1. International Labour Movement, the ILO and Tripartism
Programme for Workers’ Activities (ACTRAV)
International Training Center of ILO

2. Objectives of this Session
We will discuss on:
Structure of Int’l Labour Movement
Fundamental Goal & Principle of ILO
Structure (Major Components) of ILO
Major Functions of ILO
Roles of ACTRAV (Bureau for Workers’ Activities)
Current Issues concerning the ILO

3. International Labour Movement

4. Current Structure ICFTU GUFs WCL WFTU ETUC OECD-TUAC ICEM
ITGLWF
ICEM
IFBWW
ICFTU
International Confederation of Free Trade Unions
GUFs
Global Union Federations
IMF
ITF
PSI
IFJ
ETUC EI
IUF
UNI
WCL
World Confederation of Labour
OECD-TUAC
WFTU
World Federation of Trade Unions

5. Future Structure New International Confederation ICFTU GUFs WCL WFTU
ITGLWF
ICEM
IFBWW
ICFTU
International Confederation of Free Trade Unions
GUFs
Global Union Federations
IMF
ITF
PSI
IFJ
ETUC EI
IUF
UNI
WCL
World Confederation of Labour
November 2006
New International Confederation
WFTU
World Federation of Trade Unions

6. Why International Movement?
Unity and solidarity is the main source of strength for workers;
Response to Globalization
Representative, Equal and Independent Partners: Why?
- Representative: a recognised voice of those who have entrusted them;
- Equal: to discuss solutions on equal terms. Otherwise, the solutions will not benefit all and not be respected by all; and
- Independent: the whole exercise would be futile if one side manipulates two passive participants.
What are “Common Concerns”?
- Tripartism enables the parties concerned to have a say in decisions that concern them - an imperative of democracy
- Tripartism is a strategy for effectiveness in pursuing a balance between economic and social concerns, between immediate and long term interests, and between individual needs and collective benefits.
- Tripartism is a guarantee of accountability by allowing each partner to limit and control the other two, securing an equitable distribution of costs and benefits
Need to create a global voice of workers
for global institutions (e.g. ILO, WTO, WB and IMF)
for multi-national enterprises (cross-border alliance)

7. Fundamental Goal and Principle of ILO

8. 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

9. Tripartism: Fundamental Principle of the ILO
“Tripartism” is:
The active interactions among the government, workers and employers as representative, equal and independent social partners.
Representative, Equal and Independent Partners: Why?
- Representative: a recognised voice of those who have entrusted them;
- Equal: to discuss solutions on equal terms. Otherwise, the solutions will not benefit all and not be respected by all; and
- Independent: the whole exercise would be futile if one side manipulates two passive participants.
What are “Common Concerns”?
- Tripartism enables the parties concerned to have a say in decisions that concern them - an imperative of democracy
- Tripartism is a strategy for effectiveness in pursuing a balance between economic and social concerns, between immediate and long term interests, and between individual needs and collective benefits.
- Tripartism is a guarantee of accountability by allowing each partner to limit and control the other two, securing an equitable distribution of costs and benefits
To seek mutually agreeable solutions for issues of common concerns.

10. ILO Tripartism in Shape Governments Workers Employers
- Tripartism is ensured in all the ILO decision making bodies and process
- However, the level of representation (voting rights) varies in different bodies
> Conference - Each member state : Government 2 – Workers 1 – Employers 1
> Governing Body – Government 28, Workers 14, Employers 14
> Conference Committee – Equal voting right

11. Tripartism: How it works?
Active interactions of the partners in order to seek mutually agreeable & beneficial solutions
The partners must be willing to reach, and respect, agreements
The partners must be committed, competent and active
Tripartism : for Success
- The success of tripartism depends much on the extent to which workers and their organizations (as well as employers and their organizations) actively participate in the ILO’s standard setting and other works, and actively make use of the rights given to them, with a view to promoting a more effective and widespread application of ILO standards.

12. 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.
Tripartism : Benefits for Workers
- Worker members (workers’ representative) in the Governing Body take part in determining the agenda of the International Labour Conference;
- Workers’ delegates to the Conference take part in the framing and adoption of international labour standards;
- Workers’ organizations have an important role to play both at the national and at the international level in monitoring the effective application of ratified Conventions; and
- Special complaints procedures are available to the workers where trade union rights are being violated or the terms of a ratified Convention are not being observed.

13. 3. Structure of the ILO

14. Major Components of the ILO
International Labour Conference
Governing Body
International Labour Office

15. International Labour Conference
- Meets every year in Geneva in June (for 3 weeks);
- Each member State is represented by two G delegates, one E delegate & one W delegate, plus advisers.
Main Tasks:
Discusses (in Committee) and adopts (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
ICFTU, WCL, WFTU and OATUU have full consultative status with the ILO.

16. International Labour Conference
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 - Committees to discuss a new standard

17. Governing Body of ILO The executive body of the ILO Composition
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, UK and USA);
The Employer and Worker members are elected in their individual capacity; and
GB Election is held every three years (next in 2008)

18. Governing Body of ILO 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)

19. International Labour Office
The permanent secretariat of the ILO
Headquarters in Geneva
Focal point for the overall activities that it prepares under the scrutiny of the G.B. and under the leadership of a Director-General (Mr. Somavia)
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

20. International Labour Office
The Regional Office (RO)
Sub-Regional Office (SRO)
The Area Office (AO)
International Training Center of ILO (Turin)

21. 4. Major Functions of ILO

22. Technical Co-operation
Two Major Functions
SOCIAL JUSTICE
Standard Setting
Technical Co-operation

23. Standard Setting International Labour Standards (ILS)
Conventions
Recommendations
Adoption by the Conference
Application at national level
(through legislation and practice)

24. ILS : Core Labour Standards
Standards concerning fundamental human/social rights
Freedom of Association
Freedom from Discrimination
Freedom of Association, 1948
Right to Collective Bargaining, 1949
C. 87
C. 98
Equal Remuneration, 1951
Discrimination (Employment and Occupation), 1958
C. 100
C. 111
Freedom from Forced Labour
Minimum Age for Employment
Forced Labour, 1930
Abolition of Forced Labour, 1957
C. 29
C. 105
Minimum Age, 1973
Elimination of Worst Forms of Child Labour, 1999
C. 138
C. 182

25. Technical Cooperation
Assist the Member States to ratify and/or implement the international labour standards in laws and practice through tripartism.
Dispatch specialists to Member States to advise on technical matters;
Organize meetings, seminars, symposiums;
Research and study
Provisions of facilities for training to further the aims of the ILO and tripartism.

26. 5. Roles of ACTRAV

27. Realization of Tripartism
For the spirits and purposes of the Tripartism, trade unions must be “independent, representative, competent and responsible”, which give real effect to the system and methodology.
ACTRAV supports the establishment and strengthening of “free, democratic, independent, representative, competent and responsible trade unions” in all countries in the world.
Why do we have to have well-established trade unions?
- Trade unions are “the building blocks of democracy”;
- Trade unions are “training schools for democracy”; and
- Trade unions are “the crucial partners in tripartism”.
What do we have to do?
- “Capacity Building” : Strengthening trade unions’ ability to train members and to build strong organizations;
- “Policy Development” : Helping the unions to deal with new issues

28. How to Realize Tripartism
Active Partnership
ACTEMP
ACTRAV
ILO
Active Partnership Policy
- Aims to strengthen the links between the ILO and its constituents in the design, implementation and follow-up of its action programme.
- Means “proximity”, or how close office can be, to government, employers’ and workers’ representatives on a day-to-day basis
(For?)
- To improve the quality of its services to Constituencies by:
Building up links of mutual confidence and allows better understanding of the social problems of the countries concerned; and
Improving knowledge-base and understanding of the priorities of each country, which allows the ILO to meet member States’ needs more effectively.

29. What does ACTRAV do?
Supports trade unions to be formed and to develop as truly representative and competent 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 ILO’s decision making bodies; and
Educate and train trade union leaders/ activists/staff.
Why do we have to have well-established trade unions?
- Trade unions are “the building blocks of democracy”;
- Trade unions are “training schools for democracy”; and
- Trade unions are “the crucial partners in tripartism”.
What do we have to do?
- “Capacity Building” : Strengthening trade unions’ ability to train members and to build strong organizations;
- “Policy Development” : Helping the unions to deal with new issues

30. Tripartism: Structure of ACTRAV
Bureau for Workers’ Activities
(ILO/ACTRAV-Geneva)
Asia/Pacific Desk: R. Raghwan
Overall policy/strategy making
Liaison with other unit
Support for Workers’ Group
Reflection of workers’ interests
Regional Educ. Specialist
RO Bangkok: C. Nathan
Senior Specialists in the Field
SRO Bangkok: E. Ramos
SRO New Delhi: P.S. Ahn
SRO Manila: M. Ishibashi
Why do we have to have well-established trade unions?
- Trade unions are “the building blocks of democracy”;
- Trade unions are “training schools for democracy”; and
- Trade unions are “the crucial partners in tripartism”.
What do we have to do?
- “Capacity Building” : Strengthening trade unions’ ability to train members and to build strong organizations;
- “Policy Development” : Helping the unions to deal with new issues
Implementation of training programmes and related activities
ILO/ACTRAV-Turin
Asia/Pacific: ???????
Direct contact with unions
Implementation of ACTRAV policies and strategies in each country
Dissemination of information

31. 6. Current Issues concerning the ILO

32. Two Major Concerns
Low and declining union density → Question over Representativeness
“Organized full-time male workers” model
“Most representative workers’ organizations” provision
Widening North-South gap → Question over “Universality”
Lack of representation of developing countries in ILO structures and activities
Euro-centrism

33. The ILO is you; and You are the ILO.
Programme for Workers’ Activities (ACTRAV)
ITC-ILO