US-Brazil initiative on decent work launched ILO and other international organizations On 20 September, during the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the presidents of the United States and Brazil,…
China: UN report undermines credibility of government commitments on forced labour ILO and other international organizations Even with the government's definitive ratification of two ILO conventions on forced labour in August 2022, and despite Chinese denials, recent reports are highlighting the reality of forced labour being imposed on the Uyghur community. The ILO texts join with several initiatives, such as that of the United States, aimed at banning products from Xinjiang, which is a model that the European Union is partially following with a draft regulation that was presented on 14 September.
Free EU: unions call for directive on maximum working temperatures ILO and other international organizations After two workers died of heatstroke in Spain last week, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) has today – on Monday 25 July – called on the European Commission to impose a maximum temperature limit for work,…
Free International Labour Organization makes occupational safety and health its fifth fundamental principle and right at work ILO and other international organizations During the 111th International Labour Conference, held in Geneva from 27 May to 11 June, and attended by the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) 187 member states, as well as both workers’…
Free United States: joins the Equal Pay International Coalition ILO and other international organizations The United States has just joined the Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC), an initiative led by the ILO (International Labour Organization),…
EU: second phase consultation launched on digital platform workers’ rights ILO and other international organizations On 15 June the European Commission launched the second stage consultation of European social partners on better protecting people working through platforms. This follows the Commission’s first consultation stage (c.f. article No.12304) that took place between 24 February and 07 April 2021, and that led to the Commission concluding there was a need for ‘further EU action to ensure basic labour standards and rights to people working through platforms measures’; a need made only more acute by the Covid-19 crisis and the very rapid development of digital platforms.
Free Women’s rights at the center of the G7 presidency ILO and other international organizations US$ 15 billion (€12,400 billion) over the next 2 years. This is financial support the UK government is helping to co-ordinate as the G7 host nation in order to fund businesses and services that promote the integration of women into the labour market in developing countries.…
Free ETUC research reveals the fall in workplace inspections across Europe raises Covid-19 risks ILO and other international organizations A European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) study of 22 countries is raising alarm bells over the fall in the number of labor inspections being carried out across Europe (c.f.…
ILO urges states to strengthen their occupational health and safety services in the event of a new pandemic ILO and other international organizations On 28 April, the date of the UN’s annual World Day for Safety and Health at Work, the International Labour Organization is calling for occupational health services to be strengthened so as to make them more ‘robust and resilient’ in the event of a new global health crisis. In a comprehensive report, the UN agency shows that ‘frontline’ workers have been particularly exposed to Covid-19. The text cites examples and suggests ways of improving the situation, which the ILO believes include social dialogue and an adaptation of the regulatory framework for times of crisis. The report can also be read as a manual for occupational health services and employers to ensure the health and safety of employees in such situations.
China: ILO report notes both the working conditions and lack of regulation related to platform work ILO and other international organizations In January 2021 the International Labour Organization (ILO) published Working Paper 24 entitled: Online digital labour platforms in China - Working conditions, policy issues and prospects. This reports provides an overview of current online platform usage in China based on a vast survey conducted in 2019 of 1,071 self-employed workers who were using the three largest operators in the online platform sector, namely ZBJ (Chongqing/ southwest China), EPWK (Xiamen/southeast China) and 680 (originally based in Chengdu/southwest China). These platforms were selected because they offer a wide range of jobs, from the most skilled (IT, design, video production, publishing, writing and online education) to the least skilled (sales, promotion, customer support, survey completion, administrative support tasks and ‘manual work’ related to online orders). Divided into five sections, this report first documents the rise of e-commerce and digital platforms in China. It then provides a detailed description of the methodology underpinning the 2019 survey. The report goes on to detail the survey’s findings including socio-demographic data and feedback. Section four of the report discusses issues facing digital platforms and reflects on their future development. The report concludes on the need for institutional reforms and suggests possible avenues for the implementation of new platform regulations.