ILO, International Labour (Labor) Organization (Organisation)

The International Labour (Labor) Organization (Organisation) or ILO addresses global labor issues and creates standards for the improvement of working conditions. Established in 1919-1920 with the League of Nations, it started operating as a UN agency after WW-II. The reason for founding this organization was to offer equal social status and promote remunerative employment. Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the ILO was incorporated with a vision that was based on the premise that “universal, lasting peace can be established only if it is based upon decent treatment of working people.†In its effort to achieve this, the ILO focuses on social justice and the prevention of discrimination at the workplace.

How the ILO Works

Following are the main functions of the International Labour Organization:

• The ILO sets international labor standards and conventions and offers recommendations. The aim is to provide basic rights, such as banning forced labor, equality at the workplace with regard to gender and race, right of collective bargain and the right to organize.
• It offers technical assistance to member nations in the form of vocational training facilities. The ILO sends experts to its member counties to provide consultation on technical matters.
• The International Labour Office holds three meetings per year (in March, June and November). This governing body of the ILO:

regulates the efficacy of the organization’s policy.

adopts budget and draft programs to be submitted to the conference.

elects the Director-General.

decides the schedule of the International Labour Conference.

Achievements of the ILO

Here are some achievements of the ILO:

• The ILO was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1969.
• The Code of Practice on HIV and the World of Work (2001) was printed and distributed in 30 languages.
• The establishment of Decent Work Country Programmes to provide support to member nations. DWCPs facilitate decent work as a major element for national development strategies.
• The implementation of the International Labor Code (revised in June 2008) for setting standards.

Challenges faced by the ILO

The ILO faces the following challenges:

• Incidents occurring at the workplace resulting in deaths, compensation and work-offs are still on the rise.
• The United Nations Non-Governmental Liaison Service (UN-NGLS) released a report on unfair practices at the workplace. Discrimination is rising in new forms, such as treatment towards the physically challenged, sexual orientation, partiality in hiring younger or older laborers and unfair treatment to those infected with HIV/AIDS.
• Law enforcement is not effective. More than 180 conventions set up by the ILO in 1919 are not taken seriously by many companies. Some of these conventions that are usually not adhered to are fundamental safety standards at the workplace, equality, child labor, eight-hour work day and maternity protection.

The ILO has more than 160 member countries. The US, the UK, the Russian Federation, Japan, France, Germany, Italy, Brazil, India and China hold permanent seats in the governing body.