The Office of the 'Amiable Compositeur'
- Responsible Organisations: Council of State of Geneva (Government)
- ILO Regions: Europe and Central Asia
- Country(ies): Switzerland
- Thematic areas: Protection
- MLFLM: 8.; 9.(a),(b),(c); 11.
- Sectors: Domestic work
Description
The Office of the 'Amiable Compositeur' (OAC) is a mediation structure set up by the Geneva authorities to facilitate the resolution of labour disputes involving persons enjoying diplomatic or consular privileges and immunities. Its services are confidential and free of charge. Domestic workers reporting potential breaches of criminal law are provided with basic information on their rights and are referred to specialist organisations for further support and advice. The Office also has a small hardship fund to provide financial support or loans to domestic workers. An estimated 80 per cent of OAC's clients are employees, and the remaining 20 per cent are employers. The latter mostly contact OAC to request legal advice on issues such as the length of legal notification periods. Typically, disputes relate to payments of salaries, working conditions and illegal dismissals. Since its creation, OAC has dealt with an average of 40-50 new cases per year, and the overall rate of successful mediations since its creation in 1995 has been around 30-40 per cent.
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