Prewar "epistemic communities", such as the International Association for Labour Legislation (IALL), founded in 1900, and political networks, such as the socialist Second International, were a decisive factor in the institutionalization of international labour politics. In the post–World War I euphoria, the idea of a "makeable society" was an important catalyst behind the social engineering of the ILO architects.
In Great Britain, the Whitley Commission, a subcommittee of the Reconstruction Commission, recommended in its July 1918 Final Report that "industrial councils" be established throughout the world.
In February 1918, the third Inter-Allied Labour and Socialist Conference (representing delegates from Great Britain, France, Belgium and Italy) issued its report, advocating an international labour rights body, an end to secret diplomacy, and other goals.
And in December 1918, the American Federation of Labor (AFL) issued its own distinctively apolitical report, which called for the achievement of numerous incremental improvements via the collective bargaining process. ====IFTU Bern Conference==== As the war drew to a close, two competing visions for the post-war world emerged.
Founded in October 1919 under the League of Nations, it is the first and oldest specialised agency of the UN.
In other cases recommendations may be adopted separately and may address issues separate from particular conventions. ==History== ===Origins=== While the ILO was established as an agency of the League of Nations following World War I, its founders had made great strides in social thought and action before 1919.
The utopian ideals of the founding members—social justice and the right to decent work—were changed by diplomatic and political compromises made at the Paris Peace Conference of 1919, showing the ILO's balance between idealism and pragmatism. Over the course of the First World War, the international labour movement proposed a comprehensive programme of protection for the working classes, conceived as compensation for labour's support during the war.
The first was offered by the International Federation of Trade Unions (IFTU), which called for a meeting in Bern, Switzerland, in July 1919.
The Commission met for the first time on 1 February 1919, and Gompers was elected as the chairman. Two competing proposals for an international body emerged during the Commission's meetings.
Meanwhile, international delegates proposed three additional clauses, which were adopted: One or more days for weekly rest; equality of laws for foreign workers; and regular and frequent inspection of factory conditions. The Commission issued its final report on 4 March 1919, and the Peace Conference adopted it without amendment on 11 April.
The report became Part XIII of the Treaty of Versailles. ===Interwar period=== The first annual conference, referred to as the International Labour Conference (ILC), began on 29 October 1919 at the Pan American Union Building in Washington, D.C.
In its first months of existence in 1919, it offices were located in London, only to move to Geneva in the summer 1920.
International Organizations and the Analysis of Economic Policy, 1919–1950 (Cambridge, 2002) Evans, A.A.
"Norway in the International Labour Organization, 1919–1939" Scandinavian Journal of History 1996 Vol.
In its first months of existence in 1919, it offices were located in London, only to move to Geneva in the summer 1920.
Labour's Magna Charta: A Critical Study of the Labour Clauses of the Peace Treaty and of the Draft Conventions and Recommendations of the Washington International Labour Conference (London, 1925) Dufty, N.F.
As the office grew, the Office relocated to a purpose-built headquarters by the shores of lake Leman, designed by Georges Epitaux and inaugurated in 1926 (currently the sear of the World Trade Organization).
The new protocol brings the existing ILO Convention 29 on Forced Labour, adopted in 1930, into the modern era to address practices such as human trafficking.
On 19 June 1934, the U.S.
On 22 June 1934, the ILO adopted a resolution inviting the U.S.
On 20 August 1934, the U.S.
joined in 1934 VanDaele, Jasmien.
"The international labor organization and the social politics of development, 1938–1969." (PhD Dissertation, University of Maryland, 2015).
In August 1940, the government of Canada officially invited the ILO to be housed at McGill University in Montreal.
After 1945, the goal became to set a uniform and universal standard, determined by the higher awareness gained during World War II of politically and economically motivated systems of forced labour, but debates were hampered by the Cold War and by exemptions claimed by colonial powers.
Forty staff members were transferred to the temporary offices and continued to work from McGill until 1948. The ILO became the first specialized agency of the United Nations system after the demise of the league in 1946.
5 (October 1947), pp. 963–977 in JSTOR Galenson, Walter.
Forty staff members were transferred to the temporary offices and continued to work from McGill until 1948. The ILO became the first specialized agency of the United Nations system after the demise of the league in 1946.
Its constitution, as amended, includes the Declaration of Philadelphia (1944) on the aims and purposes of the organization. ===Cold War era=== Beginning in the late 1950s the organization was under pressure to make provisions for the potential membership of ex-colonies which had become independent; in the Director General's report of 1963 the needs of the potential new members were first recognized.
98 on trade union rights, which the country had ratified in 1957.
Its constitution, as amended, includes the Declaration of Philadelphia (1944) on the aims and purposes of the organization. ===Cold War era=== Beginning in the late 1950s the organization was under pressure to make provisions for the potential membership of ex-colonies which had become independent; in the Director General's report of 1963 the needs of the potential new members were first recognized.
The secretariat is led by the Director-General, currently Guy Ryder of the United Kingdom, who was elected by the Governing Body in 2012. In 1969, the ILO received the Nobel Peace Prize for improving fraternity and peace among nations, pursuing decent work and justice for workers, and providing technical assistance to other developing nations.
The Origin and Evolution of the ILO and its Role in the World Community (Ithaca, 1969) Morse, David.
The tensions produced by these changes in the world environment negatively affected the established politics within the organization and they were the precursor to the eventual problems of the organization with the USA In July, 1970, the United States withdrew 50% of its financial support to the ILO following the appointment of an assistant director-general from the Soviet Union.
The International Labour Organization: Its Work for Social and Economic Progress (London, 1970) Manwaring, J.
History of the International Labour Organization (London, 1971) Chisholm, A.
"Organizational Growth and Goal Structure: The Case of the ILO," International Organization 1972 Vol.
However, the funds were eventually paid. On 12 June 1975, the ILO voted to grant the Palestinian Liberation Organization observer status at its meetings.
The United States gave notice of full withdrawal on 6 November 1975, stating that the organization had become politicized.
For the rights of migrant workers, ILO has adopted conventions, including Migrant Workers (Supplementary Provisions) Convention, 1975 and United Nations Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families in 1990. ===Domestic workers=== Domestic workers are those who perform a variety of tasks for and in other peoples' homes.
"The American decision to join the international labor organization", Labor History, Volume 16, Issue 4 Autumn 1975, pp 495–504 The U.S.
The withdrawal became effective on 1 November 1977. The United States returned to the organization in 1980 after extracting some concession from the organization.
The withdrawal became effective on 1 November 1977. The United States returned to the organization in 1980 after extracting some concession from the organization.
Economist Guy Standing wrote "the ILO quietly ceased to be an international body attempting to redress structural inequality and became one promoting employment equity". In 1981, the government of Poland declared martial law.
The International Labor Organization: An American View (Madison, 1981) Ghebali, Victor-Yves.
The ILO Committee on Freedom of Association filed a complaint against Poland at the 1982 International Labour Conference.
International Labour Organization: A Canadian View (Ottawa, 1986) Morse, David.
The ILO and many other countries and organizations put pressure on the Polish government, which finally gave legal status to Solidarność in 1989.
For the rights of migrant workers, ILO has adopted conventions, including Migrant Workers (Supplementary Provisions) Convention, 1975 and United Nations Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families in 1990. ===Domestic workers=== Domestic workers are those who perform a variety of tasks for and in other peoples' homes.
The answer varies from country to country, as well as among sectors within countries. ====ILO's response to child labour==== The ILO's International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) was created in 1992 with the overall goal of the progressive elimination of child labour, which was to be achieved through strengthening the capacity of countries to deal with the problem and promoting a worldwide movement to combat child labour.
Britain and the ILO (London, 1994) Fried, John H.
My Life as an International Civil Servant in the International Labour Organization (Geneva, 1995) Ewing, K.
"Norway in the International Labour Organization, 1919–1939" Scandinavian Journal of History 1996 Vol.
They are set forth in 189 conventions and treaties, of which eight are classified as fundamental according to the 1998 Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work; together they protect freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining, the elimination of forced or compulsory labour, the abolition of child labour, and the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.
Conventions that have not been ratified by member states have the same legal force as recommendations. In 1998, the 86th International Labour Conference adopted the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.
ILOAIDS is the branch of the ILO dedicated to this issue. The ILO has been involved with the HIV response since 1998, attempting to prevent potentially devastating impact on labour and productivity and that it says can be an enormous burden for working people, their families and communities.
In June 2001, the ILO's governing body adopted a pioneering code of practice on HIV/AIDS and the world of work, which was launched during a special session of the UN General Assembly. The same year, ILO became a cosponsor of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). In 2010, the 99th International Labour Conference adopted the ILO's recommendation concerning HIV and AIDS and the world of work, 2010 (No.
The World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization was established by the ILO's governing body in February 2002 at the initiative of the director-general in response to the fact that there did not appear to be a space within the multilateral system that would cover adequately and comprehensively the social dimension of the various aspects of globalization.
International Organizations and the Analysis of Economic Policy, 1919–1950 (Cambridge, 2002) Evans, A.A.
The IPEC currently has operations in 88 countries, with an annual expenditure on technical cooperation projects that reached over US$61 million in 2008.
In June 2001, the ILO's governing body adopted a pioneering code of practice on HIV/AIDS and the world of work, which was launched during a special session of the UN General Assembly. The same year, ILO became a cosponsor of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). In 2010, the 99th International Labour Conference adopted the ILO's recommendation concerning HIV and AIDS and the world of work, 2010 (No.
For the rights and decent work of domestic workers including migrant domestic workers, ILO has adopted the Convention on Domestic Workers on 16 June 2011. ===ILO and globalization=== Seeking a process of globalization that is inclusive, democratically governed and provides opportunities and tangible benefits for all countries and people.
The secretariat is led by the Director-General, currently Guy Ryder of the United Kingdom, who was elected by the Governing Body in 2012. In 1969, the ILO received the Nobel Peace Prize for improving fraternity and peace among nations, pursuing decent work and justice for workers, and providing technical assistance to other developing nations.
The December 2014 updated edition of the report listed a total of 74 countries and 136 goods. ===Training and teaching units=== The International Training Centre of the International Labour Organization (ITCILO) is based in Turin, Italy.
The Cook Islands, a non-UN state, joined in June 2015. Members of the ILO under the League of Nations automatically became members when the organization's new constitution came into effect after World War II. ===Position within the UN=== The ILO is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN).
It was ratified for the second time in 2015 and on 9 November 2016 it entered into force.
The accompanying Recommendation 203 provides technical guidance on its implementation. In 2015, the ILO launched a global campaign to end modern slavery, in partnership with the International Organization of Employers (IOE) and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).
The ILO also works on promoting social protection as a means of reducing vulnerability to HIV and mitigating its impact on those living with or affected by HIV. ILOAIDS ran a "Getting to Zero" campaign to arrive at zero new infections, zero AIDS-related deaths and zero-discrimination by 2015.
"The international labor organization and the social politics of development, 1938–1969." (PhD Dissertation, University of Maryland, 2015).
It was ratified for the second time in 2015 and on 9 November 2016 it entered into force.
The initiative begun in 2016 by gathering the views of government representatives, workers, employers, academics and other relevant figures around the world.
The other Government members are elected by the Conference every three years (the last elections were held in June 2017).
These dialogues were structured around "four centenary conversations: work and society, decent jobs for all, the organization of work and production, and the governance of work." The second step took place in 2017 with the establishment of the Global Commission on the Future of Work dealing with the same "four centenary conversations".
As with other UN specialized agencies (or programmes) working on international development, the ILO is also a member of the United Nations Development Group. ==Normative function== ===Conventions=== Through July 2018, the ILO had adopted 189 conventions.
In 2019, the organization convened the Global Commission on the Future of Work, whose report made ten recommendations for governments to meet the challenges of the 21st century labour environment; these include a universal labour guarantee, social protection from birth to old age and an entitlement to lifelong learning.
A report is expected to be published prior to the 2019 Centenary International Labour Conference.
Apurva Chandra, Secretary (Labour and Employment) has been elected as the Chairperson of the Governing Body of the International LabourOrganisation (ILO) for the period October 2020- June 2021. 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.
Apurva Chandra, Secretary (Labour and Employment) has been elected as the Chairperson of the Governing Body of the International LabourOrganisation (ILO) for the period October 2020- June 2021. 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.
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