 1,000 independent officials of 100
countries, and is in charge of collecting and disseminating
information on Labor, performing studies and research,
executing technical co-operation, publishing studies and
 reviews, and providing the ILOffice for meetings. (Official
International Labour Organization website - ilo.org)
6. What is the ILO conference and what and who is the governing body?
a. The ILO conference meets once a year in June, in Switzerland, to bring
together governments’ workers and employers’ delegates of the ILO
member States. The conference is a discussion forum of social and
labor questions, it adopts international standards, supervises the
application of ratified conventions, and examines the Director
General’s report. Heads of State and prime ministers take the floor at
the Conference, while international organizations attend as observers.
b. The Governing Body is the executive body of the ILO. It meets three
times a year (March, June and November) and it makes decisions on
ILO policy, decides the agenda of the ILO conference, adopts the draft
program and budget, and elects the Director-General.
i. It is composed of 56 titular members and 66 deputy members.
ii. Of the titular members, 10 seats are permanently held by the
most industrially important States’ chiefs (Brazil, China, France,
Germany, India, Italy, Japan, the Russian Federation, the United
Kingdom, and the United States). The other Government
members are elected by the Conference. (Official International
Labour Organization website - ilo.org)
7. What is the issue of independent worker and employer representation?
a. The ILO has ever been troubled by a constitutional issue: “can the
organization, without violating its own principles, countenance the
seating of workers’ and employers’ delegates from countries where
workers’ and employers’ organizations are not free from domination
or control by the government?” (Thomson Gale, 2007. Worldmark
Encyclopedia of Nations)
8. What are the challenges to the credentials of workers?
a. “When, in the early 1920s, a member of the Italian Fascist labor
corporations appeared at Geneva to take his seat as the workers'
member of the Italian delegation to the ILO, his credentials were
challenged, though unsuccessfully, by the workers' group, which
maintained that he was not a true spokesman for Italian labor. Every
session of the conference from 1923 to 1938 saw the credentials of one
or more workers' delegates challenged on the grounds that these
delegates did not represent an independent labor point of view. Among
them were workers' delegates from Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Greece,
 Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. In all cases, however, the delegates
were seated.
Since World War II, the conference has on several occasions actually
refused to seat a workers' delegate whose credentials had been
challenged. In 1945, it refused to seat the workers' delegate chosen by
the Perón regime in Argentina on the ground that workers'
organizations in Argentina did not at that time enjoy freedom of
association, action, or speech. In 1950, it refused to seat the workers'
delegate appointed by the government of Venezuela on the ground that
the delegate could not have been nominated in agreement with the
country's most representative workers' associations since the
government had at that time dissolved all trade unions. Challenges to
the credentials of Argentinian and Venezuelan workers' delegates on
other occasions were overruled by the credentials committee, however,
as was a 1955 challenge to the credentials of the Chilean workers'
delegate.” (Thomson Gale, 2007. Worldmark Encyclopedia of Nations)
9. What is the question of employers' delegates from communist countries?
a. “A study of the International Labour Office concluded that the ILO
constitution did not require an employer to be a private person and
that in countries where the state was the chief employer, it was for
the state to choose the employers' delegate. The employers' group at
the conference voted unanimously to reject this interpretation.

b. At the 1945 ILO Conference, held in Paris shortly after the end of World
War II, two constitutional amendments were proposed that aimed at
increasing the size of the national delegations so as to give
representation to both the public and private sectors of the economy.
Both proposed amendments were rejected. The employers' group,
however, issued a declaration stating that if the USSR, which had
withdrawn from the ILO in 1940, were to resume membership, "it
would naturally appoint as employers' delegates a representative of the
socialized management of the USSR." (Thomson Gale, 2007. Worldmark
Encyclopedia of Nations)

10. What is the budget of the ILO?

a. The Resolution for the adoption of the Programme and Budget for 2016-17
and the allocation of the budget of income among member States, found in
the Provisional Record of the International Labour Conference, states:
“The General Conference of the International Labour Organization, In
 virtue of the Financial Regulations, adopts for the 75th financial
period, ending 31 December 2017, the budget of expenditure for the
International Labour Organization amounting to US$797,390,000
and the budget of income amounting to US$797,390,000, which, at the
budget rate of exchange of 0.95 Swiss francs to the US dollar, amounts
to 757,520,500 Swiss francs, and resolves that the budget of income,
denominated in Swiss francs, shall be allocated among member
States in accordance with the scale of contributions recommended by
the Finance Committee of Government Representatives.” (Provisional
Record, International Labour Conference, Rev. 8-2 - Official
International Labour Organization website - ilo.org)
11. What are the major activities of the ILO?
a. The major activities performed by the ILO are:
i. International Labor Standards
ii. Obligation of Members after Adoption of International Labor
Standards
iii. Promoting Human Rights
iv. Maritime Questions
v. Technical Cooperation
(Thomson Gale, 2007. Worldmark Encyclopedia of Nations)

12. What are the areas that require standards by the ILO?
a. The ILO’s core labor standards are:
i. Freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to
bargain collectively
ii. Elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labor
iii. Effective abolition of child labor
iv. Elimination of discrimination in employment and occupation
b. The subjects covered by International Labour Standards, according to the
ILO website, are:
i. Freedom of association
ii. Collective Bargaining
iii. Forced labour
iv. Child labour
v. Equality of opportunity and treatment
vi. Tripartite consultation
vii. Labour administration
viii. Labour inspection
ix. Employment policy
x. International Labour Standards on Employment Promotion
xi. Vacational guidance and training
 xii. Employment security
xiii. Wages
xiv. Working time
xv. Occupational safety and health
xvi. Social security
xvii. Maternity protection
xviii. Social policy
xix. Migrant workers
xx. HIV/AIDS
xxi. Seafarers
xxii. Fishers
xxiii. Dock workers
xxiv. Indigenous and tribal peoples
xxv. Other categories
(Official International Labour Organization website - ilo.org)
13. What are the conventions of the ILO?
a. The Conventions of the ILO are “legally binding international

treaties that may be ratified by member states”. When a country

ratifies a convention, it commits itself to apply the convention in
national law and practice, and to report on its application regularly.
b. “The ILO’s Governing Body has identified eight conventions as
‘fundamental’.” These are the ones that cover the core labor standards
(explained previously).
i. Forced Labor Convention
ii. Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize
Convention
iii. Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining Convention
iv. Equal Remuneration Convention
v. Abolition of Forced Labor Convention
vi. Minimum Age Convention
vii. Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention
viii. Worst Forms of Child Labor Convention
c. Other four conventions have been identified by the ILO’s Governing
Body as “priority” instruments. These are the Governance
conventions:
i. Labour Inspection Convention
ii. Employment Policy Convention
iii. Labour Inspection (Agriculture) Convention
iv. Tripartite Consultation (International Labour
 Standards) Convention (Official International Labour
Organization website - ilo.org)
14. What are the recommendations of the ILO?
a. The recommendations of the ILO are non-binding guidelines. “In many
cases, a convention lays down the basic principles to be implemented
by ratifying countries, while a related recommendation supplements
the convention by providing more detailed guidelines on how it could
be applied.” (ILO home, Labour Standards, Introduction to
International Labour Standards, Conventions and Recommendations).
Some recommendations, representative of the ILO’s work at the end of
the twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty-first century
are:
i. Safety and Health in Construction Recommendation
ii. Employment Promotion and Protection against Unemployment
Recommendation
iii. Chemicals Recommendation
iv. Night Work Recommendation
v. Working Conditions in Hotels, Restaurant and Similar
Establishments
vi. Protection of Workers’ Claims in the Event of the Insolvency of
Their Employer
vii. Prevention of Major Industrial Accidents
viii. Home Work Recommendation
ix. Private Employment Agencies Recommendation
x. Maternity Protection Recommendation
xi. Human Resources Development Recommendation
(Official International Labour Organization website - ilo.org; Thomson
Gale, 2007. Worldmark Encyclopedia of Nations)
15. What are the obligations of members after adoption of international
labor standards?
a. Governments that are members of the ILO must report back to the ILO
on the measures they have taken to bring the ILO convention or
recommendation before their competent legislative authorities. They
must also keep the ILO informed of decisions made by such
authorities. (Thomson Gale, 2007. Worldmark Encyclopedia of Nations)
16. How is supervision applied after ratified conventions?
a. Every country that ratifies a convention has to submit a minucius,
detailed report every year to the International Labour Office. The
Governing Body formulates a set of questions, and the country has to
answer them and send a copy of the report to the country’s most
 relevant employers’ and workers’ organizations. Then, they submit it to
the ILO. They evaluate the report and send back proper feedback.
(Thomson Gale, 2007. Worldmark Encyclopedia of Nations)
17. What happens when conventions are not ratified?
a. Even if a convention is not ratified by the government in question,
ratifications are an important part of the international labor code.
The Governing Body has the right to question the extent to which a
country intends to give effect to conventions not ratified. The
governments also have to state the reasons that have prevented or
delayed the ratification of conventions. (Thomson Gale, 2007.
Worldmark Encyclopedia of Nations)
18. What are the areas of human rights that ILO promotes?
a. The areas of human rights that ILO promotes are: Freedom of
Association, Forced Labor, Discrimination in Employment and
Occupation. (Thomson Gale, 2007. Worldmark Encyclopedia of
Nations)
19. How does the ILO work with the problems of key industries?
a. “After World War II, by 1946, industrial committees had been created to
address the problems of key industries. By 1994, 12 industrial
committees were active: the Inland Transport, Coal Mines, Iron and
Steel, Metal Trades, Textiles, Building, Civil Engineering, and Public
Works, Chemical Industries, Committee on Work on Plantations,
Advisory Committee on Salaried Employees and Professional Workers,
Hotel, Catering and Tourism, Forestry and Wood Industries, and Food
and Drink Industries.” (Thomson Gale, 2007. Worldmark Encyclopedia of
Nations)
20. What other activities does the ILO work with?
a. The ILO works with the Occupational Safety and Health Information
Center (CIS), the International Health Hazard Alert System, and the
Tripartite Declaration Concerning Multinational Enterprises and
Social Policy. (Thomson Gale, 2007. Worldmark Encyclopedia of
Nations)
21. What is the MNE Declaration?
a. According to the ILO, the MNE Declaration is their “only instrument
containing recommendations for enterprises, besides governments
and employers’ and workers’ organizations. It is seen as the main
guiding instrument regarding the labor dimension of CSR.” (Official
International Labour Organization website - ilo.org, ILO Helpdesk)
22. What are the General Policies of the MNE Declaration?
a. The General Policies of the MNE Declaration invite multinational
enterprises, governments, and employers’ and workers’
organizations to:
i. Respect national laws and regulations
ii. Give due consideration to local practices
iii. Respect international standards concerning human and labour
rights
iv. Honor commitments in conformity with national law and
accepted international obligations (Official International Labour
Organization website - ilo.org, ILO Helpdesk)
23. What are the statements regarding employment?
a. The statements regarding employment are aimed at ensuring the
promotion of direct and indirect employment, the equality of
opportunity and treatment, and the security of employment
b. All of these statements are aimed at enterprises and governments,
with detail to each respectively. (Official International Labour
Organization website - ilo.org, ILO Helpdesk)

24. What are the statements regarding training?

a. The Declaration identifies ways to leverage skills training in order to
promote employability.
b. Like the statements about employment, these are also aimed in a
detailed way towards enterprises and governments. (Official
International Labour Organization website - ilo.org, ILO Helpdesk)
25. What are the statements regarding conditions of work and life?
a. The Declaration includes recommendations concerning wages,
benefits, and conditions of work, minimum age for admission to
employment, and occupational safety and health. (Official
International Labour Organization website - ilo.org, ILO Helpdesk)
26. What are the statements regarding industrial relations?
a. The MNE Declaration encourages multinationals to observe standards
not less favorable than those observed by local employers and to
develop internal mechanisms for consultation and settlement of
disputes. It addresses freedom of association and the right to organize,
collective bargaining, and consultations, examination of grievances
and settlement of disputes. (Official International Labour Organization
website - ilo.org, ILO Helpdesk)
27. What are the principles directed to enterprises?
a. The principles directed to enterprises are: employment promotion,
 equality of opportunity and treatment, security of employment,
training, wages, benefits and conditions of work, minimum age for
admission to employment, occupational safety and health, freedom of
association and the right to organize, collective bargaining, and
consultations, examination of grievances and settlement of disputes.
(Official International Labor Organization website - ilo.org, ILO Helpdesk)
28. What are the principles directed to governments?
a. The principles directed to government are: employment promotion,
equality of opportunity and treatment, security of employment,
training, wages, benefits and conditions of work, minimum age for
admission to employment, occupational safety and health, freedom of
association and the right to organize, and collective bargaining. (Official
International Labor Organization website - ilo.org, ILO Helpdesk)
29. What is “Decent Work” according to the ILO?
According to the ILO, as stated in the YouTube video provided by the
professor, “Decent Work is dignity, equality, a fair income, and safe working
conditions. It focuses on people as the main resource for development.” In
their words, “it gives everyone a voice in what they do, rights to protect them
from exploitation, an inclusive, sustainable future.” (“Decent Work”, YouTube
- International Labor Organization Official Channel)
30.
31. What problems do you see trying to achieve this goal?
a. This Decent Work goal is very dreamy and sounds perfect, and I
wouldn’t say it is completely impossible, but… The problem I see lies
in labor legislations throughout the world. To ensure “Decent Work”
in every country, every country’s labor laws need to be aligned
toward the same goals. In this case, they need to aim at decent work
for everyone.
References:
1. “Decent Work”, YouTube - International Labour
Organization Official Channel
(https://www.youtube.com/embed/mZpyJwevPqc)
2. Thomson Gale, 2007. Worldmark Encyclopedia of
Nations
(http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/International_Lab
or_Organization.aspx)
3. International Organisation of Employers - The
Global Voice of Business (http://www.ioe-
emp.org/international-labour-organization/)
4. Official International Labour Organization
website - ilo.org
(http://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-
ilo/lang--en/index.htm)
5. Official International Labour Organization website - ilo.org
(http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_norm/---
relconf/documents/meetingdocument/wcms_374 775.pdf)
6. Provisional Record, International Labour Conference, Rev. 8-2 - Official ILO
website - (http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_norm/---
relconf/documents/meetingdocument/wcms_374 775.pdf)