ILO in the media
2013
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Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC)
ILO meets with social partners in Bangladesh following building collapse
04 May 2013
CBC news reports on the ILO visit to Dhaka to meet with government, workers and employers organizations following the collapse of the Rana Plaza building, which resulted in deaths and serious injury of hundreds of garment workers. Speaking at a press conference, the ILO's Deputy Director-General for Field Operations, Gilbert Houngbo, described Bangladesh as a victim of its own success with rapid manufacturing growth creating the need for a new "modus operandi".
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Al Jazeera English
Bangladesh building collapse tragedy could easily have been avoided, says ILO
03 May 2013
The challenge is for concrete action to be taken now, said the ILO's Deputy Director-General for Field Operations, Gilbert Houngbo in a live interview from Dhaka, with Al Jazeera English Newshour. This will include passing a new labour law in Bangladesh, inspecting over 3500 factories, and importantly, creating a different working environment, where workers, employer and government are in dialogue to prevent any such future tragedies.
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ABS-CBN News Channel
Creating a competitive labour force in the Philippines
01 May 2013
ABS-CBN News Channel's Inside Business with Coco Alcuaz interviewed Lawrence Jeff Johnson, Director of the ILO Country Office for the Philippines, and former Labour and Employment Secretary, Mr Bienvenido Laguesma, as part of Labour Day 2013. Mr. Johnson talked about achieving sustained and inclusive growth through decent and productive work. He further highlighted the need to address vulnerable employment and to enhance productivity and competitiveness in the Philippines.
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BBC World News
ILO on ground in Dhaka presses the government to make changes
01 May 2013
ILO's Deputy Director General for Field Operations, Gilbert Houngbo, pushes for reforms in Bangladesh on freedom of association and collective bargaining to ensure that individuals "do have possibility to negotiate better working conditions" in the field of labour. Mr. Huongbo, in an interview with BBC World News, emphasises the need for reform of labour laws in Bangladesh at the highest levels of government, to make sure that changes will be adopted quickly.
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CNN Quest Means Business
ILO's Director General says "Everything can be done to change the situation" in Bangladesh
01 May 2013
The Bangladesh disaster will happen again "if action is not taken now", affirmed ILO's Director General Guy Ryder. Mr. Ryder, speaking to CNN's Richard Quest, urged authorities to take action for necessary measures. While everybody has a role to play in making these changes happen, it is "in the governments capacity" to implement a plan that will adopt a legislation in the field of labour.
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BBC World Business Report
ILO's Deputy Director General, Gilbert Houngbo, called for new labour law addressing occupational safety in Bangladesh
01 May 2013
The ILO's high-level mission to Bangladesh is pressing the Government to take action that will improve the working conditions of the garment business that makes up 80% of the country's $24 billion export industry. ILO's Deputy Director General for Field Operations, Gilbert Houngbo, told BBC World Business Report that there is a "need for much higher political commitment" and the root causes can be accounted to the need for labour law, freedom of association, and collective bargaining among the field of labour.
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CNN Quest Means Business
Europe must "Step off the Austerity Pedal", says ILO's Director General
01 May 2013
Talking to CNN's Richard Quest, ILO's Director General, Guy Ryder, said that it is now urgent that Europe holds back on austerity and focus more on employment measures. Ryder said that there is space and money to put into the economy, next step is the policy changes that will allow us to see positive outcomes for 2014.
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CNN Freedom Project
ILO estimates 600,000 forced labour victims in the Middle East
08 April 2013
In an interview with CNN's Freedom Project, ILO's Beate Andrees spoke to Hala Gorani about forced labour in the region, and some of the challenges in combating it. One such challenge mentioned, was the sponsorship system set up years ago, which may create a "disproportionate power between workers and employers". Better enforcement of laws was also highlighted as a way of better protecting migrant workers.
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CNN World Business Today
1 in 300 workers in Middle East are found "victim" of forced labour, alerts the ILO
07 April 2013
The Middle East may represent an opportunity for some migrant workers, it can be something more "sinister" for others . A report from the ILO, titled 'Tricked and Trapped', estimates that in a region where 70% of the work force is made up of migrant workers, 1 in 300 are victims of forced labour. ILO's Beate Andrees, spoke to CNN World Business Today, explaining how workers are deceived about their employment conditions right from the moment they are recruited.
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CNN
ILO Chief on Eurozone unemployment - "We can expect worse to come"
02 April 2013
As Eurozone unemployment hit an historic high at 12 percent, ILO Director-General Guy Ryder said that while that figure was very disturbing, it was not surprising and would probably get worse unless more was done to put in place policies to promote employment. He went on to say that youth unemployment figures are "absolutely catastrophic" at over 50 percent and the governments have to do more to get the austerity balance right.