May 2004

1. News

   Note to correspondents: ILO Conference to discuss challenges of globalization and EU accession

   13 May 2004

   High-level representatives of workers, employers and governments from the Nordic and Baltic States and Poland are to meet in Vilnius, Lithuania, on 14 May to discuss regional aspects of globalization and EU accession issues

March 2004

1. Article

   New study: Balancing flexibility and security in Central and Eastern Europe

   04 March 2004

   A new study published by the ILO says that for many workers in the new Europe, post-Communist era reforms have meant more work and less job security. " Labour markets in transition: Balancing flexibility and security in Central and Eastern Europe" says that while labour market flexibility is increasing in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, workers also often face a sharp increase in open unemployment. As a result, these transition economies need to find a way to balance between more open labour markets and job and income security.

2. Publication

   International Women's Day 2004

   01 March 2004

   Before women had many rights, they at least had their day. The first recorded National Women's Day occurred in the United States in 1909. A year later, the Socialist International, meeting in Copenhagen, established a Woman's Day "to honor the movement for women's rights and to assist in achieving universal suffrage" ( Note 1). The following year, 1911, International Women's Day (IWD) was celebrated for the first time across Europe, demanding the right to work, vocational training and an end to discrimination.

3. Publication

   World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization: Globalization can and must change

   01 March 2004

   Can globalization change so its benefits are shared more equitably by people and countries? It not only can change, it must, says a new, groundbreaking report, presented to the ILO by the World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization. The Commission's report says building a fair and inclusive globalization must become a worldwide priority.

4. Publication

   Strangers in a foreign land - Migration's hidden risk: Increased child trafficking

   01 March 2004

   In many parts of the world, migration is adding a new dimension to the child labour problem, exposing many children to potential exploitation by traffickers. This article explains how migrants can fall into the trafficking trap and how the ILO is working to stop this worst form of child labour.

5. Publication

   Global Employment Trends 2004: Record joblessness, but relief may be on the way

   01 March 2004

   Despite a second-half economic recovery in 2003, global unemployment continued its relentless climb, hitting a new record of 185.9 million for men and women, rising especially sharply for young people. Meanwhile, the number of "working poor" remained at an all-time high of 550 million. A hopeless scenario? Not quite, says a new ILO report.

6. Publication

   In Quebec, labour-sponsored "Solidarity Funds" are generating jobs

   01 March 2004

   The success of the Quebec Federation of Labour Solidarity Fund is founded upon twin objectives. Its main goal is profit, yet the Fund promotes workers' rights, and training and development for employees. Fernand Daoust, former president of the administrative council of the Fund and now special counsellor to the president, explains the vision of a unique organization.

7. Publication

   Waiting in Correntes: Forced labour in Brazil

   01 March 2004

   In a small, dusty town in Brazil's Piaui State, the "escravos", or modern-day slaves, of Correntes are on the fault lines of forced labour. In this report, the ILO shows how they become ensnared in a trap of debt and coercion - as well as what the ILO, in collaboration with the Government of Brazil, is doing about their plight.

8. Publication

   Asbestos in the workplace: a difficult legacy

   01 March 2004

   Once used nearly universally for its fire-retardant qualities, asbestos - and the illnesses it causes - has become a major issue for the industries which used and produced it as well as individuals who contracted various diseases and cancers as a result of exposure in the workplace. Journalist Andrew Bibby examines the state of asbestos litigation today, and how workers and employers are facing up to the problem.

February 2004

1. Article

   New ILO report: Despite rising unemployment, cause for cautious optimism

   11 February 2004

   The 2004 Global Employment Trends report, released today by the ILO, paints a grim picture of rising global unemployment. But the annual jobs report sees signs of recovery. Here are questions and answers on the global employment picture, how this affects different people, and what solutions exist for employment generation.