• Union Minister Bhupender Yadav addressed the Plenary Session of 110th International Labour Conference of ILO in Geneva.

• The International labour Conference sets the international labour standards and the broad policies of the ILO. It meets annually in Geneva. 

• Often called an international parliament of labour, the Conference is also a forum for discussion of key social and labour questions.

• It is the largest international gathering dedicated to the world of work, attended by representatives of governments, employers and workers from the 187 ILO Member States. 

• Delegates discuss key world of work issues, adopt and monitor the application of International Labour Standards and set the ILO’s global priorities and budget.

• The 110th session of the International Labour Conference began on May 27 and will conclude on  June 11.

• The Conference is held in hybrid format, with delegates attending in person in Geneva, as well as virtually.

• It will be followed by a meeting of the ILO’s Governing Body on June 13, when it will elect its Officers for the period 2022-2023.

International Labour Organisation

• The International Labour Organisation (ILO) is the United Nations agency for the world of work. It sets international labour standards, promotes rights at work and encourages decent employment opportunities, the enhancement of social protection and the strengthening of dialogue on work-related issues. 

• The ILO was founded in 1919 as part of the Treaty of Versailles that ended World War I, to pursue a vision based on the premise that universal, lasting peace can be established only if it is based on social justice. 

• The ILO became the first specialised agency of the United Nations in 1946.

• It is the only tripartite UN agency with government, employer, and worker representatives. This tripartite structure makes the ILO a unique forum in which the governments and the social partners of the economy of its Member States can freely and openly debate and elaborate labour standards and policies.

Member States

• The ILO comprises 187 Member States. In addition to the States which were Members of the ILO on November 1, 1945, any original member of the United Nations and any State admitted to membership of the United Nations by a decision of the General Assembly may become a Member of the ILO by communicating to the Director-General its formal acceptance of the obligations of the Constitution of the organisation.

• The General Conference of the ILO may also admit members to the organisation by a vote of two-thirds of the delegates attending the session, including two-thirds of the government delegates present and voting.

• The ILO’s Secretariat has its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, and a global network of technical experts and field offices in more than 40 countries.

• The International Labour Conference (ILC) meets once a year to adopt new international labour standards and to approve the ILO’s work plan and budget.

• The Governing Body is the executive council of the ILO and meets three times a year in Geneva.

• India, a founding member of the ILO, has been a permanent member of the ILO Governing Body since 1922. The first ILO Office in India started in 1928. 

Objectives of ILO:

• Creating jobs: Promoting economies that generate opportunities for investment, entrepreneurship, skills development, job creation and sustainable livelihoods. 

• Guaranteeing rights at work: Obtaining recognition and respect for the rights of workers. All workers, and in particular disadvantaged or poor workers, need representation, participation and laws that protect their rights.

• Extending social protection: Ensuring that women and men enjoy working conditions that are safe, allow adequate free time and rest, take into account family and social values, provide for adequate compensation in case of lost or reduced income and permit access to adequate health care.

• Promoting social dialogue: Strong and independent workers’ and employers’ organisations are central to increasing productivity, avoiding disputes at work and building cohesive societies.

International labour standards

International labour standards are legal instruments drawn up by the ILO's constituents (governments, employers and workers) and setting out basic principles and rights at work. They are either Conventions (or Protocols), which are legally binding international treaties that may be ratified by Member States, or Recommendations, which serve as 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. Recommendations can also be autonomous, that is not linked to a Convention.

The ILO Governing Body has identified eight ‘fundamental’ Conventions, covering subjects that are considered to be fundamental principles and rights at work.

The eight fundamental Conventions are:

1. Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948  

2. Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 

3. Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (and its 2014 Protocol)

4. Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957 

5. Minimum Age Convention, 1973

6. Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999

7. Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951

8. Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958.

India has not ratified two of these fundamental Conventions: 

• Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention

• Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention.

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