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Information System on International Labour Standards

Compilation of decisions of the Committee on Freedom of Association

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Protection against discrimination13

Forms of discrimination

Discriminatory dismissal

  1. The dismissal of workers on grounds of membership of an organization or trade union activities violates the principles of freedom of association.
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Related CountryReportParagraph
2241Guatemala340827
2400Peru3401228
2815Philippines3621381
2815Philippines3651277
2969Mauritius370525
Digest: 2006789
  1. Subcontracting accompanied by dismissals of union leaders can constitute a violation of the principle that no one should be prejudiced in his or her employment on the grounds of union membership or activities.
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Related CountryReportParagraph
2602Republic of Korea350671
2815Philippines3621381
2815Philippines3651277
Digest: 2006790
  1. It would not appear that sufficient protection against acts of anti-union discrimination, as set out in Convention No. 98, is granted by legislation in cases where employers can in practice, on condition that they pay the compensation prescribed by law for cases of unjustified dismissal, dismiss any worker, if the true reason is the workers trade union membership or activities.
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Related CountryReportParagraph
2252Philippines350172
2262Cambodia342233
2265Switzerland3431143
2376Côte d'Ivoire342106
2443Cambodia343315
2474Poland3441154
2613Nicaragua355930
2663Georgia356761
2684Ecuador372278
2737Indonesia358639
2754Indonesia359682
Digest: 2006791
  1. In cases of anti-union dismissals, newly established enterprise level unions are likely to suffer adverse consequences threatening their very existence, if their entire leadership and a large part of their membership is dismissed.
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Related CountryReportParagraph
2252Philippines350172
  1. Where public servants are employed under conditions of free appointment and removal from service, the exercise of the right to freely remove public employees from their posts should in no instance be motivated by the trade union functions or activities of the persons who could be affected by such measures.
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Related CountryReportParagraph
2926Ecuador370385
3051Japan376691
Digest: 2006792
  1. Not only dismissal, but also compulsory retirement, when imposed as a result of legitimate trade union activities, would be contrary to the principle that no person should be prejudiced in his or her employment by reason of trade union membership or activities.
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Related CountryReportParagraph
2722Botswana357259
3025Egypt372154
3171Myanmar378488
Digest: 2006793
  1. In certain cases, the Committee has found it difficult to accept as a coincidence unrelated to trade union activity that heads of departments should have decided, immediately after a strike, to convene disciplinary boards which, on the basis of service records, ordered the dismissal not only of a number of strikers, but also of members of their union committee.
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Related CountryReportParagraph
3018Pakistan372494
Digest: 2006794
  1. Acts of anti-trade union discrimination should not be authorized under the pretext of dismissals based on economic necessity.
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Related CountryReportParagraph
2775Hungary360728
2815Philippines3621382
2815Philippines3651277
Digest: 2006795
  1. The application of staff reduction programmes must not be used to carry out acts of anti-union discrimination.
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Related CountryReportParagraph
2488Philippines3461359
2573Colombia351467
2760Thailand3591165
3017Chile377265
Digest: 2006796
  1. A corporate restructuring should not directly or indirectly threaten unionized workers and their organizations.
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Related CountryReportParagraph
2228India36280
2760Thailand3591165
2815Philippines3621382
2815Philippines3651277
Digest: 2006797
  1. It is not within the Committees purview to pronounce itself on allegations relating to restructuring programmes, even when these involve collective dismissals, unless they have given rise to acts of anti-union discrimination or interference.
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Related CountryReportParagraph
3051Japan376690
  1. The liquidation of a company and the fact that the legal person under which the company operated has ceased to exist should not be used as a pretext for anti-union discrimination nor should they be an obstacle to the competent authorities determining whether or not there were acts of anti-union discrimination and, if such practices are shown to have taken place, to sanctioning such illegal acts and ensuring that the affected workers are duly compensated.
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Related CountryReportParagraph
3027Colombia376297
  1. In the Committees opinion, the bipartite talks and the administrative procedure of permission to dismiss do not guarantee adequate protection to workers against acts of anti-union discrimination, since it appears that the legislation currently in force allows an employer merely to invoke lack of harmony in the working relationship to justify the dismissal of workers who only wish to exercise a fundamental right under the principles of freedom of association.
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Related CountryReportParagraph
1756Indonesia259414
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