August 2005

1. Publication

   Education for HIV/AIDS prevention at work in the Russian North

   01 August 2005

   Today, 1 385 people are registered with the Oblast Center for Preventing and Combating AIDS. In the northern Russian city of Murmansk, 1 out of every 100 men is HIV-positive, as is 1 out of every 200 women, aged 20 to 29. In December 2004, the International Labour Organization (ILO) and US Department of Labour launched a programme to bring education on HIV/AIDS prevention to the workplace.

2. Publication

   New ILO Report: A global alliance against forced labour

   01 August 2005

   Is forced labour a thing of the past? A major new ILO study, A global alliance against forced labour, reveals that not only is it a present-day issue, but it is also one of the most hidden problems of our era. The ILO estimates that 12.3 million people worldwide, half of them children, are trapped in forced labour. The study challenges conventional views about the issue and serves as a worldwide call to action against forced labour.

3. Publication

   Modern daddy: Norway's progressive policy on paternity leave

   01 August 2005

   After a baby is born, Mom is entitled to maternity leave, but what about Dad? Shouldn't he have some time off to adjust, too? Norway tops the European league table of family-friendly nations as far as new dads are concerned, and the government is now proposing to extend the "daddy quota" from four to five weeks, for exclusive use by the father.

4. News

   West African government, employer and labour leaders adopt new "roadmap" for migrant labour

   01 August 2005

July 2005

1. Article

   Decent food at work: Raising workers' productivity and well-being

   28 July 2005

   In the workplace, the main concerns of employers and trade unions seem to be safety, wages and job security. The question how do workers eat while at work is not always given much thought, according to a new ILO study. Too often the workplace meal programme is either an afterthought or not even considered by employers. But access to healthy food is as essential as protection from workplace chemicals or noise. The study demonstrates that good nutrition at work is good business leading to gains in productivity and worker morale, prevention of accidents and premature deaths, and reductions in health-care costs. Adequate nourishment can raise national productivity levels by 20 per cent and a 1 per cent kilocalorie (kcal) increase results in a 2.27 per cent increase in general labour productivity.

2. Article

   "Female future": employers' organizations address gender equity

   20 July 2005

   From Norway to New Zealand, via Croatia, Kenya, Jamaica, Malaysia and the Philippines, there is almost universal recognition that equality and educational opportunities for men and women and a better balance between work and family life are vital elements in achieving equality in employment. Though the situation of women varies considerably between countries, a new ILO study on employers' organizations addressing gender equity reveals that almost everywhere more could be done to promote effective gender equality in practice.

June 2005

1. Article

   93rd International Labour Conference Working hours around the world: balancing flexibility and protection

   13 June 2005

   In today's fast-moving world of virtual offices, home work and globalized commerce, are international labour standards on working time still needed? Yes, according to a study prepared by an ILO Commission of experts and delegates at the Organization's annual Conference. The Commission, an independent body monitoring the application of ILO standards, has concluded that international labour standards limiting working time are still necessary to contribute to fair competition between countries in a globalized world. Still, it is also clear that ILO Conventions Nos. 1 and 30 don't fully reflect modern realities in the regulation of working time and are viewed by an increasing number of countries as prescribing overly rigid standards. A panel of delegates to the Conference recently discussed the world of diversification, decentralization and individualization of working hours around the world.

May 2005

1. Article

   Fighting forced labour in Latin America

   18 May 2005

   The ILO estimate of the number of victims of forced labour in Latin America and the Caribbean is 1.3 million. Brazil has taken the lead in addressing the problem through its 2003 National Action Plan for the Eradication of Slavery, including the liberation of workers and measures to fight impunity. In 2004, countries like Bolivia, Peru and Paraguay also made important commitments against forced labour.

2. Article

   Global Report on Forced Labour In Asia: debt bondage, trafficking and state-imposed forced labour

   18 May 2005

   With an estimated 9.5 million, the Asia and Pacific region claims the highest number of people among the estimated 12.3 million victims of forced labour in the world today. The region is struggling against both traditional and newer forms of forced labour. An 8.1 million people are trapped in forced labour by means other than trafficking, primarily through debt bondage. But the region is also home to state-imposed forced labour in Myanmar. ILO online reviews the tragic reality of forced labour in Asia.

3. Article

   Forced labour in Africa: between poverty and tradition

   13 May 2005

   The ILO estimate of the number of victims of forced labour in sub-Saharan Africa is 660,000. In this region, the figure reflects the stubborn survival of traditional forms of servitude, but also relates to extreme poverty, a high incidence of child labour, and a context of severe political violence. Where armed conflicts and ethnic tensions have flared, nations have been confronted with the forced recruitment of child soldiers, abductions, and enslavement of whole segments of their population. ILO online draws a picture of forced labour in Africa.