| INTERNATIONAL LABOUR OFFICE | Activities of the ILO, 1994-95 | |
| International Labour Conference 83rd Session 1996 |
Report of the Director-General |
4. Active partnership
The years 1994-95 were the first full biennium of implementation of the active partnership policy, which sets out to bring the ILO closer to its constituents and improve the technical services provided to them. Central to this policy is the establishment of the network of multidisciplinary advisory teams in the regions. By the end of the biennium, all 14 multidisciplinary advisory teams had become operational and the majority of their technical advisers had been appointed.
One of the elements of the active partnership policy is the setting up, in close consultation with government authorities and employers' and workers' organizations, of country objectives covering the main social concerns and most serious problems encountered by each country within the ILO's fields of competence. During the period under review, country objectives and programmes in draft or final form were elaborated in over 70 countries. The involvement of the social partners in this process and their response to it was positive and encouraging. The process has acted as a catalyst in bringing together ministries of labour and employers' and workers' organizations to discuss issues of common concern and to decide and agree upon priority issues. It has also resulted in constituents becoming more closely involved in the planning, implementation and monitoring of ILO programmes and activities at the country level.
One consequence of this enhanced dialogue has been that, at the request of the constituents, specific components to promote tripartism have been included in country objectives. National tripartite workshops on industrial relations have been a key feature of most of these objectives. In some cases, the national response to the active partnership policy has resulted in the Ministry of Labour setting up or reactivating a tripartite consultative committee to support the policy. This positive response is also shown by the fact that during the biennium 17 countries ratified the Tripartite Consultation (International Labour Standards) Convention, 1976 (No. 144). The work of the multidisciplinary advisory teams has also led to a much more constant and coherent flow of information to and from trade unions and employers' organizations. In many instances, the whole multi-disciplinary advisory team has been involved in providing assistance to employers' and workers' organizations and in promoting activities of a tripartite or bipartite nature.
Greater involvement by constituents in the design of ILO programmes has led to a clear trend for more requests for advisory services. As a result, there has been a perceptible shift from the more "traditional" project-based activities towards more programme-oriented and higher-level advisory and analytical activities. Indeed, country objectives call for more activities of a policy-advisory nature than have been delivered at any time in the past. The guidance provided is designed to acquaint constituents with different experiences, systems, practices and legal provisions, thereby increasing their capacity to make the most suitable and useful decisions for themselves.
Another tendency of the ILO's regional activities that developed during the biennium under the influence of the active partnership policy was that a multidisciplinary approach covering many fields of action became increasingly important to the ILO's work. This also held true for its technical cooperation projects. As described below, examples of this approach included the project for regional industrial and labour market restructuring in Central and Eastern European countries and the employment generation programme in Cambodia.
Africa
During the biennium, two major and related concerns were predominant in ILO activities throughout the African region; namely the promotion of employment and the eradication of poverty. These concerns were outlined in the country objectives statements setting out the needs and priorities of member States. In this context, the fourth ILO biennial meeting of African employment planners, held in Accra, Ghana, in December 1994, reviewed the employment situation and the prospects for the region. This meeting identified policies and institutional requirements for the formulation and implementation of comprehensive national employment programmes, laying particular emphasis on action to facilitate the access of women to opportunities for productive work. In response to heightened concern in the region, the Accra meeting also discussed the effects of the HIV/AIDS pandemic on the African labour force. The Office also provided technical support for an ACC Steering Committee on economic recovery and development in Africa in the field of employment generation and sustainable livelihoods. This led to the preparation of the UN Secretary-General's Special Initiative on Africa, which was discussed by United Nations system executive heads at the October 1995 session of the ACC.Central to the ILO's activities in the African region during the biennium was the Eighth African Regional Conference, held in Mauritius in January 1994. At that Conference, the Republic of South Africa, which subsequently rejoined the ILO in May 1994 following an absence of three decades, was represented by a tripartite observer delegation from the National Manpower Commission (NMC), which included representatives of democratic employers' and workers' organizations. The Regional Conference discussed two issues of major concern to constituents in the region in view of the employment and economic crises, namely policies and programmes for entrepreneurship and small enterprise development in both the urban and rural sectors, and the extension of social protection during periods of structural change. The Conference also reviewed the activities of the ILO in the region since the previous meeting in 1988 and considered the action taken by member States as regards the ratification and application of international labour standards, in accordance with their obligations in this respect. In response to a resolution adopted by the Conference concerning the devaluation of the CFA franc in January 1994, a tripartite meeting was organized in Dakar in October 1994. The 14 CFA franc countries participated in the meeting, which discussed the employment and other social and economic implications of the devaluation, and recommended measures to cope with its negative consequences and take advantage of the opportunities to increase exports created by the devaluation.
East Africa Multidisciplinary Advisory Team
The East Africa Multidisciplinary Advisory Team, which is composed of ten technical advisers, is located in Addis Ababa and covers Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles, Somalia, the United Republic of Tanzania and Uganda. During the biennium, in cooperation with constituents at the national level, the team undertook country objectives reviews and prepared country objectives statements in ten countries. These were used as a point of reference in the planning of the team's activities and in complying with requests for assistance from member States.Unemployment and poverty were identified by constituents as being the major concerns in the subregion. Closely related to these problems, both as cause and effect, are the weak capacities of institutions responsible for social and labour matters, as well as the divergence between the services provided by vocational training and education systems and the requirements of the labour market. At the same time, the difficult economic and financial situation has contributed to a deterioration in working conditions and the erosion of social protection, combined with a general inability to comply fully with the obligations deriving from international labour standards.
In its activities during the biennium, the team therefore placed emphasis on the provision of assistance to constituents to help them acquire the necessary capacity to adopt policies and measures for employment promotion and poverty alleviation. This involved advising member States on the formulation of strategies and policies, as well as on the institutional framework needed for employment planning. The member States which benefited from advisory services in these fields were Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Seychelles and Uganda. The recommendations provided were designed to improve macroeconomic performance and increase the employment content of the resulting growth. Training and advisory services emphasized the establishment of arrangements for the collection and effective use of labour market information as a basis for employment planning. In all of these activities, the approach adopted included the protection of vulnerable groups and the promotion of equity considerations in dealing with employment and poverty problems. The recommendations made by advisory missions to Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda included measures to ensure that the main beneficiaries of action programmes were women, young persons and persons with disabilities. These activities were supported by tripartite workshops and seminars on gender issues in Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Mauritius and Seychelles. There are indications that making policy-makers aware of the importance of integrating employment promotion and poverty reduction into their economic reform programmes has had a positive impact in a number of countries, including Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda, and has led to the formulation of comprehensive employment programmes.
Assistance was also afforded in the development and implementation of employment-creation projects and programmes designed to reduce poverty, including employment-intensive public works programmes and small and micro-enterprise projects. Beneficiary countries included Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Seychelles, the United Republic of Tanzania and Uganda. An example is the Tanzanian National Income Generation Programme, under which missions assisted in the formulation of project proposals and technical support was provided for ongoing programmes, such as the project to alleviate urban poverty in the Hanna Nassif settlement area in Dar es Salaam. The aim of this employment-intensive project was to use small local contractors and community-based labour to develop infrastructure and improve communal facilities. Employment opportunities were also provided through environmental projects, including solid waste collection and recycling. For example, one of the aims of a project to upgrade the drainage system in Kampala completed during the biennium, was to strengthen the capacity of the local authority to replicate employment-intensive community-based initiatives in low-income urban areas.
As a prerequisite for the improved functioning of labour markets and the enhancement of employment and income prospects, assistance was given on the reform of vocational training and education systems. Reviews of training systems were carried out in Djibouti, the United Republic of Tanzania and Uganda, where the recommendations made included measures to make the systems more responsive to skills requirements and more flexible in developing skills both in the formal and informal sectors. The approaches advocated included greater participation by employers and NGOs, the setting up of special funds for informal sector training through small levies on payrolls and the establishment of national schemesfor self-employment and informal sector training. Support was provided for national training needs assessment studies in priority economic sectors, such
Improve Your Business (IYB) in Uganda
Small enterprises are the driving force of economic growth and
employment creation. Yet one of the greatest barriers to their development is
the dearth of entrepreneurial skills, particularly in developing countries.
The Improve Your Business (IYB) programme was developed to meet requests from
member States for an effective, low-cost package to train small entrepreneurs
in basic management skills. IYB consists of a number of interrelated training
packages and support materials to train small enterprise owners and managers in
developing countries in the business management skills they need to make their
enterprises grow. The IYB programme has been introduced in more than 50
countries and its materials translated into over 30 languages. More than
100,000 entrepreneurs have received IYB training.
IYB is used by institutions that are already involved in small enterprise
development. In Uganda, where the programme was first introduced in 1988, the
leading role in its implementation has been taken by the Federation of Uganda
Employers. In 1994, at the beginning of a three-year programme, the Uganda IYB
Coordinating Committee was established to facilitate collaboration between all
the user organizations, which also included the Uganda National Chamber of
Commerce and an organization of persons with disabilities. With a view to
institutionalizing the programme, donor support has been reduced by stages over
the three-year period, with funding being taken over by the participating
organizations and entrepreneurs.
The Uganda National IYB programme has so far trained 71 IYB trainers, who have
in turn provided training for over 1,400 entrepreneurs. To ensure continuity
and a constant supply of IYB trainers in the participating organizations, the
ILO has accredited five master trainers in Uganda, who will continue to develop
national trainers.
Because of the dynamism of the IYB programme in Uganda, this country was one
of two involved in the testing of the new Start Your Business (SYB) component
of the business skills package, which is designed for potential entrepreneurs.
Twelve trainers were instructed on ways to identify aspiring entrepreneurs and
instruct them on the steps they should take when starting a business. The
package has been enlivened by the use of a business game developed specifically
for the IYB programme.
Like all national IYB programmes, the one in Uganda forms part of an
international network promoted by the ILO with a view to the continuous
development and upgrading of the programme and the exchange of experience and
best practices. |
The principal aim of the team's activities to assist trade unions and employers' organizations was to strengthen their research and analytical capacities, with a view to helping them respond to the challenges posed by the globalization of production and the liberalization of trade. Technical support was provided to meetings organized by national workers' and employers' organizations and training materials were prepared for use by local officials. National seminars for employers' organizations were held in Eritrea, Kenya and the United Republic of Tanzania on topics that included industrial relations, human resources development and the role of employers in structural adjustment programmes. Similar activities to strengthen the capacities of workers' organizations were carried out in Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mauritius, the United Republic of Tanzania and Uganda. These activities included: seminars and workshops on subjects such as equality and gender issues; workers' education and the environment; the social dimensions and employment implications of structural adjustment; trade union management; collective bargaining; and occupational safety and health. The team also collaborated with regional trade union organizations in research projects and the development of manuals on employment planning and labour issues.
Constituents were also assisted in the improvement of working conditions and social protection for workers. Workshops were held in Mauritius and the United Republic of Tanzania using the Work Improvements in Small Enterprises (WISE) methodology. In the field of occupational health and safety, help was provided to prepare a national training manual in Ethiopia, while advisory missions visited Kenya, the United Republic of Tanzania and Uganda. Training was delivered on occupational safety and health issues in the Seychelles and support was provided for a Commonwealth training course in Kenya. Ethiopia was supported in the development of a database on working conditions, occupational safety and health and child labour. Preliminary reviews of social security systems were also undertaken in Eritrea, Kenya and Uganda in the context of the country objective reviews.
Central and West Africa Multidisciplinary
Advisory Team
The Central and West Africa Multidisciplinary Advisory Team, with 15technical
advisers, is located in Abidjan and covers Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso,
Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire,
Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe,
Togo and Zaire.The team became operational during 1995 and has since contributed to the initial analysis for country objectives statements covering nine countries. The final country objectives statements are at various stages of completion. An important aspect of this process has been the opportunity afforded to constituents to become more familiar with the wide range of services available to them within the overall mandate and competence of the ILO and the increasingly multidisciplinary approach adopted by the Organization in its activities. In addition to high levels of unemployment and a low level of development of human resources, the major problems faced by countries in the subregion include an insufficient level of popular participation in the development process and rising poverty levels, which afflict women and children in a particularly severe way. Existing institutional structures are inappropriate to deal with these issues and the problems faced by the workforce include worsening working conditions and inadequate social protection arrangements. Inequality between men and women in access to employment and socio-economic opportunities is another major problem.
With a view to addressing these issues, the countries in the subregion were provided with advisory services in a number of fields, including support for the design of employment promotion and poverty alleviation policies. Following the tripartite meeting on the devaluation of the CFA franc, many countries in the subregion received technical support to assist them in the implementation of the meeting's recommendations which focused on: increasing the employment-generation dimension of investment projects; giving priority to local resources and labour; and removing current constraints on the development of small and medium-sized enterprises. The technical assistance delivered to follow up these recommendations included help with the revision of labour law and support for the development of labour market monitoring and employment planning capacities. In particular, the team contributed to the process of establishing and operating employment observatories, such as the one in Côte d'Ivoire, and employment and investment policy units in ministries of planning and employment, with the aim of increasing the employment-intensive aspects of investment programmes.
One of the ways in which the ILO promoted employment and incomes for the poor was through its continued activities to develop cooperatives. This is a field in which the ILO has been active for many years in the subregion, for example through the ACOPAM project. In addition to the projects to assist in the development of cooperatives at the local level, advisory services and technical assistance were provided for the design and implementation of cooperative development policies and programmes, and for the revision of the relevant legislation. With a view to restructuring the cooperative movements in the countries concerned -- so that they might be better adapted to their members' needs in the light of current economic reforms and structural adjustment programmes -- existing legislation was reviewed and national consultative seminars were organized to consider the proposed changes. As a result of these activities, legislative reforms and the adoption of policies are at various stages of completion in Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Togo and Zaire.
The team's work to strengthen social dialogue and tripartism in the subregion had the dual aim of reviewing consultative machinery and reinforcing the capacities of the social partners. Subregional and national tripartite seminars were held and advisory services provided to assist in reviewing, formulating or revising labour legislation respecting tripartite consultative mechanisms. Proposals were also made for the strengthening of collective bargaining systems, the resolution of industrial conflicts and the development of workers' participation in decision-making at the enterprise level. The countries benefiting from assistance of this nature included Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Niger and Togo. Capacity-building activities for trade unions and employers' organizations included the organization of seminars on the role of the social partners in tripartite consultations and on the implementation of international labour standards. Technical assistance was also provided to strengthen the capacities of labour ministries. Beneficiary countries included Benin, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Mali and Niger. These activities contributed to an improvement in trade union management and activities in Côte d'Ivoire, better industrial relations and collective bargaining in Gabon and Mauritania, and the development of effective tripartite arrangements for labour relations in Mali.
Assistance was provided to improve the vocational rehabilitation and employment opportunities available to persons with disabilities. The Central African Republic, Gabon, Guinea and Sierra Leone received technical assistance in the formulation of national legislation respecting persons with disabilities, with the aim of bringing it into line with the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (Disabled Persons) Convention, 1983 (No.159). In Côte d'Ivoire, the support provided to help establish an apprenticeship programme for persons with disabilities in the region of Bouake concentrated on the identification of appropriate occupations for the disabled and the conditions for the participation of master artisans and the regional chamber of commerce. In Cameroon, the multidisciplinary advisory team assisted in the organization of a national seminar, attended by representatives of various economic sectors, to formulate a multisectoral policy for the socio-economic integration of persons with disabilities. The assistance provided to the countries mentioned in this paragraph and other countries in the subregion included guidance on the collection and analysis of statistics related to vulnerable groups.
The team's activities also resulted in discussions being held in a number of countries; it is expected that the outcome of these discussions will lead to the adoption of new policies in the field of social security and protection. Technical advisory services in Benin, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea, Mauritania, Morocco and Zambia focused on strengthening the capacities of the government and the social partners in the formulation of legislation and social protection policies for the modern sector. Many of these activities concerned the development of measures for the vocational rehabilitation of victims of work-related accidents. Advisory services were provided in Angola, Burkina Faso, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana to assist in the development of statistical and management systems for social security institutions. Benin, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Mali and Niger received technical support for the establishment of consolidated social security training programmes covering the various branches of social protection.
In the field of occupational safety and health, a project covering Benin, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Mali and Niger has helped increase awareness and knowledge of occupational hazards. Throughout the subregion, assistance was provided in the establishment of systems for the collection, analysis and dissemination of regular and reliable statistical data on work-related accidents and occupational diseases. Technical assistance was also supplied in Benin, Burundi, Central African Republic, Rwanda and Zaire for the formulation and revision of national laws and regulations to bring them into line with international labour standards on occupational safety and health. In Benin, Madagascar and Togo, the team contributed to the design of sensitization and information programmes aimed at enterprises in both rural and urban areas which involved the national authorities, the social partners and associations of cooperatives. These activities were supported through the development of educational and training modules on occupational safety and health.
North-West Africa Multidisciplinary
Advisory Team
The North-West Africa Multidisciplinary Advisory Team, with seven technical
advisers, is located in Dakar and covers the following countries: Algeria, Cape
Verde, the Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya,
Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Tunisia. Country
objectives were finalized for three countries and preparatory analytical
studies were carried out for the other countries in the subregion.The team covers a vast subregion characterized by different and complex political, social and economic problems. In the countries of the Maghreb in North Africa, the issues addressed by the team were related to the negative effects of heavy foreign indebtedness and increased dependence on external markets. Open unemployment levels have been rising among young persons and graduates, while the expansion of the informal sector is due to the decline in wage employment. The reduction in household incomes has resulted in increased poverty rates. In contrast, the problems of the West African countries covered by the team are linked to high population growth. In these countries, the private sector is not sufficiently developed to absorb the supply of labour and wage employment has been diminishing. For example, less than 6 per cent of the active population in Senegal is employed in the modern sector. As a result, the informal sector has become saturated, particularly in urban areas. The problems are compounded by a mismatch between training systems and labour market demand. The rise in the level of poverty, especially of women, young persons and children, has resulted in an increased incidence of child labour. These problems are closely related to difficulties associated with the promotion of social dialogue, and the ensuing risks of social and political tension.
The activities undertaken by the team were decided upon after consultations with ILO constituents and other development partners in member States. Discussions with constituents in connection with the formulation of country objectives statements reinforced the visibility of ILO intervention at the national level. The effectiveness of the team in responding to requests for assistance from the tripartite constituents was demonstrated by the integration of its recommendations into national development programmes.
The team's work in this respect provided an appropriate context for its activities to enhance national capacities in the field of tripartism and social dialogue. These activities included the organization of seminars in Mali on tripartite consultation and the promotion of social dialogue. An evaluation was undertaken of social consultation machinery in Guinea and recommendations were made to strengthen its operation. Advisory services were also provided to Ministries of Labour in Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania and Sierra Leone with a view to increasing the coherence between the various departments and facilitating better interdepartmental coordination, particularly in the fields of labour relations and employment promotion. Advisory services also included promotional work for the ratification and implementation of international labour standards. Information on international standards and national legislation was disseminated, particularly through ILOLEX and NATLEX, and training was provided to government officials and employers' and workers' representatives on ILO standards and the supervisory machinery.
Support to the countries in the region for the promotion of employment concentrated on the promotion of enterprises and the development of human resources. Technical assistance was provided in the design and implementation of programmes to alleviate poverty through increased access to productive and remunerative work. Training seminars and workshops on approaches and strategies for the promotion of micro-enterprises were organized for government officials and the social partners. Constituents were also assisted through evaluations of national institutional capacity to provide support for small and medium-sized enterprises. The resulting recommendations included a reorientation of training systems to support the development of these enterprises. One specific activity involved assisting Cape Verde design programmes helping retrenched public sector workers to set up and run enterprises. This included training for these workers in the management of parastatal enterprises ceded to them by the State. Following the devaluation of the CFA franc, the countries in the region are in the process of reforming their labour codes in line with the needs of economic restructuring. Constituents, and particularly trade unions and employers' organizations, were provided with technical advisory services to enable them to participate fully and effectively in this process.
Southern Africa Multidisciplinary
Advisory Team
The Southern Africa Multidisciplinary Advisory Team, which is composed of 11
technical advisers, is located in Harare and covers Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi,
Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Country
objectives exercises were completed in seven of the nine countries covered by
the team, and provided opportunities for collaboration between the team and the
tripartite constituents on the medium-term programme of activities for each
country. Similar exercises are planned for South Africa and Swaziland, once the
ILO Office in Pretoria has become fully operational.The major challenges facing the countries in the subregion revolve around the twin problems of unemployment and poverty. These problems, at least in the short and medium term, have been exacerbated by the implementation of structural adjustment programmes. The situation is also aggravated by the fact that the social partners lack the necessary capacity to be able to participate effectively in the decision-making process on crucial issues. The institutional environment is not conducive to the development of small and medium-sized enterprises or urban informal sector activities, and there has been a decline in workers' protection.
The main thrust of the team's activities during the biennium consisted of assisting governments in the creation of a policy environment to facilitate the generation of productive employment. This assistance involved the provision of policy advice for the protection of employment and social objectives under structural adjustment regimes. The measures recommended concerned the need to ensure that broad macroeconomic policies in areas such as trade, exchange rates and taxation were compatible with the objective of maintaining and increasing employment levels as the economy underwent fundamental structural changes -- such as the transition of the Zimbabwean economy in recent years from a closed economy to a more open and liberalized regime. Experience in the southern African subregion, as elsewhere, has shown that the success of structural adjustment programmes depends to a large extent on an appreciation and understanding of the economic reform process by workers and employers. The activities of the team therefore also focused on capacity-building to improve the research and technical capacities of trade unions and employers' organizations. These activities included the organization, in collaboration with workers' organizations, of training seminars on research methodology and techniques at the subregional level -- as well as at the national level in Malawi, Namibia and Zambia. Special training programmes were held at the Turin Centre, manuals and training kits were disseminated and study tours organized for national officials.
Support was provided by the team for the promotion of small and medium-sized enterprises and urban informal sector activities through the delivery of advisory services on ways to improve access to training and credit and to create a more conducive institutional environment. Reports were prepared on monetary, fiscal and investment policies and measures which could facilitate the development of small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as micro-enterprises. In the cases of Namibia and Zimbabwe, these reports were officially submitted to and discussed by the Governments. Advisory services on the promotion of small and medium-sized enterprises were also supplied to employers' organizations in Botswana, South Africa and Swaziland. The adoption by Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe of official policies on the promotion of small and medium-sized enterprises as part of broader economic reform programmes demonstrated the impact of these activities.
These issues were also explored at a tripartite subregional seminar on the training and employment of ex-combatants in southern Africa, held in Harare in July 1995. The meeting concluded that the development and expansion of small and medium-sized enterprises and micro-enterprises could provide much-needed employment opportunities for demobilized soldiers and other ex-combatants. At the request of the Government of Zimbabwe, the team carried out a study on the urban informal sector and its employment potential.(1) The study focused on the development of grass-roots organizations of informal sector operators and on institutional reforms to be carried out in close collaboration with local government authorities. The report recommended, amongst other things: the extension of vocational training to the informal sector; improved access of informal sector operators to appropriate technology; the development of cooperatives; and the provision of essential infrastructure.
At the request of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the team carried out a survey of the application of labour legislation in export processing zones (EPZs). This survey concluded that the application of labour standards would not interfere seriously with the successful operation of EPZs. In particular, it argued that the application of labour standards in areas such as occupational safety and health and freedom of association would not have the effect of diminishing either productivity or output in enclaves such as EPZs.
North Africa Multidisciplinary Advisory Team
The North Africa Multidisciplinary Advisory Team is located in Cairo and covers Egypt and the Sudan. The team, which comprises three technical specialists, was not fully constituted during the biennium.Country objectives were elaborated for Egypt; in addition, technical advisory services were provided to Egypt and the Sudan in the areas of labour administration, labour market monitoring and occupational safety and health. The assistance provided consisted largely of training activities for labour administrators and labour inspectors, including the training of some 20 Egyptian trainers in the field of occupational safety and health. Advisory services were also supplied on labour market information, to enable the country to monitor employment trends and design appropriate policies in the post-structural adjustment period. In these activities, particular attention was paid to child labour, with a view to assisting the government bring legislation fully into line with international labour standards, evaluate the situation of street children and prepare a national plan of action on child labour.
Arab States
The recent historic progress in the peace process in the Middle East, and the prospect of achieving a comprehensive settlement in the region, were already the dominant factors in the work of the ILO in these States during the biennium. One of the principal characteristics of the Arab States is the contrast between the situation of oil-producing countries, which have some of the highest per capita incomes in the world, and the least developed countries, with some of the world's lowest incomes. The long years of unrest and instability in many parts of the region have left increased levels of unemployment and poverty, combined with a lack of institutional capacity to address the issues of employment, manpower planning and social protection, in their wake.Much of the work of the ILO in the Arab States therefore focused on strengthening the capacity of labour administrations and employment authorities, as well as on developing tripartite institutions and the capacity of the social partners, to enable them to participate with governments in seeking solutions to economic and social problems. In addition to the promotion of employment and the alleviation of poverty, emphasis was placed on the principle of equality of opportunity for women workers, the issue of child labour and policies relating to migrant workers.
Activities to reinforce tripartism at the regional level included ongoing collaboration with regional workers' and employers' organizations. With a view to enhancing the capacities of trade unionists in the region, the programme of cooperation with the International Confederation of Arab Trade Unions comprised the organization of six regional seminars for trade unionists. Support was also provided for a regional seminar on trade union training systems. Collaboration continued with the General Union of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of Arab Countries. A number of technical advisory missions were carried out to national employers' organizations, and a subregional training course was organized on the responsibilities of executives of employers' organizations. In the framework of the programme of joint activities by the ILO and the Arab Labour Organization (ALO), regional seminars were held on a number of issues, including small enterprise development and employers' organizations, and workers' education.
In the activities undertaken to assist employers' and workers' organizations, emphasis was placed on increasing their awareness of the significant contribution made by women to economic development and on improving their understanding of international labour standards relating to equality of opportunity and treatment for men and women. Support was provided for a tripartite regional seminar on women workers and a regional seminar on the employment of women was organized in collaboration with the ALO. An agreement on cooperation in the field of women and employment was signed with the Arab Gulf Programme for the United Nations Development Organizations (AGFUND) and the Centre of Arab Women for Training and Research (CAWTER). The joint activities covered by the agreement included research in four countries in the region to assess the situation of women, followed by national workshops to review the results of the country assessments and identify critical areas for action. The agreement also provided for support to the institutional development of CAWTER and the organization of training at both the national and regional levels on women workers' rights and international labour standards.
Activities carried out in the field of child labour mainly set out to raise awareness of the issue and identify priority areas of action to be taken by governments, employers' and workers' organizations and other concerned partners. To this effect, close relations were established with the Arab Council for Childhood and Development (ACCD). A tripartite regional seminar on child labour was organized in collaboration with the ACCD. In addition to raising awareness of the problem and discussing the related international standards, participants at the seminar examined regional experiences in dealing with child labour problems and identified the roles and action to be taken by all the partners involved; they also stressed the importance of public awareness campaigns. The seminar was the first major activity related to child labour carried out by the ILO in the Arab region and provided the Organization's constituents with an important opportunity to hold a comprehensive discussion of the issues related to working children.
A project was launched during the biennium to provide assistance to labour-sending countries in the region. The aim of the project was to enhance capacity of these countries to draw up sound policies and strategies to help migrant workers and their families and reduce domestic unemployment. The activities included the provision of training and advisory services to between 40 and 50 officials in each beneficiary country to improve their handling of migration issues. Training focused on: the collection and analysis of data on migrant workers as a basis for policy formulation; the analysis of future trends in labour-receiving countries' economies; and measures that could be taken by the governments of labour-sending countries to attract the savings of migrant workers and provide them with better legal protection in the receiving country. An exchange of information was organized on the creation of national information systems on migration flows and employment opportunities. Household surveys were also carried out to study the conditions and problems faced by the women and children left behind by departing migrant workers.
Arab States Multidisciplinary Advisory Team
The Arab States Multidisciplinary Advisory Team is composed of nine specialists and is located in Beirut. It covers Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syrian Arab Republic, United Arab Emirates, Yemen and the Occupied Territories. During the biennium, country objectives were drawn up with the collaboration of the constituents for Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon and Oman. The team was active in developing the capacities of labour ministries and the social partners. In view of the progress achieved in the peace process in the Middle East, and following the conclusion of a Memorandum of understanding with the Palestinian Authority, a good deal of emphasis was placed on the development of institutional capacity and on the formulation of technical cooperation projects for the creation of employment in the Occupied Territories.With a view to reinforcing the technical capacities of labour ministries, technical advisory services were provided and training courses and seminars held in fields such as labour market information, manpower policies, vocational rehabilitation, international labour standards and women workers' questions. Multidisciplinary missions were carried out in Oman and Kuwait to identify the needs of labour ministries and formulate programmes to meet them. Fellowships were provided and study tours organized for labour officials -- including a tour by Yemeni officials to Tunis to exchange experience on vocational training and labour inspection and visits by Jordanian officials to Tunis and Morocco to examine the national employment services. Capacity-building activities for employers' and workers' organizations concentrated on the field of vocational training. Policy advisory services were provided to improve their capacity to participate in national committees responsible for training policies. Technical assistance was also provided to enable them to undertake and supervise training activities, particularly to meet the needs of the private sector.
Labour statistics in the Occupied
Territories
A preliminary but essential step in the development of effective
employment policies is the collection of reliable statistical information. The
Memorandum of understanding signed by the ILO and the Palestinian Authority in
January 1994 therefore identified as one of its priorities the development of
the capacity to produce accurate and up-to-date information on the employment,
underemployment and unemployment situation in the Occupied Territories.
During the biennium, the ILO supplied expertise in the field of labour and
employment statistics, and assisted the newly established Palestinian Central
Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) in the preparation of a five-year programme of
labour statistics, including biannual labour force surveys, household surveys
and a PCBS statistical publication.
The technical services provided by the ILO included support for the
establishment of a labour statistics unit in the PCBS, the design of a core
labour force survey and a supplementary survey on ex-detainees. The staff of
the PCBS were trained in the organization of field activities and the
processing of data. Help was also provided in the procurement of computer
equipment and in the analysis of data on the employment situation and training
requirements of ex-detainees.
As a result of this assistance, the labour statistics unit became operational
and a status report was published on Palestinian labour statistics. A pilot
labour force survey was conducted in July 1995 and the first full survey was
launched in September 1995. |
One of the priorities in the assistance provided to the Palestinian Authority was the establishment of a Department of Labour and Vocational Training. A project launched in 1994 included the provision of training to the staff of the new Department, as well as some furniture and equipment. Pilot employment offices were opened in Gaza and Jericho, and the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics was set up. Assistance was also provided with the drafting of a new Labour Code. A workshop was held on the management of vocational education and training institutions, which resulted in the publication of a report on this subject.(2) Closely related to these activities, a mission was undertaken and a project formulated in response to a request from the Federation of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture to enhance its capacity for promotional activities for small enterprises. Further assistance included the drafting of a constitution for the Federation and training for senior staff in the use of computer and information services. Seminars were also held in Gaza, Nablus and Turin to develop the capacity of Palestinian trade unions to organize workers' education programmes.
Considerable attention was also paid to the need to create jobs for the estimated 400,000 unemployed in the Occupied Territories. Assistance was provided to the Palestinian Authority for the formulation of labour-intensive public works projects, including projects for the tiling and paving of streets, and the rehabilitation of schools and clinics. Plans were developed for the ILO to assist in the implementation of a comprehensive employment programme. A project was also launched for ex-detainees to facilitate their reintegration into the Palestinian economy and society through employment. Initially, the project focused on the most needy among the 12,000 ex-detainees. Each ex-detainee is provided with medical care and health insurance, as well as counselling and job-search assistance. Training or retraining are offered, as well as formal education opportunities, support to start businesses and wage subsidies to private sector employers. The employment services are provided through 14 employment offices. Another project for persons with disabilities consisted of the manufacture of low-cost wheelchairs and other technical mobility aids. Three production workshops were set up in Nablus, Gaza and Ramallah and are now fully operational. Training was provided for 20 employees, half of whom are persons with disabilities.
The Americas
The ILO's activities in Latin America and the Caribbean during the biennium were closely related to major developments in the region which included economic integration processes, the peace process in Central America and regional preparatory activities for the major world conferences on social issues. The common market of the Southern Cone (MERCOSUR), the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the recently established Caribbean Community and other agreements have improved cooperation and trade between the countries of the region. In this context, the ILO was active in raising awareness of the social issues related to the integration process. It also provided assistance in the ongoing peace process in Central America, particularly with a view to promoting democratic procedures.With the implementation of the active partnership policy, the focus of the ILO's regional activities in most of its fields of competence moved to the newly established multidisciplinary advisory teams, located in Port-of-Spain, Santiago, San José and Lima. However, there were still a number of fields in which a strong regional approach was maintained, including labour market information systems, training and indigenous peoples.
To provide constituents with information on patterns of labour market regulation and performance, a regional network linking the ILO's offices and multidisciplinary advisory teams was set up for the publication of an annual report on the labour market situation in the region.(3) This activity is designed to provide constituents with a sound basis for the design of coherent systems, combining employment programmes and training, which take into account the labour market situation. National surveys were also undertaken in a number of countries in the region to be used as a basis for the development and strengthening of their labour market information systems. In this context, in cooperation with the statistical centre of the Organization of American States, two training workshops were organized in Peru and Venezuela.
In view of the recent rapid changes in skills requirements and training needs, the ILO's work in the field of training -- and particularly the work of the Inter-American Research and Documentation Centre on Vocational Training (CINTERFOR) -- placed greater emphasis on issues such as productivity improvement and modern technology. Technical assistance programmes on training for labour market insertion were formulated for workers' organizations, young persons and women. CINTERFOR coordinated a number of activities in the fields of maritime port training and vocational rehabilitation. Support was provided to port training centres in the region to enable them to apply new training methodologies to courses and develop strategies to adapt their training systems to changes in demand as a result of structural reforms affecting the port sector. A fellowship programme for Latin American port officials was also organized. In the field of vocational rehabilitation, technical advisory services were provided to Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Cuba, Mexico and Uruguay. The services provided consisted mainly of assistance, based on acquired experience, in the development of courses and curricula and the reinforcement of mechanisms for community participation in training. CINTERFOR also collaborated in the establishment of a database on vocational rehabilitation institutions.
There are approximately 40 million indigenous persons living in Latin America who belong to 400 distinct indigenous peoples in over 20 countries. Most of these peoples are the poorest of the rural poor. An important focus of the ILO's activities in support of these peoples in the region continued to be the application of the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989 (No. 169), the only up-to-date specific international instrument in this field. Technical cooperation activities in favour of indigenous peoples were undertaken to promote democracy and human rights, employment creation and poverty alleviation. Exchanges of information and alternative participative grass-roots development schemes were promoted as part of an interregional programme to assist indigenous cooperative organizations (see Chapter 2 for more information on the INDISCO cooperative development programme). The ILO also participated in the setting up of a number of regional funds (including the Regional Indigenous Fund) to support the activities and initiatives of indigenous peoples. As part of the ILO's interdepartmental project on environment and the world of work, a study was made of recent progress in indigenous rights, environmental legislation and sustainable development in Latin America.
Andean Multidisciplinary Advisory Team
The Andean Multidisciplinary Advisory Team, which is composed of eight advisers, is located in Lima and covers Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. During the biennium, in consultation with the respective governments and social partners, country objectives were prepared for Bolivia, Colombia and Venezuela and almost completed in the case of Peru. The country objectives lay emphasis on strengthening the partners and machinery for social dialogue in the context of the structural adjustment process, as well as on employment creation. The importance of the resulting programmes for the ILO's constituents is demonstrated by the willingness shown by a number of the governments concerned to enter into financing or co-financing arrangements for their implementation.To secure sustained progress in the observance of basic workers' rights, national seminars on labour standards were organized in Bolivia, Colombia, Peru and Venezuela. Improved observance of the ILO's fundamental standards is included in the country objectives for Bolivia, Colombia and Venezuela. Indeed, of the fundamental Conventions, only Convention No.29 remains to be ratified by Bolivia and Convention No 138 by Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. In support of these activities, training seminars were held in Colombia and Peru on the use of information tools, such as ILOLEX and NATLEX.
All the projects formulated in support of the country objectives in the subregion included social dialogue as one of their main priorities. As all five countries in the subregion are undergoing a process of structural adjustment, the basic objective has been to promote tripartism and social dialogue, with a view to the non-conflictual implementation of adjustment measures designed to achieve greater equity and sustainable development. As part of the country objectives exercise, a project was launched in Colombia to foster a new culture of industrial relations. A number of informal tripartite seminars were organized as part of the project in the areas of training, labour relations and trade union rights, with particular attention being paid to Convention No. 87. Technical assistance to promote social dialogue was also provided in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela, where it is becoming increasingly accepted that this dialogue is required if stabilization efforts and deep-rooted reforms are to achieve sustainable results. To underpin this work a tripartite subregional workshop was organized in Bogota, in collaboration with the Turin Centre, to compare different experiences of social dialogue. Training activities and advisory services in relation to the structural adjustment process, as well as to the social and labour dimension of economic integration agreements, were also provided to the social partners.
The team's priorities concerning indigenous peoples were to improve their living and working conditions in the Andean and Amazonian areas. A subregional project was undertaken which focused on participatory development processes and the legal security of indigenous peoples. Under this project, the Government and indigenous organizations in Bolivia were advised on various legislative proposals affecting indigenous peoples. A group of lawyers specializing in indigenous rights was established to ensure the operation of a programme of legal services. Technical assistance was also provided in Ecuador to explore the contents and scope of Convention No. 169 in the light of existing constitutional provisions, with a view to the ratification of the Convention.
The country objectives of the Andean countries all identify poverty alleviation through employment promotion as one of their highest priorities. The Andean Multidisciplinary Advisory Team therefore included in its programme a large number of activities to enhance the governments' capacity to design and implement policies and programmes for increased employment and income opportunities, particularly with a view to limiting the negative social effects of structural adjustment measures. These activities included the provision of technical assistance on labour market information to the Ministries of Labour of all five countries and the organization of two training workshops on this subject in Peru and Venezuela. In the field of active labour market policies and special employment programmes, advisory services were provided to assist in the development of a youth employment programme in Peru, local employment programmes in Colombia and Venezuela and a programme for the retraining of public sector workers in Bolivia. Work has started on the preparation of a comprehensive report on employment policy in Peru. In addition to the work carried out in Bogota on the informal sector (see Chapter 2 for a description of this work), advisory work was carried out in Bolivia, Colombia and Venezuela on informal sector policies and micro-enterprise development at the local level.
Most of the team's activities to promote equality of opportunity and treatment during the biennium focused on preparatory activities for the Beijing Conference. The subject of equality is mentioned in several of the country objectives, and technical assistance was provided and national tripartite seminars organized on gender issues in Bolivia, Colombia and Peru. Technical assistance was also provided in Bolivia, Colombia, Peru and Venezuela on the eradication of child labour. The ground was prepared in these countries for IPEC programmes (see Chapter 3 for a description of IPEC's activities) and for the commencement of a subregional project on child labour. The main result of work in this field is the inclusion of child labour issues among the social objectives of several countries in the subregion.
Central American Multidisciplinary
Advisory Team
The Central American Multidisciplinary Advisory Team, which is composed of
eight advisers, is located in San José and covers Costa Rica, Cuba,
Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua
and Panama. Country objectives were prepared during the biennium for the
Dominican Republic, Haiti and Mexico, as well as a set of subregional
objectives for Central America.The team in San José has been closely linked to the most important political developments in the subregion, namely the termination of civil conflict and the consolidation of peace. One of the striking features of the peace and democratization process in Central America has been the emphasis placed on human rights and the involvement of civil society in the new forms of governance. The establishment of the team in San José enabled the ILO to play a direct and influential role in both negotiating and consolidating peace, particularly in Guatemala. The ILO's fundamental Conventions are being used throughout the subregion as basic elements in the establishment of the rule of law and the protection of the citizen. The ILO's principles and the practice of tripartism are also being used as models for the productive involvement of civil society in the new democratic state.
In the context of the construction of democratic societies and institutions, one of the team's principal objectives was the further establishment and expansion of national machinery and capacities for social bargaining and tripartite dialogue. The ILO played an important role in the establishment and strengthening of a number of consultative bodies in the subregion, including the Labour Forum in El Salvador, the Tripartite Consultative Committee for the drafting of the new Labour Code in Honduras, the Superior Labour Council in Costa Rica and the Labour Foundation in Panama. A bilateral meeting between employers' and workers' organizations in the subregion was sponsored by the ILO in March 1995 with a view to launching a continuing series of contacts to facilitate tripartite consultation and cooperation as a significant aspect of democratization. Both workers' and employers' organizations also benefited from capacity-building and modernization projects to enable them to participate more actively and effectively in the new democratic institutions.
Peace in Guatemala
In November 1994 the parties involved in the 30-year conflict in
Guatemala began peace negotiations in earnest. In addition to deaths and
displacement, the conflict brought about impoverishment and flagrant violations
of fundamental rights, particularly for the indigenous majority of the
population. Given that many of the items on the peace agenda concerned matters
within the mandate of the ILO, the United Nations Secretary-General requested
the Office to advise the United Nations Moderator at the negotiating table.
The peace process continues, and has already produced important results. In
March 1995, the parties signed an Agreement on the Identity and Rights of
Indigenous Peoples, which is largely based on the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples
Convention, 1989 (No. 169). The Agreement addresses a range of issues
concerning indigenous peoples, including education, gender, land rights and
common law, and urges the parties to promote Convention No. 169.
To follow up this achievement, a project was launched to promote an indigenous
response to the Agreement. The project is designed to provide organizations of
indigenous people with fora for regular meetings so that they can define their
approaches to the Agreement and lobby the authorities and relevant civic
groups. The project also covers the identification of indigenous needs and the
formulation of training programmes in the fields of development planning and
legal defence. |
The improved climate of social dialogue has led to the conclusion of a number of important agreements in the subregion. These include the bipartite agreement on a new culture of industrial relations signed by Mexican employers' and workers' organizations, which is designed to contribute to overcoming the financial and economic crisis affecting the country since December 1994. The tripartite Bambito agreement on social policy issues was signed in April 1995 in Panama. The agreement established the Tripartite Commission for Social Dialogue, in which the ILO has been requested to act as the technical secretariat. Assistance was provided in this respect with the reform of the Panamanian Labour Code. In the context of a subregional project to promote tripartite consultations on labour issues and labour code reforms, a technical cooperation project was set up in Panama to strengthen the Ministry of Labour. A multidisciplinary mission also visited Haiti and submitted to the newly elected Government a project document on the development of social dialogue through the Presidential Tripartite Committee.
With employment remaining one of the subregion's main priorities, the team also concentrated on strengthening the capacity of governments to design and implement policies and programmes for the promotion of employment and income-earning opportunities. In Mexico, a tripartite round table on employment policies and competitiveness was organized as part of the country objective formulation process, particularly in view of the impact of economic integration through the NAFTA agreement. A number of important programmes also continued to be carried out for the promotion of small and micro-enterprises, and for the adaptation of training programmes to labour market opportunities and requirements. A subregional project, known as PROMICRO, continued to be implemented in Central America. The project is designed to strengthen enterprises in the informal sector and micro-enterprises through the development and reinforcement of micro-entrepreneurs' associations. A network of these associations has been developed at the local, national and subregional levels, where they are starting to be recognized as partners in policy consultations, particularly on matters affecting the informal sector. Although associations of micro-entrepreneurs provide their members with a variety of services -- including training, equipment procurement and, in some cases, the negotiation of group health-care agreements -- they are often initially designed to facilitate access to credit and the establishment of loan and credit associations. As a basis for the provision of guidance in this respect, a series of national case-studies were undertaken on member-owned savings and credit institutions in the subregion.(4) In Honduras, a complementary approach to economic development was adopted through a programme known as "POCET", which forged links between local authorities, business and training institutions in rural areas. Over 10,000 jobs were created, of which 40 per cent were for women. POCET is being used as a model approach for the new local-level sustainable development programme launched by the United Nations under the Trust Fund established by the World Summit for Social Development. In Haiti, the work of advisory missions led to the launching of a number of projects on employment generation and vocational training, including projects in the field of cooperatives and urban and rural micro-enterprises. Advisory services were also provided and projects supported in the field of vocational training in Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico and Panama.
The conflicts in Central America left in their wake the major problem of integrating displaced persons, refugees and returnees. The ILO has played an important role in the inter-agency development programme for these categories (PRODERE), which has focused on employment and income generation. Concentrating on training activities to improve managerial skills and the development of credit mechanisms through local economic development agencies, the programme has had an important impact on its 1,300,000 beneficiaries. Nearly 1,500 local development committees have been established and the credit mechanisms have been instrumental in creating jobs for more than 37,000 workers. Local projects to develop productive activities have covered 72,000 workers. Around 40 per cent of training activities were provided to women and one-quarter of loans have been taken out by women. The programme has become a model for governments in the region in their efforts to consolidate peace by action to combat poverty based on economic development in priority areas.
In the fields of child labour and social protection, the aim of the team was to build national capacities and strengthen the legislative base. To attain this objective, technical advisory services on child labour issues were provided to Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and Panama. A series of country reviews was initiated in a number of Central American countries on the ways in which teachers and educators are mobilized in the combat against child labour. Assistance in the field of social security was also provided to almost every Central American country, and particularly to the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Mexico. A programme was approved at the end of the biennium for the revision of the social security system in Honduras.
Southern Americas Multidisciplinary Advisory Team
The Southern Americas Multidisciplinary Advisory Team, which is composed of 11 specialists, is located in Santiago (Chile) and covers Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay. During the biennium, country objectives statements were completed in close collaboration with the tripartite constituents for four of the five countries.The five countries covered by the team are quite different, both as regards their socio-economic outlook and their political situation. In some of them, the legacy of past regimes is still reflected in weak representative structures. Many of the issues arising in these countries have to be viewed against the background of globalization and regional integration processes. Although integration through MERCOSUR has greatly improved cooperation and increased trade between the countries, unemployment remains high. The question of labour market regulation and its compatibility with economic growth is also highly topical. Moreover, discrimination and inequality remain characteristic of the patterns of growth experienced by the countries, significantly affecting large population groups.
The assistance provided in the field of employment policies concentrated on policies and strategies for the creation of employment in the context of regional integration and increased competitiveness. A high-level national forum was organized in Brazil on modernization, growth and employment. The participants at the forum endeavoured to identify and analyse social policies which, in the current context, could: ensure that productivity increases go hand in hand with the creation of jobs; develop human resources through the strengthening of vocational training; reinforce a labour relations system that is compatible with the system of production; and address the fact that some sectors of the economy appear to be excluded from the modernization process. In the same context, a project was implemented for the identification of training needs in enterprises and the development of the required skills. Under this project, employers' and workers' organizations were brought together to develop organizational changes in firms to promote productivity growth and job creation.
In the field of tripartism, the aim of the team was to achieve a level of social dialogue favourable to economic growth, while respecting the principles of democracy and human rights. This involved activities to strengthen the capacities of the social partners and reinforce tripartite institutions. A programme on social dialogue was developed with the Coordinadora de las Centrales Sindicales del Cono Sur, under which training was provided and seminars organized for trade unions in order to strengthen their capacity to participate in negotiations on the social dimension of MERCOSUR. Technical advisory services were also delivered to the MERCOSUR subgroup responsible for social issues. Informal tripartite seminars were organized in Brazil, Chile and Paraguay on training, labour relations and trade union rights. In Paraguay, one of the results of the national tripartite seminar held in October 1994 was the signing of the San Bernadino Declaration, which was the first tripartite agreement concluded between the social partners in that country. In support of the work carried out on tripartism and international labour standards, training seminars and workshops were held in Argentina, Brazil and Chile on the use of information tools, such as NATLEX and ILOLEX.
With a view to reinforcing the democratization process in Chile, a project was carried out to establish and strengthen mechanisms for social dialogue and to train officials responsible for the implementation of labour policy. As a result of these activities, tripartite agreements were concluded on minimum wages, family allowances and assistance pensions. Reforms were also made to the labour legislation, particularly as regards termination of employment and job stability, collective bargaining and trade unions. A reform has been approved establishing the right of association of employees in the civil service.
In the context of social protection, the ILO helped organize a tripartite workshop in Paraguay on social security reform. Paraguay and Uruguay were also provided with technical assistance relating to the reform of their social security systems. Much of the team's work in the field of social security concentrated on compensation for employment injury. Technical support was provided to Argentinian employers to assist in drawing up a proposal for the reform of the employment injury scheme. The proposal includes aspects relating to prevention, health promotion and vocational rehabilitation. Technical assistance was also provided to the other countries of the Southern Cone for the design and implementation of insurance schemes for work-related injuries and diseases. A high-level meeting on the reform of compensation schemes was organized in Argentina in April 1995, in which national experiences from European countries were examined with a view to identifying successful solutions. A related activity was a project in Chile under which a fund was set up to finance income-earning activities and promote equality of opportunities for persons with disabilities.
In the framework of a regional project to promote the integration of women into the labour market, training and information materials were produced for the use of employment services and information offices with the participation of representatives from Chile, Colombia and Uruguay.(5) A study tour of Chile was also sponsored for government officials from Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. Participants in the tour were able to share experiences on employment programmes for women, as well as examining the functioning of the Ministry of Labour's tripartite committee on equal opportunities and the training programme for labour inspectors on gender and equal opportunities. Training seminars were also organized in these countries on women's employment and women entrepreneurs.
In the framework of the International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC), training activities for constituents were organized in a number of countries. However, the main focus was on Brazil, where activities concentrated on the development of institutions, direct support to working children and awareness raising. As a result of these activities, various groups of children were withdrawn from hazardous forms of work and were enrolled at school. Courses were provided to 1,000 street children and a major employers' organization in one industrial area gave its support for the elimination of child labour. A video was shown on television and a photographic exhibition organized. At the political level, there has been a breakthrough, with the inclusion of child labour issues on the national agenda and the participation and commitment of the social partners and various NGOs. In technical terms, the programme has demonstrated the existence of feasible solutions to the problem of child labour. At the social level, employers' and workers' organizations have been mobilized and broader concern created within the Government and public institutions. At present, the Government of Brazil is considering the revision of the Constitution, which will make it possible to ratify the Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138).
Caribbean Multidisciplinary Advisory Team
The Caribbean Multidisciplinary Advisory Team, which is composed of seven specialists, is located in Port-of-Spain and covers Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago. Country objectives were formulated for Belize, Grenada and Trinidad and Tobago, while the country objectives for Barbados and Jamaica are under preparation.Under the influence of global trends of liberalization and economic integration, the biennium saw the inauguration of the Association of Caribbean States, which groups together 25 States and 12 territories in and around the Caribbean Sea. The countries in the subregion continued their efforts to restructure and strengthen their economies by improving economic performance and competitiveness, promoting exports, controlling public debt, reducing budget deficits and privatizing public enterprises. These measures had the effect of increasing unemployment and squeezing social expenditure. Although inflation was kept to modest proportions, real wages declined -- or at best rose only slightly -- and poverty increased.
As a consequence, the industrial relations climate in the countries covered by the team was somewhat unstable during the biennium, with the unions opposing privatization plans and resisting public sector wage restraint policies. In response to this situation, the ILO advocated a new approach in industrial relations. With a view to promoting social stability, productivity and economic growth, emphasis was given to tripartite dialogue on economic, social and labour issues, combined with a move from adversarial to more cooperative attitudes in labour-management relations. A subregional tripartite symposium on productivity was held at the request of the CARICOM Ministers of Labour and a tripartite workshop was organized with the Turin Centre on new trends in industrial relations. Assistance was also provided to the national employers' organization in Jamaica to improve its capacity to design and develop productivity improvement plans at the enterprise level. As a result of this work, tripartite consultative bodies are being revitalized in Belize, Grenada and Trinidad and Tobago and there appears to be growing recognition of the importance of industrial relations in productivity improvement. One example is Barbados, where the trade unions and private sector employers agreed on a prices and incomes policy linking pay increases to productivity improvements.
With a view to the promotion of international labour standards, an awareness-raising and information strategy was pursued in the Caribbean countries through a series of subregional and national seminars and workshops; these were designed for the tripartite constituents and for employers' and workers' organizations, respectively. Combined with the direct assistance provided to ministries of labour, these meetings resulted in substantial progress being made by certain governments in meeting their reporting obligations, and in an increase in ratifications. Five Conventions were ratified by Caribbean countries during the biennium, and more are forthcoming.
In the context of the subregional integration process, assistance was provided to the CARICOM Secretariat to help draft model legislation on termination of employment, trade union recognition and equality of opportunity and treatment in employment. The draft texts, which reflect the relevant ILO standards, were approved by the Standing Committee of Labour Ministers of CARICOM in April 1995 and will serve as a basis for tripartite consultation at the national level on the enactment or updating of the corresponding legislation. This initiative was the result of consultation with the social partners at the national and subregional levels, and was shaped by continuing consultations with senior labour officials from the countries concerned. Assistance will continue in this respect -- and the next topic selected for the development of model labour legislation is occupational health and safety. The legislative harmonization process constitutes an important step in strengthening regional integration and in ensuring better respect for the relevant ILO standards.
The ILO collaborated with other United Nations agencies in organizing two subregional meetings of experts in the Caribbean in preparation for the Social Summit. The Organization played a leading role in the development of the Guidelines for Action on Employment Creation in the Caribbean, adopted at the second meeting of experts in December 1994. The Guidelines now serve as a framework for the ILO's work on employment promotion in the subregion. In these activities, emphasis is placed on strengthening the capacity of governments to formulate policies and programmes by assisting them in the establishment or strengthening of labour market information systems (LMIs). Studies were undertaken and recommendations made for the establishment of a LMI in Guyana, while advice and training were provided to develop LMIs and design and execute labour force surveys in several countries. As a basis for policy advice, case-studies were also undertaken in Barbados and Jamaica on the scope, nature and role of the informal sector in creating employment.
The promotion of small enterprises was an important element in the ILO's employment strategy in the Caribbean. A study was carried out in seven countries (Barbados, Belize, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago) on the key factors of and constraints on the success of small businesses. The study covered the issues of policy environment, legislation, credit, different types of organization for the production of goods and services, as well as training for technical, managerial and marketing skills. Recommendations and guidelines for the efficient operation of small enterprises were produced, which will be placed at the disposal of member States and used for the provision of policy advice. Training on management and marketing was also provided to small business development agencies and cooperatives in several Eastern Caribbean countries. A small-scale enterprise development project was implemented under which small enterprise development units were established in five countries and territories (Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, St. Kitts and St. Lucia) to provide advice and training to small enterprises.
In the field of occupational safety and health, Guyana, Jamaica and Suriname received assistance on drafting comprehensive new occupational safety and health legislation. These draft texts are expected to be adopted during the next biennium and will form the basis of the CARICOM model legislation on this subject. National tripartite workshops were held in several countries to help develop national policies on occupational safety and health in general, as well as on specific aspects of safety and health, such as chemicals and major accident prevention. Information, advice and training were provided -- and a series of national workshops held -- to help trade unions set up occupational safety and health committees and train delegates. As a result of these activities, there is growing recognition in the subregion of the importance of a safe working environment and the need for a tripartite approach in the development and implementation of the relevant measures.
With a view to promoting equality of opportunity and treatment in training and employment for persons with disabilities, a subregional symposium was organized on national policies and legislation relating to the disabled. A regional training programme was prepared to promote awareness of the principles to be followed by placement and recruitment officials, rehabilitation officers and the media when dealing with the training and employment of persons with disabilities. As a result, committees were established in the 13 participating countries to follow up the recommendations of the symposium. That there is an increased awareness of the needs of persons with disabilities is demonstrated by the fact that requests have been received from several governments for assistance in the development of policies and legislation on the employment and training of the disabled.
Asia and the Pacific
Asia and the Pacific is a region with considerable disparities in wealth, levels of development and social and labour problems. Some of the world's most dynamic economies coexist alongside the largest concentrations of unemployment and poverty in the world. Although the most rapidly growing economies act as economic locomotives for the surrounding developing countries, many member States in the region continued to struggle with the impacts of structural adjustment and stabilization, the transition to a market economy, wars and their aftermath and natural disasters -- all of which exacerbated their longer-term economic and social problems.Although economic liberalization and dynamic growth patterns created conditions propitious for more social dialogue and recognition of the need to observe basic workers' rights, the fact remained that there was a generally low level of social dialogue and tripartite consultation in the region. This was one of the root causes of the lack of respect for workers' rights and the persistence of the phenomenon of child labour. Great emphasis was therefore placed on involving the social partners in the Organization's activities in the region, both through the country objectives processes and the provision of support for tripartite consultative procedures at the national level. Many activities were undertaken to build up the capacities of constituents to participate in dialogue and consultative machinery. The ILO's support for high-level events with tripartite involvement -- such as the National Economic Summit in the Philippines -- its role in employment promotion, most notably in Cambodia, and its high-profile action on social problems, particularly in the field of child labour, were just some of the activities during the biennium which succeeded in increasing its credibility as a partner in development and raising its image in the region.
East Asia Multidisciplinary Advisory Team
The East Asia Multidisciplinary Advisory Team is located in Bangkok and is composed of 18 advisers. It covers Cambodia, China, Republic of Korea, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam. During the biennium, country objectives were prepared in collaboration with constituents for Cambodia, China, Mongolia, Thailand and Viet Nam.The countries covered by the team display great diversity, ranging from predominantly agricultural economies, with related problems of underemployment in rural areas, to others which are well on the way to industrialization and labour shortages. In some countries, the labour force is characterized by high rates of population growth, while in others the ageing of the workforce is a greater problem. The unprecedented growth rates and significant improvements in living standards are leading to far-reaching changes, such as the inclusion of many more sections of the population in national decision-making and a greater mobility of labour. Opportunities for safeguarding the rights of working people are increasing, yet the changes have their negative sides. Dislocation is almost inevitable as protected sectors are forced to adjust to market forces. Traditional problems of poverty and unemployment persist, albeit in new forms which need addressing in versatile and innovative ways. Within this context, the Organization's priority themes of promoting democracy, combating poverty and protecting working people remain as relevant as ever.
Although the impact of the ILO's work can generally only be felt over a long period of time, there are clear indications that the team's activities are having an influence at the national and regional levels. Its advisory work is influencing national policies and programmes, as demonstrated in Mongolia, where its practical advice on employment and poverty alleviation is now being implemented through specific programmes and projects. Its assistance on employment policy has led to the formulation of an employment-oriented Five-Year Development Plan in Cambodia. Its recommendations in the field of social security contributed to major policy reforms and operational programmes in China, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Mongolia and Viet Nam. Its work on labour legislation has resulted in the adoption of new Labour Codes in Cambodia and Viet Nam, and its support for operational programmes is also leading to an extension of technical cooperation programmes, such as the employment-generation programme in Cambodia.
Rapid growth and political liberalization create more propitious conditions for dialogue with the social partners and increased concern for workers' rights, but can also override social objectives, such as social protection. Bearing this in mind, international labour standards were promoted and governments assisted in the revision of their labour legislation. Seminars were organized on international labour standards in China and Malaysia; selected standards were translated into local languages, including Chinese, Mongolian and Vietnamese; and advisory services were provided to Indonesia and Thailand on compliance with reporting obligations. Advisory services also focused on subjects of particular concern, such as forced labour in Thailand and freedom of association in Myanmar.
Many Asian countries are still at an early stage of democratization and employers' and workers' organizations are not necessarily recognized as equal partners. But there are some positive signs. These were reinforced through the provision of advisory services on labour legislation in Cambodia, China and Viet Nam, and through training activities on tripartism, collective bargaining and disputes settlement in China, Malaysia and Thailand. National conferences on tripartism, industrial relations and labour law were held in China, Mongolia and Viet Nam. National workshops and seminars were also organized, and advisory services provided to workers' organizations in collaboration with regional workers' organizations. These services focused on basic workers' rights and the effects of globalization and regionalization. A large number of activities were carried out to help employers' organizations play an increasingly important role in public policy-making, which included advisory services and national and regional training programmes on issues such as: remuneration and pay systems; disputes prevention and settlement; the effective management of employers' organizations; and industrial relations systems.
Although countries in the subregion undergoing transition from a centrally planned to a market economy have generally achieved fast rates of economic growth, they still face considerable social problems related to unemployment and poverty. To help these countries share experiences and draw appropriate lessons from them, a subregional tripartite seminar was organized on employment and labour market policies in transitional Asian economies in Hanoi in 1994. Cambodia, China, Mongolia and Viet Nam received assistance to analyse their labour market problems and identify possible solutions. The report on the situation in Viet Nam attracted the most attention from the international media and is being translated into Vietnamese to enhance its impact within the country.(6) It examined the difficulties of absorbing over 1 million new workers into the labour force each year and proposed that policies to deal with the situation should emphasize the promotion of small and medium-sized enterprises, the provision of more training to meet the demand for skilled labour and an active labour market policy. The report also advocated that greater attention should be paid to the employment potential of the agricultural sector to retain more workers in the rural labour force. Support was also provided for employment-generation projects and programmes in Cambodia and the Lao People's Democratic Republic. The largest activity of this type is the employment-generation programme in Cambodia, which is based on labour-intensive infrastructure rehabilitation projects, the development of small enterprises and micro-enterprises and vocational training for employment generation. The employment-generation component of the project resulted in the creation of nearly 1.25 million days of work, with the rehabilitation of over 200 kilometres and the maintenance of 400 kilometres of rural roads -- in addition to the rehabilitation or construction of nearly 100 kilometres of canals. Over 3,500 people, including a majority of women, received small business training, of whom over 2,000 started or expanded business with the help of loans. Another 6,000 people received training in a range of skills for employment or informal activities.
Although rapid growth generates new employment opportunities, it also exposes workers to new hazards, particularly in relation to the use of high-speed machinery and toxic chemicals. The lack of knowledge about the dangers inherent in new industrial processes and the preventive measures that need to be taken constitute a widespread problem. In the context of a regional programme on safety in the use of chemicals at work, national and regional workshops were organized to raise the awareness of governments and employers' and workers' organizations with regard to safety and health measures. In support of this work, a number of guides and training manuals on occupational safety and health were published.(7) Advisory services were provided to the Governments of China, Indonesia and Nepal, and to the Malaysian Employers' Federation, to help in the development of new safety and health policies and programmes. The recommendations made were generally accepted and follow-up action is expected.
Social security schemes in Asia are often faced with the problem that coverage is mostly confined to wage-earners in the formal sector, with the result that a majority of the population is excluded. Social security systems also tend to cover only a limited range of contingencies, and such benefits as health insurance, unemployment insurance and family allowances are rare. Moreover, they often suffer from weak enforcement and financial management. Advisory services were provided in most of the countries covered by the East Asia Multidisciplinary Advisory Team to address these problems. In Mongolia, where the ILO has been active for some years in the development of a new social security system, assistance was provided with the implementation of the social insurance legislation adopted in 1994. The Government of China was assisted in the preparation of a Social Insurance General Act and regulations on pensions, unemployment and employment injury insurance. A project was undertaken in Viet Nam to establish a system for the administration of social insurance schemes for employed persons, and to implement social assistance measures for vulnerable groups. In the Lao People's Democratic Republic, fellowships were organized and training provided for social security officials. A project was also prepared for the overall development of the social security scheme. In Thailand, the assistance supplied contributed to the planning and implementation of the new social security scheme, which included as its first phase medical care, cash sickness and maternity benefits, invalidity benefit and a funeral grant.
South-East Asia and the Pacific Multidisciplinary Advisory Team
The South-East Asia and the Pacific Multidisciplinary Advisory Team is located in Manila and is composed of five advisers. It covers Fiji, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Solomon Islands and the island countries of the South Pacific. Country objectives were prepared for Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and the Philippines during the biennium.Despite the wide divergence in the sizes and level of economic development of the countries covered by the team, these countries face a number of common problems and challenges; indeed, almost all them are undergoing a process of far-reaching economic reform and structural change in the face of increased globalization of the world economy and the liberalization of their domestic economies. These changes are having a direct impact on employment levels, skill requirements and conditions of work. Since the team was first established in early 1995, it has been viewed as a significant partner in building up social consensus during the process of change.
The team worked closely with the ILO's tripartite constituents at the national level to achieve agreement on programmes of economic reforms. In the Philippines, a meeting was held in 1994 with the Government and representatives of employers and workers. The meeting agreed to adopt a social action plan to address issues related to structural adjustment, which included an action programme encouraging the growth of employment-intensive industries and establishing safety nets for those affected by the reform process. The ILO also provided technical support to the National Employment Summit held in September 1995, which was attended by some 900 representatives of various sectors, including employers' and workers' representatives. ILO assistance consisted particularly of formulating a report outlining a comprehensive employment strategy programme, which served as a basis for the deliberations of this Summit. The ILO will continue to provide technical support to the Oversight Committee set up to monitor the implementation of the recommendations and programmes of action adopted by this meeting. At the request of the Government, policy recommendations were formulated on the measures needed to improve the level and quality of employment generated in export industries, particularly in the garments and micro-electronics sectors.
In Papua New Guinea, the ILO also collaborated in the organization of a National Employment Summit in May 1994, which was attended by senior ministers and government officials, representatives of employers and trade unions and experts from other national agencies. The Summit agreed on a number of recommendations which advocated, amongst other things: an employment-led growth strategy; private sector development to improve international competitiveness; and the promotion of labour-intensive agricultural development. It also called for the adoption of an outward-oriented trade policy. The recommendations on employment strategy were approved by the Government and included in the budget adopted in March 1995.
An Indonesia-ILO Workplan was signed in May 1994 under which working groups were established in six sectoral ministries to develop the capacity of officials to monitor employment trends and identify subsectors, product groups and commodities in which measures might be taken to foster higher rates of employment growth. The highest priority in the Workplan is to set up sound industrial relations respecting the principles of state ideology. A multidisciplinary review was undertaken of the industrial relations situation in the country and recommendations were made for the adaptation of the labour law to meet the changing economic and social needs of the country, and for the strengthening of the industrial relations system to comply with basic principles and conditions -- taking into account national development, culture and traditions. Specific recommendations covered the development of wage determination procedures, the independence and autonomy of workers' and employers' organizations and the promotion of productivity improvements and workers' protection through better working conditions. An ILO-Ministry of Manpower Workshop, which met in July 1995, approved the report containing these recommendations.
The South-East Asia Multidisciplinary Advisory Team worked closely with the social partners to strengthen their capacity to take part in, and respond to, economic reforms. It participated in a series of workshops with employers' organizations in the Philippines on changing patterns of industrial relations in a globalized economy. A number of workshops and discussions were also held with workers' organizations in the Philippines on issues related to structural adjustment and the increased flexibility of labour markets. A national tripartite seminar was held in Papua New Guinea in August-September 1995 on labour-management cooperation and consultation at the workplace. A joint statement adopted at the meeting called for the revitalization of the National Tripartite Consultative Council and for increased cooperation and consultation at the industry and enterprise levels.
The development of small and micro-enterprises continued to be widely acknowledged in the subregion as an important factor in employment growth. In Papua New Guinea, assistance was provided to the Small Business Development Corporation for the establishment of entrepreneurship development programmes through self-financing arrangements. Skill development programmes were also launched in the timber, textiles and food-processing industries. A programme was prepared for the development of self-employment and micro-enterprises in Indonesia in support of the expanded role given to the Ministry of Cooperatives and Small Enterprises. A national seminar was also organized in Indonesia in November 1995 on a productivity improvement strategy. The seminar made recommendations for future action and identified the technical assistance required. In the Philippines, the ILO made recommendations for the restructuring of the services provided for small enterprises through the Department of Trade and Industry. The Government accepted the recommendations and took the first steps in establishing a Small Business Promotion Corporation with 24 provincial centres for the provision of assistance, including training and business advisory services, to micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises. Metro Manila was one of the cities covered by the interdepartmental project on the informal sector. The results of the project were discussed at a City Seminar held in November 1995, which adopted recommendations for strengthening and recognizing the role of the informal sector in economic development. (More details on the interdepartmental project are to be found in Chapter 2 of this report.)
The improvement of working conditions and workers' protection was also recognized as a priority concern by governments in the subregion, particularly in relation to small enterprises. Activities were undertaken in a number of countries to apply the ILO's Work Improvements in Small Enterprises (WISE) methodology. In the Philippines, training and awareness materials were developed and a network of WISE trainers was established in four regions. Workshops were held with small entrepreneurs, who implemented a large number of improvements. Encouraged by these results, the Government has decided to implement the project nationwide using national resources. WISE trainers were also prepared and workshops organized in Indonesia. Assistance in establishing an Indonesian occupational safety and health information network was also provided and training delivered to employers and trade union trainers on occupational safety and health issues. In the Philippines, occupational safety and health seminars concerning miners and workers in hotels and restaurants were held. In Indonesia, a policy review was carried out on occupational safety and health and working conditions. A strategy was recommended which included: the revision and effective enforcement of the relevant legislation; the organization of training, information and research; the strengthening of employers' and workers' organizations; and improved protection for the most vulnerable workers, including women and child workers. At a national workshop held in May 1995, the report setting out the strategy was adopted and priority areas for national action were identified. In June 1994 a tripartite workshop was held in Papua New Guinea on the application of
Homeworkers in the Philippines
Homeworkers in the Philippines, the overwhelming majority of whom
are women, are engaged in the production, assembly and packaging of a wide
range of products and services. They often work under difficult conditions and,
until recently, were outside the scope of the labour legislation.
For a number of years, the ILO has been carrying out a project to raise the
status of homeworkers, promote employment opportunities for them, improve their
productivity and extend their coverage by social and legal protection. An
organization of women homeworkers, PATAMABA, which was established in the early
years of the project, has now developed a country-wide network of close to
5,000 members in 28 provinces. Following lobbying by PATAMABA, with support
from the Department of Labour and Employment and other public agencies, an
Order was adopted bringing homeworkers within the scope of the labour
legislation.
Under the project, further support was given to PATAMABA through training
activities, under which some 400 of its members were trained at both the local
and central levels in such skills as bookkeeping, leadership and strategic
planning. Training booklets were produced in the local language and 26 trainers
were given instruction so that training activities could continue.
Assistance was provided to develop and diversify the activities of the
homeworkers, including the creation of a revolving fund to give them access to
credit. Homeworkers were provided with assistance in obtaining raw materials
and in the marketing of their products. A market survey was carried out as a
result of which some 500 retazo workers, who make articles from waste
cloth from garment factories, identified a market for cleaning cloths, gloves
and shoe covers. By developing their organizational and managerial structure,
they were able to obtain raw materials at lower prices and market their
products directly, thereby missing out the middlemen.
PATAMABA has also been active in providing advice to its members on safety and
health issues and in exploring ways of extending social protection to them. |
With a view to the promotion of equality issues, workshops were organized in the Philippines on equal opportunities and treatment in employment and on sexual harassment. In Indonesia, a seminar was held on women's employment issues in the formal sector. A project was also implemented during the biennium to improve the situation of homeworkers, the vast majority of whom are women (see box). The issue of equalizing job opportunities for persons with disabilities was particularly topical in the Philippines during the biennium. Following the signing of the Social Pact on Equalization of Employment Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities, technical support was provided for the national workshop held in September 1995 to promote the integration of persons with disabilities into training for employment. Both Indonesia and the Philippines are participating countries in the ILO International Programme for the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC). A number of action programmes were carried out in Indonesia during the biennium under the auspices of IPEC. In May 1994, in the Philippines, a national planning workshop on child labour was held which established a framework for action in this field; it identified a highly focused approach to the problem of child labour, with certain groups of children being designated by national participants as warranting priority attention.
South Asia Multidisciplinary Advisory Team
The South Asia Multidisciplinary Advisory Team, which is composed of 12 technical advisors, is located in New Delhi and covers Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Country objectives reviews were undertaken in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.While there are differences in the specific nature of the problems and issues faced by the countries covered by the team, the major problems present many common features. Despite moderate levels of economic growth in most of the countries, they still suffer from high levels of unemployment, underemployment and poverty. The economic reforms and structural adjustment measures applied by most of the countries in question have created new challenges in respect of the problems of poverty and unemployment. To be effective, their human resource development systems must take up fresh challenges to develop skills for rural employment and promote self-employment and entrepreneurship. They must also respond more effectively to the training requirements of industry, the need for retraining due to industrial restructuring and the skills needs of women and young persons.
Levels of social protection remain low in many countries, particularly for workers in the informal sector. This is aggravated by a generalized lackof awareness of the importance of occupational health and safety considerations, as well as by the widespread use of child labour and various forms of discrimination against women, indigenous and ethnic groups and migrant workers. Despite the renewed emphasis placed by employers' organizations on human resource development and managerial skills, and by workers' organizations on basic workers' rights, industrial relations continue on the whole to be characterized by confrontation -- particularly in view of the new challenges created by economic reforms and the need to review disputes settlement procedures.
In view of the high levels of poverty and unemployment in the countries of South Asia, one of the major objectives of the team's work was to assist constituents formulate and implement employment promotion and poverty alleviation policies and programmes. A multidisciplinary mission visited Nepal at the Government's request to outline employment strategies and draw up programmes for various sectors of the economy. A review of employment policies in the informal sector was carried out in Bangladesh as a basis for the design of policies and programmes. In this respect emphasis was placed on the involvement of the social partners. A tripartite seminar was held in Pakistan in November 1995 on national employment policies as a basis for the design of action programmes. In India, a tripartite national workshop held in 1994 discussed a report on poverty and economic policies in India. The report not only analysed national experience with employment-generation and poverty alleviation programmes but also reviewed current economic reforms and proposed policies to mitigate their adverse effects. A multidisciplinary survey was also undertaken of employment security, wage policy and the safety net as a prelude to the design of practical measures to protect those likely to be affected by reforms. In Pakistan, a report on the implications of privatization -- which is the cornerstone of this country's reform programme -- concentrated on the employment, retraining and social protection measures that could be adopted to minimize the negative social consequences of this process. The report was discussed by the ILO's constituents and the Government has expressed its willingness to implement some of its recommendations.
As in other regions, the promotion of small and micro-enterprises plays a very important role in employment generation and poverty alleviation in South Asia. The economic reforms being carried out in the Asian region have important implications on the environment faced by small enterprises. To examine these implications and make recommendations for the creation of a more conducive policy environment for such enterprises, a regional tripartite workshop was organized in 1995. The recommendations of the meeting were followed up through advisory services and projects. A survey of small and micro-enterprises in Sri Lanka, which was submitted to a high-level national workshop in 1994, outlined a comprehensive package of assistance to small industries -- including credit, institutional coordination, technology and skill development. Some of the recommendations were reflected by the plan of action drawn up by the Government to establish new mechanisms for the promotion and development of enterprises. A project was also launched in India, Nepal, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand to promote entrepreneurship among women (see Chapter 3 for more details).
In view of the low level of education and skills in the countries of South Asia, and the new challenges faced by vocational training systems, a major objective of the South Asia Multidisciplinary Advisory Team was to assist constituents in the formulation of human resource development strategies and skill training programmes. In Nepal a comprehensive review of the vocational training system was undertaken and recommendations submitted, including a number of proposed action programmes which are likely to be implemented in the near future. Technical advisory services on vocational training in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka also led to the planning of important reforms in the vocational training systems in some of these countries.
Work continued during the biennium to promote the ratification and implementation of international labour standards as a basis for the promotion of democracy and basic workers' rights. Advice was provided to constituents on all aspects of standards and the supervisory machinery, including technical assistance to Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka in relation to comments made by the Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations. This work resulted in some progress in the ratification of Conventions. In Bangladesh, for example, priority is being given -- with tripartite support -- for the ratification of the Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138). The Government of Nepal ratified the Tripartite Consultation (International Labour Standards) Convention, 1976 (No. 144). A tripartite workshop on international labour standards also made a unanimous recommendation for the ratification of Convention No. 138 and the principal standards on freedom of association. In India, following a meeting of the Tripartite Committee on Conventions, the Government agreed to ratify the Maximum Weight Convention, 1967 (No. 127), and the Merchant Shipping (Minimum Standards) Convention, 1976 (No. 147).
The promotion of tripartism was an important aspect of the team's work to promote democracy, which included activities to encourage harmonious industrial relations and build up the capacities of employers' and workers' representatives. A tripartite training workshop on industrial relations, held in Nepal in December 1995, focused on disputes settlement, the linking of wages to productivity and international labour standards. The assistance provided to employers' organizations concentrated on productivity improvement, human resource management, industrial relations and international labour standards. Activities for workers' organizations covered a range of issues, including tripartism and industrial relations, the response of trade unions to economic reforms, child labour, social protection and international labour standards. In Nepal and Pakistan, seminars were organized for trade union representatives to enhance their understanding of economic reforms and develop action to minimize adverse social repercussions of these reforms. In Sri Lanka a national seminar for trade unions was held on the impact of the Conventions ratified by the country. One of the recommendations of the seminar was that a tripartite body should be set up to review national legislation in the light of ILO Conventions.
A series of activities was designed to raise awareness and propose measures to improve the situation of women in South Asia. A multidisciplinary mission visited the Baluchistan province of Pakistan to review the situation of women in respect of training, employment and micro-enterprise development. As a result of the mission, two action programmes were drawn up to improve the vocational skills of women in the province. A survey was also undertaken in India on the social protection of the informal sector, with particular emphasis on women. The findings of the survey were discussed by a tripartite workshop and an action programme was formulated. A national workshop was also organized with workers' organizations in Pakistan on the elimination of discrimination against rural women. As a follow-up to the workshop, a draft report was prepared on women and employment legislation in Pakistan and its recommendations were discussed at a national seminar.
Europe
ILO activities in Europe during the biennium were dominated by the reform process in the transition countries of Central and Eastern Europe. This is a region in which many countries have, over the past five years, transformed their political systems to liberal democracy and undergone a transition from a centrally planned economy to a market system. Most of these countries are still seeking to establish the institutions and policies necessary to sustain the reform process. It has become clear that, in addition to a package of economic reforms, there must be a pluralism of independent social actors to steer the economy in order to achieve high growth rates while avoiding excessive social hardship and inequities.Most of the operational activities in the region are described under the Central and Eastern Europe Multidisciplinary Advisory Team. The European region also includes countries not covered by the team, particularly in Central Asia and Transcaucasia. The activities carried out in these countries are described at the end of the section on the multidisciplinary advisory teams.
Central and Eastern Europe Multidisciplinary Advisory Team
The Central and Eastern Europe Multidisciplinary Advisory Team, with seven technical advisers, is located in Budapest and covers the following 18 countries: Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the Republic of Moldova, Poland, Romania, the Russian Federation, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine. Country objectives were drawn up for four countries.At the core of institutional reforms of the labour market is the emergence of new roles for governments and the organizations of employers and workers. By way of illustration, wages and other benefits, which were formerly fixed by the central government authorities, are now determined through negotiations between the parties concerned. Responsibility for occupational safety and health has shifted from trade unions to governments. Yet the ILO's constituents were unprepared for these new roles and still suffer from limited capacities and technical competence. In many countries in the region, there have been frequent changes of government. Government employees tend to be poorly paid and turnover rates are high. Moreover, competence on labour and social questions is often fragmented and split between several ministries and parastatal agencies. In most countries in the subregion, various organizations compete for the collective representation of workers and employers. Both trade unions and employers' organizations are experiencing difficulties in attracting new members, especially among small enterprises and in new economic sectors.
Constituents require assistance in dealing with the numerous and urgent problems accompanying transition, chief among which is the sharp fall in employment as a result of the decline in production in nearly all the countries in the subregion. Hidden and open unemployment has risen, informal economic activities are expanding, real wages have fallen and poverty has assumed significant proportions. Despite the return of economic growth, social problems remained serious during the period under review, and continued to worsen in some cases. The situation was aggravated by the fact that 14 out of the 18 countries covered by the team did not exist as independent nations prior to 1990. During the biennium, the work of the team therefore concentrated on reorienting constituents throughout the subregion to guide them in their new roles and assist them in the development of the new institutions required by a democratic society and a market economy. Technical support included assistance in the adaptation of labour legislation, the development of labour administration, labour inspection and employment services, the establishment and reinforcement of tripartite machinery and the building of effective social protection systems.
With a view to providing guidance and building the capacity of the government services responsible for labour and social issues, a regional seminar on modern labour administration development was held in Cyprus in October 1994 and 1995 for Central and Eastern European countries. A seminar was also organized in St. Petersburg in September 1995 on labour administration in the CIS countries. A large number of training activities were carried out at the Turin Centre, both for government officials and workers' and employers' representatives. In the field of labour inspection the aim was to establish government-run inspection services with the involvement of the social partners. This aim was pursued by the provision of advisory services and the holding of a subregional conference on cooperation in labour inspection in the Baltic States in Riga in April 1995. In view of the importance of labour market information and statistics as a basis for sound policy-making, considerable emphasis was placed on capacity-building in this field. In addition to advisory services, a regional conference on the restructuring of labour statistics in transition countries was organized in Belarus in September 1994.
The new-found independence of so many of the countries in the region required considerable assistance from the ILO in the revision and adaptation of labour legislation. To help meet the needs of member States in the subregion, the ILO also assisted in the organization of a process of self-help between constituents. An example of cross-country assistance during the biennium included cooperation between the Hungarian Ministry of Labour and the Albanian Government in the field of wages and incomes policy. The Polish Ministry of Labour, with assistance from the Turin Centre, also provided training for labour administrators at its training centre near Warsaw.
As a contribution to the development of tripartism, projects were carried out to strengthen the employers' and workers' organizations of Central and Eastern Europe. These concentrated on broadening and reinforcing the capacities of these organizations to participate in collective organization and action. Employers' organizations in the region were surveyed and provided with practical advice on organizational and policy matters. Given that they represented an entirely new concept in former centrally planned economies, this work sometimes involved the basic task of explaining the fundamental role of employers' organizations and why they were needed in a democratic society. Capacity-building activities for workers' organizations concentrated on assisting them establish information systems and workers' education programmes. Materials were provided, assistance was supplied in the development of managerial capacity, and training was organized on issues ranging from privatization to collective bargaining, social security, occupational safety and health and multinational enterprises.
The development of employers' and workers' organizations provided a basis for the team's work of promoting social dialogue and cooperative industrial relations systems. The team closely monitored, evaluated and supported the progress made in this respect, particularly through the organization of tripartite seminars and other meetings. By way of illustration, a seminar on tripartism and sound industrial relations was held for
Social dialogue and industrial restructuring in Ostrava
Coal and steel production has traditionally formed the industrial
backbone of the Ostrava region of the Czech Republic. The industry has
undergone a period of deep-rooted restructuring during the country's transition
to a market economy. Yet the region has made surprising economic progress and
is widely acknowledged to be a successful example of restructuring.
Throughout this period, the ILO provided technical assistance to the social
partners on issues related to restructuring and the improvement of the
industrial relations environment. This assistance took the form of advice on
industrial relations, personnel policies and remuneration systems. It also
involved organizing exchanges of experience from Western European countries on
different approaches to workforce reduction, pay policy and enterprise reform,
with a view to providing government officials, employers and trade union
representatives with a wider choice of feasible options.
The regional economic structure has diversified and the labour market
situation stabilized. Small and medium-sized enterprises have mushroomed
throughout the region, absorbing most of the displaced or voluntary departing
workers from larger enterprises. This has been partly due to the emphasis
placed on tripartite consultation and consensus building in respect of
industrial adjustment, which has led to the adoption of a constructive approach
to privatization, restructuring and downsizing by the trade unions of the large
enterprises.
More recently, the industrial climate has become tenser in view of the
forthcoming mergers or closures of coalmines and expected job losses from
further privatization. The Central and Eastern Europe Multidisciplinary
Advisory Team has been requested to continue monitoring developments in the
region and advising the social partners through the next critical stage of
adjustment. |
Russian constituents in Moscow in April 1995. This was followed up by the organization of a tripartite study tour to Belgium and the Netherlands. Constituents in Hungary were informed of international systems and techniques for the mediation of disputes at a conference organized in Budapest in May 1995. A subregional seminar on the role of workers' and employers' organizations in privatization was held in Slovakia in May 1994 for constituents from the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. Courses were organized at the Turin Centre for government officials and representatives of the social partners on collective bargaining and the settlement of labour disputes. Wide-ranging support was also provided for the development of tripartite approaches to economic and industrial restructuring. Projects were carried out in the regions of Spisska Nova Ves in Slovakia, Ivanovo in the Russian Federation and Ostrava-Karnina in the Czech Republic (see box). In each case, help was provided to initiate and strengthen the participation of the social partners in the design and implementation of restructuring policies. Similar projects were launched in Hungary and Albania. In the context of these activities, the Fifth European Regional Conference, held in Warsaw from 20 to 27 September 1995, held a plenary discussion on the strengthening of tripartite structures for the development of active employment policy. By adopting resolutions on employment and tripartism and on ways to ensure the independence of employers' and workers' organizations and facilitate their financing, it provided useful guidance for future activities in this field.
During the biennium, constituents in Central and Eastern Europe received advice and technical assistance for the implementation of labour market and employment policies in the context of restructuring. By way of example assistance was provided for labour market programmes in the Czech Republic and Slovakia and amendments proposed to the Employment Act in the Russian Federation. Assistance was also given to studies on women workers and a project was undertaken on the rights of women in Hungary. A subregional seminar was organized in Potsdam in October 1994 on privatization in agriculture, and training courses were provided at the Turin Centre on promotional services for small and medium-sized enterprises. Support was also supplied for the development of wages and incomes policies. The advisory services provided in this respect emphasized the need for policies which reflect economic conditions, are responsive to the basic requirements of workers and serve as tools to boost productivity and competitiveness. Work in this field culminated in the holding of a regional tripartite symposium in Budapest in November-December 1995. The symposium reviewed experience with various forms of wages and incomes policies and set out to promote negotiated wage policies in Central and Eastern Europe.
The activities carried out to assist in the development of effective systems of social protection had to take into account the background of heated argument that the prevailing level of social spending was too high and was crippling desperately needed economic growth. The assistance provided in the various countries of the region in this respect included research and policy formulation, support for the implementation of reforms and training for the staff of national social protection systems. In cooperation with the Turin Centre, curricula were developed for staff training in Slovakia and Bulgaria, which served as a standard format for skill development activities in other countries in the region. As a basis for this work, a tripartite seminar was organized in March 1994 in Cyprus on tripartite management of social security systems in Central and Eastern Europe.
ILO activities in Central Asia, Transcaucasia and other countries
The Central Asian Republics (Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan) and the Transcaucasian Republics (Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia) have become Members of the ILO in recent years. The activities carried out in these countries followed similar priorities to those undertaken in Central and Eastern European countries. Emphasis was placed on developing and strengthening the capacities of constituents, including the officials of labour administrations and representatives of the social partners. Training was provided for labour administrators from Azerbaijan and a study visit was organized for employment service officials from Uzbekistan. Advisory services were provided in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan on ways to deal with issues related to migration for employment. Seminars were held in Kazakstan on tripartism and workers' education. Advisory missions were also undertaken to all the countries in the subregion to assist in the development of labour statistics systems. A training course on labour statistics was held in Turkey in September 1994 for constituents from the Central Asian and Transcaucasian Republics. Assistance was provided with the reform of labour law in Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.A series of activities was designed to promote employment through the development of small enterprises and self-employment. These activities included a subregional seminar on small enterprise development held in Uzbekistan in April 1994 for Central Asian countries. A national seminar on the same subject was organized in Azerbaijan, and a project was carried out for the promotion of small enterprises and self-employment in several districts of Kazakstan. Under the project, advisory services were provided, training activities organized and study visits undertaken to strengthen the capacity of the employment services to play an effective role in promoting small enterprises and self-employment. The project also included retraining courses for unemployed workers in various regions, covering rural activities, handicrafts and catering services. These training activities were based on the "Start your Business" and "Improve your Business" training materials and methodologies.
Other countries in which activities were carried out included Turkey, Malta and the Islamic Republic of Iran. In Turkey, several action programmes were implemented under the International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC), and a large training project was executed in the hotel and tourism sector. The ILO was also selected to implement a large World Bank project on social security reform in Turkey. The Maltese Government was provided with assistance in the fields of unemployment registration and occupational safety and health. In the Islamic Republic of Iran, a survey was carried out on small enterprise development and the ILO contributed to a national seminar on employment as a basic factor of development. Technical advisory services were provided in the areas of vocational training, occupational safety and health and social security. A project on vocational rehabilitation was also completed during the biennium.
Notes (1).Report on the design of policies and programmes for growth and employment in the non-formal sectors in Zimbabwe, 1995.
(2).Training in transition: Review of issues and options in vocational education and training in the occupied Palestinian territories, Jerusalem, 1994.
(3).Panorama Laboral, 1994, and Panorama Laboral, 1995, Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean.
(4).Hacia la consolidacion organizativa and Género y microempresa, by M.A. Castiglia, 1995.
(5).Manual de oriéntación profesional y laboral para mujeres, 1994.
(6).Viet Nam: Labour and social issues in a transition economy, Bangkok, 1995.
(7).Protecting and saving lives at work: The
emerging challenge in Asia, Bangkok, 1994; Preventive measures in
hazardous occupations in Asia: A guide, Bangkok, 1994; and Preventing
major industrial accidents in Asia: A guide, Bangkok, 1994.
