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GB.274/PFA/9/2
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Programme, Financial and Administrative Committee |
PFA |
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NINTH ITEM ON THE AGENDA
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PROGRAMME AND BUDGET PROPOSALS FOR 2000-01 | |
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VOLUME 2 |
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65. Enterprise and Cooperative Development
65.1. With more than 1.2 billion people out of work worldwide, employment creation remains a major challenge in most countries. Nevertheless, many large enterprises are continuing to reduce their workforce as part of their privatization, restructuring and merger and acquisition processes. In the few countries which have been successful in reducing unemployment in recent years, most of the new jobs have been created by small private enterprises. Yet for enterprises to develop and create jobs, they need to be able to operate in a favourable policy and regulatory environment in which they have access to efficient capital and labour markets and cost-effective support services, such as market information, credit, technology and vocational and managerial training. Moreover, in a highly competitive global market, enterprises will only prosper if they adapt to the continuously changing business environment, including the increased expectation that entrepreneurs will take ethical and social considerations into account.
65.2. Cooperative enterprises also play an important role in economic development and employment creation. At a time of decreasing government support, cooperatives have to show that they can be both successful in business and effective in combating poverty through the generation of employment, incomes and social services for large numbers of people. Enterprises in the hotel, catering and tourism sector offer tremendous potential for employment generation, especially for women and young workers. But this potential often remains under-exploited through lack of support, particularly for small enterprises.
65.3. Enterprise promotion is a dynamic and challenging field, in which a broad range of development partners are showing growing interest. The ILO will therefore give priority to developing its comparative advantage in the field. This lies in its long experience, the emphasis it places on combining the issues of enterprise competitiveness, job quality and social development, as well as the importance it attaches to building social consensus as a basis for sustainable long-term job creation through enterprise development. The involvement of the ILO's tripartite constituents in programme design and implementation also provides a strong basis for addressing cross-sectoral concerns, such as displaced workers, gender issues, youth employment, child labour, tribal and indigenous peoples and the environment. For small enterprises, including those in the informal sector, assistance is provided within the framework of the International Small Enterprise Programme (ISEP), which was launched in March 1998 as one of the ILO's global technical cooperation programmes.
65.4. This work is guided by several international labour standards, including the Job Creation in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Recommendation, 1998 (No. 189), the Working Conditions (Hotel and Restaurants) Convention, 1991 (No. 172), and the Cooperatives (Developing Countries) Recommendation, 1966 (No. 127). A special effort will be made to give effect to Chapter V of the Programme of Action adopted by the World Summit for Social Development, which calls on enterprises to "pursue investment and other policies, including non-commercial activities, to contribute to social development programmes, including the generation of employment opportunities and social support services at the workplace".
65.5. This work will contribute strongly to the achievement of Strategic Objective No. 2 on employment. Through the emphasis placed on worker protection and the improvement of job quality, it will also make a significant contribution to Strategic Objective No. 3 on social protection, and to Strategic Objective No. 4 on social dialogue by building capacity of employers' and workers' organizations.
65.6. Approximately $54.4 million of extra-budgetary technical cooperation is expected to be implemented in the field of enterprise development, of which some $22.6 million relates to cooperatives. In addition to entrepreneurship development and micro-finance, special attention will be paid to assistance to constituents in conflict affected countries and in economies affected by financial crisis.
65.1. Departmental activities
65.7. Enterprise and cooperative finance/micro-finance. Many smaller enterprises experience serious difficulties in gaining access to finance. This is not because they are unviable, but because most commercial financial institutions are geared to dealing with larger enterprises. Gender is another constraint, with many women entrepreneurs encountering legal and cultural obstacles in obtaining credit. With the objective that both public and private financial institutions develop cost-effective policies and programmes which improve the access of small entrepreneurs to financial services, assistance will be provided to help constituents and central banks develop and strengthen village banks and other decentralized financial systems accessible to the poor, as well as professionally managed and representative associations of savings and credit cooperatives and mutual guarantee associations. Financial intermediation mechanisms, such as social funds, guarantee funds and revolving loan funds, will also be strengthened and support provided for the establishment of national and international networks of financial institutions which offer financial services to small and micro-enterprises.
65.2. Entrepreneurship and management
65.2.development
65.8. The Second Enterprise Forum is planned for late 1999. Based on the experience gained at that time, proposals may be made for a Third Enterprise Forum, which normally would be included in the Programme and Budget for 2002-03. However, if the Governing Body wishes to take advantage of the flexibility present in the Programme and Budget proposals for 2000-01, it should be possible to hold a third Forum in 2001.
65.9. Problems/needs. Self-initiative is one asset that exists in abundance in even the poorest communities. Small enterprises tap this asset and convert it into jobs and wealth. Nevertheless, despite their vital contribution to job creation and the important role that they play in the private sector, particularly through their linkages with larger firms supplying local and foreign markets, small and micro-enterprises in many developing and transition countries face difficulties in achieving their full potential. These include limited access to business and financial services, low productivity, inadequate linkages with other enterprises and limited access to markets. In addition, job quality in small enterprises, and particularly in micro- and informal sector enterprises, is often poor. Many offer low wages, poor working conditions and inadequate social protection, while child labour is widespread. Women, indigenous persons and other vulnerable groups encounter additional social, cultural and, in many countries, legal constraints preventing them from using their skills and resources to establish viable businesses.
65.10. In today's rapidly changing and increasingly competitive business environment, enterprises of all sizes have to constantly improve their productivity and competitiveness if they are to survive. To do so effectively, they need to adopt a high road strategy for competitiveness. This involves a combination of total productivity improvement, high quality products and services, innovation, effective human resource management and development, a safe working environment and sound labour-management relations. Indeed, many recent studies show a strong correlation between the sound management of people and bottom-line economic results. Enterprise managers are also under growing pressure to observe minimum standards of corporate social policy. Yet, particularly in transition countries and countries recovering from financial crisis, entrepreneurs have to meet these challenges in an increasingly unfamiliar global marketplace.
65.11. The objectives are that:
• constituents and other partners develop and implement policies and support programmes which help realize the job creation potential of competitive and growth-oriented small enterprises, and the upgrading of informal sector enterprises, based on the approaches and strategies recommended by the ILO; and
• constituents apply strategies, approaches and methodologies for improving productivity and competitiveness and promoting the social responsibility of enterprises.
65.12. In response to these challenges, a combination of advice, training, research, development activities and demonstration projects at the national level will be used to:
• help constituents develop a policy environment which fosters enterprise competitiveness, the creation of quality jobs and voluntary partnerships for the achievement of key social aims;
• develop and strengthen the institutional capacity of constituents to deliver the support services required by enterprises; and
• promote the managerial strategies and competencies, particularly effective human resource management, which enterprises need to grow under changing market conditions.
65.13. Small enterprise development. Member States will be assisted in the formulation and adoption of small enterprise development policies and the strengthening of the services available to entrepreneurs. A consolidated and expanded International Small Enterprise Programme (ISEP) will identify best practices for the delivery of high-quality business development services in the areas of training, access to information and markets, technology transfer and the strengthening of business support structures. The application of these best practices by constituents will be facilitated through the provision of information and guidance and through their demonstration in technical cooperation projects. Support to help training providers strengthen their entrepreneurship courses and programmes will include the more widespread use of the Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB) materials and other related training materials, which will be further developed and make full use of multimedia. As a result of the guidance provided to constituents, job quality in small enterprises will be improved, particularly through the application of the Work Improvements in Small Enterprises (WISE) and similar materials and approaches; employers' and workers' organizations will increasingly be associated in the design and implementation of small enterprise development policies and programmes; and policies and approaches will be adopted to facilitate the access of small enterprises to markets. Policies and programmes will also be designed which overcome the obstacles faced by women entrepreneurs and vulnerable groups.
65.14. Productivity and management. Based on the technical support provided, national and sectoral strategies for the improvement of productivity and competitiveness will be designed and implemented, with emphasis on tripartite involvement. The application of best practices in these areas will be supported through the dissemination of information and guidance, training activities and the development of networks of partner organizations, including productivity and management development institutions, employers' and workers' organizations. Guidance will be offered for the improvement of human resources management, and socially sensitive enterprise restructuring particularly in countries affected by the Asian crisis, transition countries and African countries which are endeavouring to improve regional and national productivity. The impact of the ILO's work on productivity improvement will be multiplied through collaboration with partner organizations, such as the Asian Productivity Organization, the Pan-African Productivity Association and the European Association of National Productivity Centres.
65.3. Hotels, catering and tourism
65.15. Problems/needs. The hotels, catering and tourism sector has a strong potential for the creation of new jobs, particularly for vulnerable categories of workers, including women, youth, workers laid off by other industries and rural populations. Improved institutional support to SMEs in the sector would enhance their employment potential. At the same time, working conditions are often difficult, largely due to factors such as precarious employment arrangements, high labour mobility and a lack of awareness by entrepreneurs of the inter-relationship between good working conditions and improved productivity and service quality. There is therefore a need to strengthen social dialogue with a view to improving the quality of jobs and the competitiveness of enterprises in the sector. Other priorities include the modernization of training and the elimination of child labour, particularly where children are exposed to intolerable moral and health hazards.
65.16. The objective is that constituents design and implement policies and programmes which promote productive, sustainable and quality employment in enterprises in the hotels, catering and tourism sector.
65.17. The ILO will play a catalytic role in improving social conditions in the sector by helping constituents strengthen human resource development programmes and institutions and develop networks of service providers to SMEs. With a view to improving the basis for policy decisions, assistance will also be provided to strengthen national statistics on employment and working conditions in the sector. In accordance with the recommendations of the Tripartite Meeting on the Effects of New Technologies on Employment and Working Conditions in the Hotel, Catering and Tourism Sector (Geneva, 1997), constituents will be assisted in the adoption of best practices, which will be identified in studies and guidelines in such areas as labour relations, sustainable tourism and employment, and action to combat child labour.
65.4. Cooperatives
65.18. Problems/needs. Over the years, cooperatives have amply proven their effectiveness in generating employment and income for large numbers of people. They are key players in certain sectors of industrialized economies, such as agricultural marketing, consumer retailing and banking. At a time when public enterprises are being privatized and restructured and the role of the State in economic life is diminishing, cooperative enterprises, especially in the agricultural and agro-industrial sectors, are well placed to provide sustainable employment for those who otherwise risk becoming redundant.
65.19. In many developing countries, where cooperatives have the potential to play an important role in combating poverty, and in countries in transition, where they could produce goods and services that are no longer considered the responsibility of the State, cooperatives have not yet been able to realize their full potential. This is mainly due to the lack of training and skills in cooperative principles and practice, but in some cases also because of continued bureaucratic and political interference in their operations. In many developing and most transition countries, cooperatives used to benefit from official subsidies and other privileges, such as monopolies. In these countries, cooperatives have to shed their negative image of largely government-driven institutions and adapt to a competitive market environment.
65.20. The objectives are that:
• small producers, consumers, workers and the self-employed establish and develop viable and self-reliant cooperatives and similar participatory economic self-help organizations; and
• constituents create and strengthen support structures to help cooperative enterprises manage their associations and economic undertakings efficiently, effectively and democratically.
65.21. Regular budget resources are mainly used for advisory services, the collection and dissemination of information, and the maintenance and development of the ILO's extensive database on cooperative laws and bylaws. The substantial technical cooperation activities undertaken are mostly funded through extra-budgetary contributions from multibilateral donors. These latter activities will cover the following areas:
• cooperative development policies will be formulated and cooperative legislation revised: the assistance provided through the COOPREFORM programme will lay a sound basis for strengthening democratic self-management and control in independent cooperatives, with particular emphasis on transition countries, in accordance with the conclusions and recommendations of the International Meeting of Experts on Cooperative Law, held in 1995;
• human resource development structures in cooperatives and their supporting organizations will be strengthened: support will be provided through the COOPNET programme to regional networks of cooperative training institutions to improve training for cooperative trainers, managers and members in both basic cooperative principles and business management;
• self-employed and informal sector workers will be organized into cooperatives, with a view to alleviating poverty and promoting employment, particularly in Africa and Asia: the participatory methodologies developed in the ACOPAM programme in West Africa will be applied more widely, with emphasis on strengthening national capacities to develop sustainable grassroots cooperative associations which help their members achieve food security, manage the natural resources at their disposal in an environmentally-friendly manner and set up cooperative marketing services to replace state marketing boards;
• indigenous and tribal communities will also be organized into cooperatives, using an approach similar to the one developed by the ACOPAM programme: guidance and assistance will be provided through the INDISCO programme for the development of skill training programmes for employment, income-generation schemes (particularly for women), the improvement of basic infrastructure, the alleviation of the effects of involuntary displacement, the management of natural resources and the protection of the environment, in accordance with the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989 (No. 169);
• commercial exchanges, business partnerships and the exchange of information between cooperative producer organizations (particularly in Africa) and cooperative consumer organizations (mainly in Europe) will be developed to help agricultural producers in developing countries increase their incomes by improving their access to consumer markets in industrialized countries; and
• cooperative undertakings attached to workers' organizations in such areas as social security, education, health and housing will be strengthened and expanded, in accordance with the recommendations of the World Summit for Social Development.
75. Turin Centre
75.1. In December 2000, the second Development Plan of the Centre, as well as the current phase of the United Nations Staff College Project will come to an end. This will provide an opportunity to evaluate the contribution of the Centre to the ILO's strategic and operational objectives and its role within the UN system. This analysis will provide a basis for the Centre's Board and the ILO Governing Body to assess the developments which have affected the Centre and establish guidelines for the Centre's functions and services to the ILO and the UN system. This reflection will focus on:
• strengthening the effectiveness and impact of the Office's technical programmes through training;
• contributing through training to the execution of the Office's technical cooperation programmes;
• contributing to the development of the Office's human resources; and
• disseminating and promoting ILO action through the United Nations Staff College Project.
75.2. The functions of the Centre consist of developing training products and integrating the results of the research and development activities of the ILO and the International Institute of Labour Studies. Emphasis will be placed on training courses and projects which attract the necessary financial resources in an increasingly competitive environment. Women and gender issues will be integrated throughout the Centre's activities. Priority will also be given to further increasing the participation rate of women in the Centre's courses.
75.3. The services offered by the Centre include the design of guidelines and training materials based on applied research, individual courses in Turin and in other countries adapted to the needs and characteristics of target groups and, more recently, courses using distance learning techniques. Briefly summarized, the Centre's activities during 2000-01 will cover the following main programme areas:
• International labour standards and human rights. It is expected that about 30 training programmes will be organized for some 600 participants (government officials, trade unionists and employers). These will emphasize standards related to child labour and the rights of the child and cover new subject areas such as links between international labour standards and productivity, rights of women and fundamental Conventions. Furthermore, updated special information sessions on international labour standards will be included in all the Centre's residential courses. Of the courses provided at the United Nations Staff College, one of the priorities will be the integration of fundamental ILO standards into the activities of other international organizations and the development of greater coherence in training courses on reporting procedures on human rights, conflicts and peace-keeping (in collaboration with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva).
• Equality for women workers. Building on previous work to design and test guidelines and training materials on gender, poverty and employment, the Centre will participate in technical assistance and training projects to improve the social and economic situation of women and will mobilize extra-budgetary resources for over 30 training projects and courses.
• Combating poverty, creating jobs and training for employment. Some 100 programmes will be available to approximately 2,500 participants (officials from government, employers' and workers' organizations, directors and officials in labour market institutions with priority given to countries and regions emerging from crisis situations). Special importance will be given to training on labour market information systems, coordination of job creation and training programmes, design of operational projects and activities to reinforce institutional capacities and the effectiveness of the services provided by public and private bodies which intervene in the labour market and the improvement of social dialogue mechanisms and institutions.
• Development policies. Support will be provided for the design of guidelines, training materials and training courses and projects covering: job creation strategies and policies, poverty reduction in the urban and informal sectors, women in development and the formulation of development policies in the light of demographic factors.
• Management of development cooperation. Training projects and courses in this field are designed to reinforce the capacity of member States for development cooperation. Training courses will also be developed for instructors in the context of World Bank investment and technical cooperation projects.
• Enterprise and cooperative development. Around 85 training projects and courses are expected to be held during the biennium for an estimated 1,500 administrators, officials, trainers and advisers on the management of SMEs.
• Labour administration. The Centre's activities in this area will have a dual focus, firstly on the relationship between public employment services and private agencies in the functioning of labour market institutions, and secondly on the needs of labour administration systems in the field of management; development of employment services and their adaptation to technological and economic trends.
• Social protection and social security schemes. It is expected to hold some 25-30 training projects and programmes, catering for 500-600 participants. These will emphasize application of actuarial methods for pension systems, health care and the budgeting of income and expenditure, quantitative techniques to simulate and project the impact of changes and reforms on social security programmes, use of the social budget model, long term financial and fiscal planning of social security systems. Activities will also be carried out within the context of the STEP programme to assist in the extension of social protection in the informal sector.
• Training for the social partners. Some 100 training programmes will be organized for around 600 officials and trainers from workers' organizations, with new programmes being developed to cover the application of new educational technologies; use of the Internet; international economic policy; management of socio-economic projects by trade union organizations; trade union action in combating child labour; and, specific programmes for the secretariats of sectors trade unions.
• Training for employers' organizations will include training to strengthen the human resources development services and knowledge of the ILO provided by employers' organizations to their members. It is expected that some 15 training projects and programmes will be undertaken for around 200 officials and members of employers' organizations.
• Industrial relations: mediation, arbitration and the settlement of industrial disputes. Roughly 40 training programmes in the area of industrial relations will be offered to some 50 officials from governments and employers' and workers' organizations. In 2000-01 the findings of the action programme on labour and social issues relating to EPZs will be used for the development of curricula.
75.4. United Nations system training programme. Designed to support the programme of reform in the United Nations, training services are provided for the staff of the various funds, programmes and agencies and national counterparts (governmental and non-governmental) involved in United Nations social and economic development programmes, the management of emergency situations and humanitarian interventions, human rights activities and peace-keeping. For the ILO, this is a major means of promoting its principles and activities and in involving its constituents in the activities of the United Nations system. The programme will be the subject of an in-depth evaluation at the beginning of the year 2000.
75.5. The ILO contribution to the Centre and the contribution of the Italian Government and of other governments to its fixed expenditure are expected to remain at around 28 per cent of its total budget. The contribution of the Italian Government, approved on a yearly basis by a joint committee, should amount to $15 million for the biennium 2000-01. The ILO will maintain its contribution at the same level as for the biennium 1998-99, namely $5.1 million. Nearly three-quarters of the income required to cover the Centre's expenditure will therefore have to be generated through its activities. Extra-budgetary resources could amount to around $44 million during the biennium.
80. Industrial Relations and Labour Administration
80.1. As revealed in the World Labour Report 1997-98, there have been profound changes in recent years in the relations among employers, workers, their organizations and public authorities. The main trends include the far-reaching transformation of the labour market, with the traditional full-time employment relationship continuing to lose ground to self-employment and more precarious jobs, which are increasingly outside the scope of labour legislation and industrial relations systems.
80.2. At the same time, there has been a loss of influence by the traditional industrial relations actors, as collective bargaining declines in importance at the sectoral and national levels and tripartite social dialogue encounters greater difficulties and obstacles. The State is encountering growing problems in promoting collective bargaining and social dialogue, controlling the application of labour standards, promoting the sound operation of the labour market and, more generally, guaranteeing social cohesion. Trade unions and employers' organizations are seeking new members, roles and strategies. The protective function of labour legislation has also come under pressure from the requirements of flexibility, economic efficiency and the declining role of the State.
80.3. The enterprise has been gaining power as the engine of economic growth and job creation and the centre of gravity of industrial relations. Relations between employers and workers have become more individualized as enterprises have adopted human resources management policies which promote direct relations with their staff and tend to sideline their representative bodies. At the same time, multinational enterprises are having a bigger impact on national labour practices. At a time when pressure is increasing for better observance of basic work-related rights and principles, the challenge for constituents is to adapt to the new conditions by adopting industrial relations practices and labour administration systems which achieve a balance between economic constraints and social justice as an indispensable means of achieving social cohesion and democracy.
80.4. The changes required to achieve this balance in the relations between enterprises, individuals and the social partners will be promoted through assistance to reform labour legislation which harmonizes the requirements of worker protection and enterprise performance. Research will continue into possible new international labour standards to protect workers who are not adequately covered by labour law. In the support provided to constituents to strengthen their labour administrations, including their labour inspectorates and public employment services, emphasis will be placed on the use of modern management tools. Throughout this work, greater priority will be given to practical activities, including advisory services, training and technical cooperation activities.
80.5. While there will be emphasis on Strategic Objective No. 4 on social dialogue, this work will also contribute extensively to the achievement of each of the three other ILO's strategic objectives.
80.6. Approximately $9 million of extra-budgetary technical cooperation is expected to be implemented, of which some $4 million concerns labour law and labour relations, while about $5 million relates to labour administration.
80.7. The former labour law and industrial relations programmes have been merged in order to achieve greater synergy, a more effective distribution of work and savings in programme management.
80.1. Departmental activities
80.8. Support will continue to be provided to the International Industrial Relations Association (IIRA), through which the ILO gains access to the industrial relations expertise of academics and practitioners around the world in support of its research and technical assistance activities.
80.2. Labour law and labour relations
80.9. Problems/needs. With a view to promoting economic growth, more and more member States are reviewing their labour legislation with the aim of increasing labour market flexibility, enhancing enterprise efficiency and facilitating adjustment. These changes often reduce the effectiveness of labour legislation as a means of protecting workers and ensuring observance of the standards embodied in basic ILO Conventions and Recommendations. As a result, labour legislation and industrial relations systems frequently do not address effectively the many new forms of employment relationships that have been emerging outside the traditional model of the long-term full-time employment relationship. Furthermore, the coverage of many national industrial relations systems does not adequately reflect the changes that have occurred in the composition of the labour market, such as the increased participation of women. In transition countries and those in the process of democratization, there is also an acute need to develop legislation which provides an adequate framework for the regulation of individual and collective labour relations, including effective tripartite consultation and collective bargaining.
80.10. Despite these changes, social dialogue, collective bargaining and dispute settlement machinery remain very effective means of enhancing industrial peace, employment security and equality of work. Constituents therefore need to overcome obstacles to effective social dialogue and collective bargaining at the central and sectoral levels and encourage greater participation by women and vulnerable groups of workers in trade unions and industrial relations machinery in general. There is also a need to raise awareness and improve understanding of the benefits of labour-management cooperation at the enterprise level in terms of enterprise competitiveness and balancing efficiency and equity. Employers and workers in multinational enterprises, in particular, must also enhance their capacity to develop human resource management policies and take advantage of the opportunities offered by the multinational dimension of their operations, while limiting any potential adverse consequences for workers and their representatives.
80.11. The objectives are that:
• governments, in consultation with employers' and workers' organizations, adopt and review labour legislation which regulates collective and individual labour relations and provides adequate protection to workers, while at the same time allowing the flexibility required by enterprises;
• member States extend adequate legal protection to workers who are excluded from the coverage of traditional labour legislation;
• governments, employers' and workers' organizations conduct effective national and sectoral level dialogue, negotiations and consultations on socio-economic policy;
• collective bargaining expands in terms of the workers, sectors and issues covered; and
• an increasing number of member States adopt effective machinery for the prevention and settlement of labour disputes.
80.12. Meeting of Experts on Workers in Situations Needing Protection. The purpose of this meeting will be to examine issues arising out of the work of the 1998 International Labour Conference Committee on Contract Labour in accordance with the resolution adopted by that Committee. The issues to be examined will be as follows:
• which workers, in the situations that had begun to be identified by the Conference Committee, were in need of protection;
• appropriate ways in which such workers could be protected, and the possibility of dealing separately with the various situations;
• how such workers would be defined, bearing in mind the different legal systems that exist and language differences.
The report and conclusions of this Meeting will serve to prepare the law and practice report that will be sent to ILO constituents, with a view to having a standard-setting discussion on this subject in 2002.
80.13. Labour law. As a result of the comments and proposals that are made for the development or revision of legislation, new or revised labour legislation will be adopted in several countries, in consultation with the social partners, and will reflect a balance between the concerns of employers and workers in accordance with international labour standards. Dialogue will be intensified with other international organizations, and particularly the Bretton Woods institutions, to raise awareness of the important role played by sound labour law and industrial relations in enhancing economic efficiency. Based on this collaboration, the labour law reform projects financed by these institutions will take due account of social concerns and international labour standards. In view of the increasing number of workers who are falling outside the traditional forms of employment relationship, legal and other measures will be developed and tested to improve their protection through their inclusion in industrial relations systems.
80.14. Social dialogue and collective bargaining. Support will be provided to constituents to strengthen and expand social dialogue and collective bargaining through the preparation of advisory notes reviewing the current situation at the national level, identifying areas for reform and proposing specific measures to encourage social dialogue and central and sectoral collective bargaining. In the advice provided, emphasis will be placed on the positive contribution which collective bargaining and harmonious industrial relations in general can make to labour market flexibility and employment creation and protection. The technical assistance provided will cover such areas as procedures for determining minimum wages, the coverage of collective bargaining, key clauses in collective agreements and procedures for determining the representativeness of workers' and employers' organizations for the purposes of social dialogue and collective bargaining. The access of constituents to information on these issues, particularly on the measures and practices adopted in other countries, will be enhanced through the maintenance and development of the ILO's Industrial Relations Database. Based on this assistance and guidance, more workers will be covered by collective bargaining and tripartite negotiations will be held more regularly at the sectoral and national levels in several more member States.
80.15. Workplace relations. The guidance provided for the improvement of workplace relations, which will include advisory notes and a publication, will place emphasis on the positive contribution made by labour-management cooperation to the development of effective industrial relations and human resource management policies at the enterprise level, as well as on how traditional collective industrial relations practices can coexist with human resource management polices which give greater importance to individual relationships between management and workers. Through the advice provided, law and practice concerning negotiation, consultation and cooperation between employers and workers and their representatives will be reviewed and reformed and the scope of workplace cooperation will be extended to such areas as productivity enhancement, dispute settlement machinery and processes for labour-management consultation and information at the enterprise level. Guidance will also be provided to constituents on the management policies of multinational enterprises and their impact on industrial relations. The advice and assistance provided in this field will lead to an improvement in labour-management relations and cooperation in several leading enterprises, including multinational enterprises.
80.16. Labour dispute prevention and resolution. Assistance supplied to member States will lead to dispute settlement and prevention machinery being reviewed and reformed, and new and revised legislation on the prevention and settlement of labour dispute being adopted. The support provided will include a publication providing an overview of the present situation in the area of labour dispute prevention and settlement, focussing on both judicial and extrajudicial systems and arrangements, with special emphasis on the factors which have contributed most successfully to the prevention and settlement of labour disputes. The publication will contribute to the continuing discussion concerning the possible adoption of an international standard on labour dispute prevention and settlement. The action taken by constituents in this area will also be facilitated through the development of networking links between dispute prevention and settlement bodies in member States.
80.3. Labour administration
80.17. Problems/needs. Labour administration systems have an essential role to play in repairing the negative social effects of restructuring, overcoming disputes and intolerances in the labour market and implementing policies and programmes to help vulnerable groups find employment. They make an increasingly important contribution to national debates and policy-making on economic and social matters through the information that they supply. They also exercise important responsibilities in establishing and orienting vocational training systems and in promoting social dialogue and collective bargaining, particularly in countries in which these practices are not adequately established. But labour administration systems are confronted not only by major changes in the world of work, but also by pressure on public expenditure. To remain effective, they therefore have to develop new means of action and skills at a time of increasing resource constraints. The ILO can provide valuable assistance to constituents in this respect by providing an overview of the best practices adopted throughout the world as a basis for analysing the performance of labour administration systems and developing a strategic vision of their future.
80.18. Under pressure from deregulation and calls for less public administration, even countries with advanced labour inspection systems are seeking new methods and innovative approaches to improve their effectiveness and expand their coverage, for example to small and medium-sized enterprises and the informal sector. Moreover, to play a more positive role in social and economic development, labour inspectorates have to place greater emphasis on prevention, rather than repression. Public employment services also play an important role in translating employment policy into action and implementing programmes in the fields of labour market information, the placement of jobseekers, unemployment insurance and vocational training. However, many public employment services are struggling to adapt to an increasingly volatile labour market and to provide a higher quality of service, often with reduced resources. The increased use of information technology, more effective management practices and innovative programme strategies offer the potential to improve service delivery. Greater understanding is also required of the functioning of private employment services, which are playing an increasingly important role in a number of countries.
80.19. The objectives are that:
• based on a diagnosis of their current situation, labour administration systems develop action strategies to improve their effectiveness and evaluate their performance;
• labour inspection systems place emphasis on prevention, expand their coverage of small and medium-sized enterprises and the informal sector, and play a more significant role in combating child labour and promoting equality between men and women at work; and
• employment services deliver improved services adapted to the changing conditions on the labour market, particularly through the adoption of more effective management practices, strategies and information technology.
80.20. Development of labour administration. Through the assistance provided, which will include the training of officials in ministries of labour and the persons responsible for evaluating the performance of labour administration systems, the effectiveness of labour administrations will be improved. Guidance will be supplied through pilot diagnostic and advisory missions and the dissemination of information on best practices, based on the maintenance and updating of a database on labour administration services in over fifty countries and the development of a network of correspondents. It is expected that, as a result of the promotional activities carried out, more countries will ratify the Labour Administration Convention, 1978 (No. 150), and further measures will be adopted to improve its implementation in the countries which have already ratified it.
80.21. Labour inspection. The assistance provided will include several evaluation missions to analyse the effectiveness of national labour inspection systems and propose strategies and measures to improve their scope and performance. The adoption of good practice in the field of labour inspection will be promoted through the compilation and dissemination of information. The technical assistance provided will focus on resolving problems in the application of Conventions Nos.81 and 129 identified by the Committee of Experts. As a result of the training activities carried out, several labour inspection systems will adopt more effective management methods and will become more active in such fields as combating child labour, promoting equality of treatment and preventing work-related accidents and diseases. The reforms adopted by labour inspectorates will lead to a significant increase in the numbers of enterprises and workers covered, particularly in smaller enterprises and in the informal sector.
80.22. Employment services. In the assistance provided, emphasis will be placed on the training of key staff in employment services to improve the services offered and adapt them to the changing requirements of labour markets, with particular reference to the needs of vulnerable groups of the population. Support will also be provided for the training activities organized by other international organizations, including the European Union, OECD and the World Association of Public Employment Services (WAPES). Pilot technical cooperation programmes for the reform of public employment services will be carried out in several countries. Research will also be undertaken into the practices of temporary work agencies in countries at all levels of development, with emphasis on cases in which they cooperate successfully with public employment services for the placement in jobseekers. Based on the guidance delivered, reforms to employment services will be adopted in several countries and more ratifications will be registered of the Employment Services Convention, 1948 (No. 88), and the Private Employment Agencies Convention, 1997 (No. 181).
85. Multinational Enterprises
85.1. As a result of globalization, in which they are playing a prominent role, multinational enterprises (MNEs) have an impact on every aspect of economic and social life worldwide. As they continue to expand and accelerate global economic integration, they are taking on more importance in national economies and in the international distribution of labour. Their activities therefore have profound consequences for national development, jobs, working conditions and social stability.
85.2. Problems/needs. MNEs often offer advantageous conditions of employment and can stimulate local economies through their linkages with smaller and indigenous enterprises. At the same time, some MNEs demand special concessions and preferential treatment in such areas as the application of labour legislation in return for their presence. In view of the intense competition for foreign investment, incentives offered and concessions made have in certain cases undermined workers' rights and working conditions. Moreover, the complexity of MNEs and the difficulty of clearly perceiving their diverse structures, policies and operations, mean that constituents, not only in host countries, but also in home countries, are not in a strong position to foresee, prevent and resolve labour and social problems which may arise from their activities.
85.3. The objective is the more widespread observance of the guidance contained in the Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy by governments, employers (and particularly MNEs) and workers in addressing the labour and social issues which may arise as a result of foreign direct investment and the activities of MNEs.
85.4. In view of the tripartite support that it enjoys, the Tripartite Declaration will be promoted more widely as a global reference text for the development of the labour and social content of codes of conduct. Based on the advice, guidance and assistance provided, codes of conduct, memoranda of understanding and other instruments, will be developed and applied in relation to MNEs. Promotional work will include the translation of the Declaration into other languages and the preparation of a series of research studies on global and sectoral issues related to the operations of MNEs. Other activities foreseen for this purpose include the follow-up to the seventh survey on the effect given to the Tripartite Declaration for the years 1996-99, the examination of the replies received from member States, employers' and workers' organizations by the Governing Body's Subcommittee on Multinational Enterprises and responses to requests for interpretation of the Declaration. To increase the effectiveness of the ILO's work in this area, stronger partnerships will be developed with MNEs.
90. Working Conditions and Environment
90.1. A great many persons continue to work under difficult conditions devoid of basic protection. Many millions of child workers are denied education and work under conditions which are manifestly dangerous to their health and safety. Many more millions of adult workers in agriculture and other hazardous occupations and industries are exposed to dangerous machinery and chemicals, while workers in the informal sector do not have access to basic services or safety and health protection. Women workers are often denied maternity protection and subjected to various forms of discrimination and unequal treatment. Other disadvantaged groups, such as migrant workers, face discrimination, exploitation and unequal treatment.
90.2. In parallel, economic and technological changes are reshaping traditional approaches to working time and the organization of work and giving rise to more flexible working arrangements, raising new concerns about basic protection. At the same time, the worlds of work and the family are becoming more interdependent, particularly with the tremendous growth in the number of women in the workforce. The reconciliation of work and family is therefore a prominent issue for national authorities, enterprises, trade union movements and women's groups.
90.3. In response to these problems, a first priority will be the broader application and observance of ILO standards and principles on child labour, including the Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138), the new standards on the worst forms of child labour, to be adopted in 1999, and the relevant provisions of the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow-Up. The assistance and guidance provided to member States in this field will take various forms, including the development of an operational framework for the design and implementation of time-bound programmes of action against child labour. This work will be carried out in close collaboration with the ILO's International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (ILO-IPEC).
90.4. In the field of occupational safety and health, special emphasis will be placed on improving the situation in especially hazardous occupations and industries. A statistical programme on occupational safety and health in hazardous working conditions will also be launched. The ILO's capacity to provide assistance to member States will be strengthened through the Global Programme on Occupational Safety, Health and the Environment. The priorities in relation to conditions of work will include improving basic protection, particularly in such fields as maternity protection and migrant workers. Emphasis will also be placed on developing innovative responses to evolving issues, including dignity and fairness at work, work and family relations, working time and the organization of work and violence at work, with particular reference to sexual harassment.
90.5. The work of the programme will contribute principally to the achievement of Strategic Objective No. 3 on social protection. It will also contribute significantly to the achievement of Strategic Objective No. 1, particularly through its work to eliminate child labour and discrimination.
90.6. Approximately $43.1 million of extra-budgetary technical cooperation is expected to be implemented by ILO-IPEC. Some $4.2 million of technical cooperation is also expected to be implemented during the biennium for technical cooperation projects in the field of occupational safety and health.
90.1. Departmental activities
90.7. The elimination of child labour. Changes in attitudes towards child labour and a growing commitment to action have resulted in many countries in the adoption of legislative reforms, national policies and programmes of action. Despite these positive developments, child labour continues to persist on a huge scale. Many governments still lack the capacity to take effective action against a problem which is increasing in gravity in some regions and re-emerging as a serious problem in others. With the objective of the progressive elimination of child labour, particularly in its most hazardous and exploitative forms, the Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138), and the relevant provisions of the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow-Up will be promoted through vigorous advocacy, the dissemination of guidance and information and the provision of technical assistance. A campaign will be launched for the promotion of the new standards on the worst forms of child labour and the adoption of effective policies and programmes by member States. Work will also be intensified on child labour statistics. As a result of the assistance provided, more ratifications of child labour Conventions will be registered and policies and programmes on child labour will be designed and implemented in more countries.
90.8. International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (ILO-IPEC). The ILO's International Programme on the Elimination of Child labour has developed into a truly global programme and the foremost operational instrument in the fight against child labour. Its operations have expanded significantly to cover some 60 countries in practically all the regions of the world. Yet, despite the substantial progress made, the world is still plagued with some of the worst forms of child labour, including child trafficking, child prostitution, children working in extremely hazardous conditions and child bondage.
90.9. The objective continues to be the progressive elimination of child labour by strengthening national capacities and fostering a worldwide movement to combat the problem. The Programme's priority is to prevent child labour, remove children from work and provide for their social reintegration and rehabilitation. With the assistance provided, the overall capacity of member States to address child labour will be strengthened. National systems for the collection and analysis of data on child labour will be developed with the assistance of an expanded ILO-IPEC Statistical Information and Monitoring Programme (SIMPOC). Emphasis will be placed on the design and implementation of large-scale time-bound programmes to eliminate child labour, initially focusing on specific sectors or occupations. Monitoring mechanisms will be established under ILO supervision to evaluate the impact of these programmes. Regional and interregional activities in support of national action will focus on bonded child labour, the sexual exploitation and trafficking of children, and child labour in hazardous work and conditions. These activities will be coordinated with those of the relevant United Nations agencies, the World Bank and other international organizations to ensure that national action against child labour benefits from a wide array of international support.
90.2. Occupational safety and health
90.10. The ILO estimates that 250 million work-related accidents occur every year. Further suffering is caused by 160 million cases of occupational diseases and an even higher number of threats to workers' physical and mental well-being. Taking accidents and diseases together, the global estimate of work-related deaths amounts to 1.1 million per year. The economic losses are enormous. In terms of shattered families and communities, the damage is incalculable. Awareness of the magnitude and cost of the problem, as well as the international obligations of member States, is uneven. The majority of countries have ratified fewer than half of the ILO's occupational safety and health Conventions. Some have not ratified any of them.
90.11. Problems/needs. Hazardous work and conditions are found in practically all sectors. However, the majority of work-related deaths and irreversible disabilities occur in high-risk sectors and jobs. The unsafe and uncontrolled production, transport, use and disposal of chemicals probably represents the most important current threat to man and the environment. Respiratory diseases, including occupational asthma, allergic bronchitis, silicosis and the consequences of exposure to asbestos, continue to be among the leading work-related diseases. Moreover, despite notable success in ergonomics and mechanization, the transport of loads by workers still causes many accidents, sprains and low back pain, for example in the construction, docks and health sectors.
90.12. Action to improve occupational safety and health, especially in developing countries, is often hampered by inadequate information and capacity. At the same time, increased pressures for high productivity and quality at lower cost are leading to a perception that occupational safety, health and environment (OSHE) standards are a barrier to trade and detrimental to commercial success. But if the total costs of injury, illness, disability and environmental degradation were taken into account in calculating the true cost of production, it would become apparent that high productivity and quality can only be attained economically when OSHE standards and voluntary programmes are integrated into the production process. It is therefore essential to develop a safety culture in which policy-makers and employers, in consultation with workers, ensure that a safe and healthy working environment is a key consideration in all investment and production decisions.
90.13. The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) identified the need for a healthy environment as a fundamental prerequisite for sustainable social and economic development. As a member of the Joint WHO/ILO/UNEP International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS), the ILO has played a significant role in establishing structures for international cooperation and coordination to implement UNCED's recommendations. If these processes are to be successful, the ILO needs to ensure that they include tripartite consultation processes and that its constituents have the capacity to deal with the relevant environmental matters as an integral aspect of occupational safety and health. Such a tripartite consultation exists already within the IPCS framework.
90.14. The objectives are that:
• constituents and enterprises are better informed of work-related safety, health and environmental hazards;
• countries design and implement cost-effective measures for the prevention of occupational accidents, work-related diseases and environmental degradation, particularly in hazardous sectors and occupations;
• national programmes are designed and implemented for the elimination of silicosis and other respiratory diseases; and
• ILO concerns relating to occupational safety and health are taken into account in international forums concerning the environment.
90.15. International campaigns will be intensified for the more widespread ratification and observance of the ILO's occupational safety and health Conventions, and particularly the Occupational Health and Safety Convention, 1981 (No. 155) and the Occupational Health Services Convention, 1985 (No. 161). Preparations will be made for new international labour standards on safety and health in agriculture, for possible adoption in the year 2001. Preparatory work will also be carried out for the XVIth World Congress on Occupational Safety and Health, the Tenth International Conference on Occupational Respiratory Diseases, and the joint ILO/ WHO Committee on Occupational Health. The ILO's follow-up activities to UNCED's Agenda 21 will include its contribution to the United Nations system-wide action in areas where the workplace plays a key role, such as chemical safety and prevention of industrial disasters.
90.16. The ILO's Global Programme on Occupational Safety, Health and the Environment will raise awareness and help countries develop and implement safety and health programmes based on internationally agreed values, principles and recommendations. Methodologies will be developed, information and statistics on occupational accidents and diseases will be improved, training will be provided to constituents and practitioners and an advocacy campaign will be launched to reduce safety and health risks at the workplace. Through this support, national safety and health policies and plans of action will be developed and targeted national programmes will be implemented.
90.17. Hazardous work and chemical safety. By prioritizing this issue, national action will be mobilized to reduce the number of occupational accidents and diseases, decrease risk levels and improve working conditions in general. The elaboration of a Globally Harmonized System for the Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) was endorsed as a priority by UNCED and the Intergovernmental Forum on Chemical Safety (Ottawa, 1997). The work of harmonizing classification criteria for health, physical and environmental hazards was completed in 1998. At its 271st (March 1998) Session, the Governing Body of the ILO endorsed the establishment of a tripartite working group with the task to elaborate a harmonized chemical hazard communication system (labelling and chemical safety data sheets) by the year 2000. As recommended by UNCED, implementation of the GHS as a non-binding instrument at the national and international levels is due to start in the year 2000. Emphasis will be placed on providing technical assistance for the introduction of the GHS, which may become binding after it has been adopted voluntarily by a sufficiently large number of countries. Another priority will be to develop statistical methodologies and assist constituents improve their statistics on fatal injuries, disabling accidents and mortality and morbidity rates in particularly hazardous occupations. Based on the guidance provided, policies to prevent occupational accidents and diseases, identify work-related hazards and promote a safety culture will be formulated and implemented. Advisory bodies, voluntary institutions and tripartite mechanisms in occupational safety and health bodies will also be established and strengthened.
90.18. Meeting of Experts on Occupational Safety and Health Management Systems and Safety Culture. The International Workshop on Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems Standardization, organized by ISO in collaboration with ILO and WHO in 1996, called on the ILO, because of its tripartite structure, to elaborate international guidelines for the establishment of effective safety management systems. The Meeting of Experts will review guidelines elaborated in the framework of the action programme on safety culture, carried out in the biennium 1998-99, with a view to their approval as a Code of practice.
90.19. Occupational diseases and radiation protection. Based on the information and guidance provided, national strategies will be developed for the provision of occupational health care to the working population and occupational health services will be established and strengthened. In this work, emphasis will be placed on prevention and on improving the coordination between systems of compensation, rehabilitation and prevention. Another priority will be the development and testing of prevention, protection and health promotion programmes for workers in the informal sector and rural areas. The ILO's standard radiographs of pneumoconiosis are used in most countries for prevention, compensation and training purposes. Training in their use will be amplified and streamlined. The assistance provided will serve as a basis for the establishment of national programmes for the elimination of silicosis. International cooperation on respiratory diseases, especially with WHO, will be strengthened. Based on the radiation safety guides prepared jointly with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), progress will be made in the implementation of the Basic Safety Standards for Radiation Protection at the national level.
90.20. Occupational Safety and Health Information Services. The ILO's data gathering and dissemination activities will be intensified through the International Occupational Safety and Health Information Centre (CIS). The CIS network of national and collaborating centres, which includes employers' and workers' organizations as well as government departments, will be strengthened and developed through training and intensified collaboration with counterparts throughout the world. The ILO Encyclopaedia of Occupational Health and Safety will be published in French, accompanied by a CD-ROM. The 4th Edition of the Encyclopaedia in English will also be updated, at least in electronic form. The information disseminated to constituents will include thematic offprints from the Encyclopaedia on topics of special interest. The development and updating of the CIS bulletin and database will lead to increased demand for CIS products, better informed constituents and the more widespread use of data sheets on hazardous occupations and the updated International Chemical Safety Cards.
90.21. World of work and the environment. The ILO's contribution to international cooperation to implement the recommendations of UNCED, particularly in the context of the Joint WHO/ILO/UNEP International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS) and the Inter-Organization Programme for the Sound Management of Chemicals (IOMC), will focus on chemical safety issues in hazardous occupations and processes, with particular reference to the sound management of chemicals at the global level and chemical accident prevention. The input of tripartite constituents into international fora, such as the Intergovernmental Forum of Chemical Safety (IFCS), will be promoted and facilitated. Based on the guidance and advice provided, ILO standards, including the Chemicals Convention, 1990 (No. 170), and the Prevention of Major Industrial Accidents Convention, 1993 (No. 174), will be more widely ratified and applied. Chemical and environmental safety regulations will also be formulated and national policies and programmes adopted to promote environmentally-friendly workplaces.
90.3. Conditions of Work
90.22. As forms of work, employment and working patterns change, improving conditions of work has become an urgent priority. Fairness and dignity at work is threatened as more workers are placed in precarious positions. New working time arrangements and organization of work underline the importance of developing options which combine the concerns of workers and enterprises. Migrant workers are among the most vulnerable today and deserve special attention.
90.23. Problems/needs. With the tremendous growth of women's participation in the workforce, most husbands and wives now work, while single-parent households have become commonplace. Issues related to family responsibilities, such as the management of child care, elder care, family emergencies and other personal commitments, including maternity protection, are therefore receiving greater attention in human resources and employment policies. Enterprises are recognizing that, to be competitive in attracting and retaining employees, work and the family need to be viewed as a human resources issue, rather than a women's issue. Moreover, in a context of greater awareness of gender issues, sexual harassment in the workplace is increasingly being recognized as a serious problem by both victims and employers. It is necessary to gather information on the legal and practical measures which have been adopted to combat sexual harassment to assist constituents in developing appropriate measures and policies.
90.24. As traditional definitions and concepts of work and employment change, working time remains a major concern of employers and workers. It is increasingly a subject of collective bargaining, within the framework of strategies for job and income security, equal treatment and safety and health. Governments are also examining policy options to encourage reductions in working time, promote flexible work arrangements, reduce dismissals and increase employment. Up-to-date information is required to contribute to an informed debate and the development of consensual approaches, not only on working time issues, but also other trends in the organization of work, including the redefinition of employment status in a manner which guarantees employability, protects workers during transitions between jobs and enhances conditions of work.
90.25. Globalization has reinforced the already increasing mobility of workers. By the turn of the century, there will be over 80 million persons working in countries other than their own. At a time of economic crisis, the protection of migrant workers, deserves special attention from policy-makers.
90.26. The objectives are that:
• legislation and practical measures are adopted to reduce discrimination and violations of fair treatment and dignity at work;
• constituents develop policies and programmes on working time and new forms of work organization which balance the needs of workers and enterprises; and
• more effective national policies are established to guarantee equality of treatment and opportunity and protection for migrant workers, in accordance with the ILO's principles and standards.
90.27. Dignity and fairness at work. Their work will focus on raising awareness of work and family issues, as well as sexual harassment, as a basis for the development of the appropriate policies and measures by constituents. Guidance will be provided on best practice in helping employees reconcile work and family concerns, with particular reference to the provisions of the Workers with Family Responsibilities Convention, 1981 (No. 156), and the Part-time Work Convention, 1994 (No. 175). Partnership schemes linking enterprises with the community and government policies will also be examined and a compendium will be compiled of personnel and human resource policies, needs assessment methodologies and practical steps taken by enterprises to design, administer and evaluate work and family programmes. This information will assist policy-makers at the national and enterprise levels to develop responsive, realistic and effective measures. The guidance provided on sexual harassment in the workplace will include a study covering the nature and extent of the problem, trends in law and jurisprudence and enterprise programmes and policies. A database will also be made available on the Internet on legislation, collective agreements, policies and codes covering sexual harassment in the workplace. Based on the guidance provided, more national policies, collective agreements and enterprise programmes will be adopted to combat sexual harassment.
90.28. Working time and work organization. As a basis for the development of the appropriate policies and programmes, constituents will be provided with detailed practical information on trends in the duration and organization of working time, innovative approaches and experimentation at the enterprise level, legislation, collective agreements and working time trends in specific sectors or industries. The implications of these trends on family responsibilities will also be examined. The access of constituents to information on these subjects will be facilitated through the development of a database, which will be made available on the Internet, with tables on issues such as hours of work, weekly rest, holidays with pay and overtime. A similar approach will be followed regarding organizational innovation and the future of work, covering such issues as information technology-based strategies, the reorganization of work, work in groups and networks and new forms of management and supervision. The growing relationship between working time arrangements, work organization and different forms of employment relationship will also be analysed. The information provided will serve as a basis for an informed debate on working time and new forms of work organization and the adoption of concerted policies and programmes which take into account the needs of both enterprises and workers.
90.29. International labour migration. Advocacy materials and guidance will be developed to promote wider ratification and observance of ILO Conventions on equality of treatment for migrant workers. Based on the technical assistance provided, national policies will be designed and implemented to protect the fundamental rights and freedoms of migrants for employment. A database will be developed to increase awareness of the situation of the most vulnerable and exploited groups of migrant workers and the dimensions of the irregular employment of migrants. The guidance provided will include information on best practices in combating discrimination against migrant workers, especially those working under temporary employment schemes.