2005

1. AROUND THE CONTINENTS

   01 April 2005

   A regular review of the International Labour Organization and ILO-related activities and events taking place around the world.

2. A tailor-made future for prosperity: Cambodia

   01 April 2005

   In the past few years, a great deal of progress has been made in improving the working conditions of textile factory workers in Cambodia. An ILO monitoring process has helped employers and workers create not only a safer working environment, but better working conditions. This article shows how this ILO project has lead to increases in productivity while boosting the credibility of the factories with international buyers.

3. 7th European Regional Meeting In Europe and Central Asia, a newly expanded social agenda

   01 April 2005

   The European Region of the ILO is vast, spanning Europe and Central Asia from the Atlantic to the Pacific, as well as a diversity of cultures and societies. Despite this, the 50 member States of the European Region found common ground for "a common future of democracy, economic prosperity and social justice" at the 7th ILO European Regional Meeting held in Budapest from 14 to 18 February.

4. Employment Services Centres in Afghanistan In Afghanistan, "Men who work, have no time to make war"

   30 March 2005

   An estimated 30 per cent of the Afghan work force is unemployed. In addition, approximately 100,000 ex-combatants are about to enter the labour market and hundreds of thousands of refugees are returning home. Though a vast majority (70-80 per cent) of them will return to their villages and find a livelihood in the agricultural sector, a considerable number will remain in urban areas and seek employment there, many without formal education and training. In response to the need for labour market services, the ILO in cooperation with the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs is establishing Employment Services Centres in Afghanistan.

5. After the tsunami Rebuilding lives: A first step to rebuilding a community

   23 March 2005

   The Indian Ocean tsunami took some one million lives in Sri Lanka and Indonesia alone, mostly among fishing, tourism and small business workers. In Sri Lanka, the disaster also cost some half a million persons their jobs – adding to the 750,000 already out of work. An ILO survey says half of those newly unemployed could be back at work before the end of the year – if adequate aid for reconstruction and repair of shattered work places as well as replacement of lost equipment is given ( Note 1). This report shows what challenges remain.

6. Labour inspectors: Killings in 2004 highlight the need for new preventive measures

   18 March 2005

   The killing of two labour inspectors in France and three inspectors and their driver in Brazil in the line of duty last year drew media headlines. But according to the ILO, these two extreme examples are only the tip of the iceberg as far as problems facing labour inspection are concerned. Last week, a high level ILO-European Union (EU) conference in Luxembourg called for a holistic approach to labour inspection which puts the workers' rights to decent working conditions into practice.

7. 7th European Regional Meeting To survive means to succeed

   15 March 2005

   After the democratic changes in October 2000, the Serbian economy opened up to the world. As a consequence, many local companies were unable to compete with foreign companies and had to close down. In 2001, the ILO started a local economic development project in South West Serbia followed by a new, more comprehensive one in 2004 covering South East Serbia. Such local economic development initiatives in Europe and Central Asia were also discussed at the recent European Regional Meeting of the ILO in Budapest, on 14-18 February. Serbian journalist Andreja Tomasevic reports.

8. 7th European Regional Meeting Apples and advocacy: the ILO boosts local capacity in Kazakhstan

   14 March 2005

   Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the agricultural infrastructure of Eastern European and Central Asian countries is slowly recovering from profound structural reforms. With the aim of creating new jobs and generating income for the local population, the ILO has launched a project to revitalize the local economy in Kazakhstan. Local economic development initiatives in the region ( Note 1) were also discussed at the recent European Regional Meeting of the ILO in Budapest, on 14-18 February.

9. 7th European Regional Meeting in Budapest In Central and Eastern Europe, gender "mainstreaming" gathers force

   09 March 2005

   In Norway, parents receive 12 months maternity leave - with mothers permitted nine months and fathers three - and moves are now afoot to introduce quotas for women's participation in company boards. In Central and Eastern Europe however, benefits haven't progressed this far, but the awareness of the special problems facing women in the world of work is growing. This report shows how efforts in gender "mainstreaming" are growing in the region.

10. 7th European Regional Meeting in Budapest New Social Dialogue in Central and Eastern Europe

    08 March 2005

    Social dialogue in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) mainly takes place at the national tripartite level and to a lesser extent at other levels, including the enterprise one. Bipartite social dialogue at the sectoral level remains relatively underdeveloped – in contrast to practices in Western Europe. Bridging the gap between these two levels has become an important goal for the European Union, which seeks to strengthen the social partners in new Member States so they can participate effectively in social dialogue at the sectoral, national, and EU level.