112th International Labour Conference
The International Labour Organization held its 112th annual International Labour Conference in Geneva from 3–14 June 2024.
Delegates attending the 112th International Labour Conference (ILC) have taken the initial step towards what would be the first-ever international standard governing biological hazards in the world of work. There is currently no international regulation focused on biological hazards in the working environment. The consultations will continue at next year’s ILC, during the second sitting of the Standard-Setting Committee on Biological Hazards. The discussions could result in a new Convention and/or Recommendation, which would be the first international labour standard to be adopted since the access to a safe and healthy working environment was elevated to a Fundamental Principle and Right at Work.
In addition, the ILC approved a resolution put forward by the General Discussion Committee on Decent Work and the Care Economy. The resolution includes a request for the Director-General to prepare a plan of action on decent work and the care economy to support the Committee’s conclusions and to take those conclusions into account in future ILO programme and budget proposals. The conclusions provide a common understanding of the care economy, its guiding principles and actors. They affirm that labour in the care economy is not a commodity and that all care workers should enjoy decent work. They also state that a well-functioning and robust care economy plays a critical role in building crisis resilience as well as leading to social and economic development.
The Conference also adopted the conclusions of the Recurrent Discussion Committee on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work (FPRW). The conclusions underline that the FPRW are more needed and relevant than ever. They provide guidance for the ILO and its constituents to effectively respect, promote and realise these principles and rights in an era of rapid change in the world of work, including demographic, environmental and digital transitions. The conclusions identify four areas of focus for policy action: strengthening the governance of labour markets; freedom of association and social dialogue; formalisation and sustainable enterprises; and equality and inclusion.
The conference also approved the report of the Committee on the Application of Standards (CAS), which examined the application of a number of ILO Conventions in 24 individual country cases. The CAS held a special sitting on Belarus, with a view to securing compliance with the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry, established in 2003, to examine the observance by the Government of Belarus of ILO Conventions Nos. 87 and 98. The CAS further considered the Committee of Experts’ General Survey on Labour Administration in a Changing World of Work. Members underlined the timeliness of the General Survey, given the rapid and fundamental changes and crises facing the world of work. They reaffirmed the vital role of effective labour administrations in achieving decent work, ensuring the promotion and respect of fundamental principles and rights at work, and creating an enabling environment for sustainable enterprises.
Ibec also took part in a panel discussion with representatives of Kenyan workers and the Canadian Government on « 5 years of Convention 190 on violence and harassment at work: what progress has been made and what are the prospects? » in the French embassy in Geneva. This important discussion addressed the success of agreeing the Convention through the tripartite function of the ILC in 2019 as well as the fact that 43 countries have already ratified the convention. However, it was highlighted that there is more to do, and the ILO is working with Governments, workers and employers to achieve more ratifications and the successful implementation of measures to address violence and harassment at work.
