Impact and people
2007
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World Social Security Forum - Building a “Social Security Floor” worldwide where growth can meet equity
28 September 2007
Only one in five people in the world has adequate social security coverage. Last week, the first ever World Social Security Forum organized by the International Social Security Association (ISSA) and the Russian authorities in Moscow discussed social security’s contribution to build productive economies and more inclusive societies. Interview with Michael Cichon, Director of the ILO’s Social Security Department.
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Climate change and the world of work: ILO Director-General outlines ILO role in new “Green Jobs Initiative”
24 September 2007
As global leaders gather in New York this week under the leadership of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to breathe new life into international efforts to tackle climate change and other environmental issues, the ILO is presenting a plan aimed at meeting the climate challenge in the world of work. ILO Director-General Juan Somavia explains the role of the ILO in this process and outlines a new plan for a “Green Jobs Initiative” that will promote environmentally sustainable development and make sure workplace issues are part of the debate. ILO Online reports from High-Level Event on Climate Change, New York, 24 September 2007.
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When decent work takes flight: Safe work in airports as an example of making decent work a local reality
21 September 2007
Frankfurt Airport is one of the largest in the world. To manage growing international competition and increasing record traffic, it has begun an 8 billion Euro expansion of its take off and landing capacities, which will take place over the next 10 years. The project is expected to create some 25,000 new jobs, but also raises environmental and social issues. One of these is how to guarantee a safe and healthy working place for old and new staff members. ILO Online reports.
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ILO, IFC join to promote "better work" in global supply chains: An interview with Ros Harvey, ILO and IFC Better Work Global Programme Manager
17 September 2007
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) of the World Bank Group and the ILO have joined to improve labour practices and competitiveness in global supply chains. An international buyers’ consultative forum, Business for Social Responsibility (BSR), will support the efforts made by the newly created Better Work programme. ILO Online spoke with Ros Harvey, ILO and IFC Better Work Global Programme Manager.
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Out of sight – girls in mining
13 September 2007
A new ILO study shows that not only are children still being forced to work in mines, but many of them are girls. It is child labour in its worst form: young girls risk permanent injury from carrying heavy loads of rock and contamination from nerve-damaging mercury. Without a chance to go to school, they are locked into a life of poverty. ILO Online reports.
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Green jobs: Facing up to "an inconvenient truth"
15 August 2007
Over the last year or so, it has dawned on policy makers, businesses and the public around the world that climate change looks set to become the biggest social and environmental challenge of the 21st century. Peter Poschen, ILO Senior Policy Specialist and focal point on climate change, looks at the social and labour impacts of this complex global challenge.
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In Asia, informal work shifts but remains massive
09 August 2007
Despite a GDP growth rate twice the world average, more than 1 billion Asians still work in the informal economy. Most lack basic social protection and hold unproductive jobs with low earnings. An ILO report prepared for the Asian Employment Forum held on 13-15 August says the rapid shift from rural and agricultural employment to urban-based manufacturing and service-oriented work in developing Asia will continue and in some countries accelerate. ILO Online reports.
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Asian Employment Forum: Promoting productivity to benefit all
09 August 2007
Increasing labour productivity is crucial for a country’s economic growth and overall competitiveness. It is also a vital tool for creating quality jobs and reducing poverty, since productivity gains can lead to higher wages, better working conditions and investment in human resources. These are the messages of a new ILO report prepared for the Asian Employment Forum in Beijing (13 to 15 August). ILO Online spoke with Ms. Sachiko Yamamoto, ILO Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, about the link between productivity growth, employment creation and decent working conditions.
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Asian Employment Forum: Youth employment: “We are not the problem, we are the solution”
09 August 2007
According to the latest figures Asia’s 378 million-strong youth labour force accounts for more than one in five of the region’s total labour force and 58 per cent of the global youth labour force. Although the proportion of young people in the workforce is projected to decline by 2015, a new report prepared for the ILO’s Asian Employment Forum (to be held in Beijing on 13-15 August) says that for many countries in South East Asia and the Pacific, the youth employment challenge remains huge. ILO Online reports.
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Talking weather: Trade unions and climate change
07 August 2007
It's been a way of breaking the ice – but now it's time for real discussions and bargaining to find solutions to save not only the tops of the icebergs, but the whole planet. In order not to be a drop in the ocean the ILO needs to strengthen its capacity to address the issue of climate change and assist its constituents with the transition processes in relation to changes in jobs and qualifications. Lene Olsen of the ILO Bureau for Workers' Activities reports.