ILO's five flagship programmes

The ILO has integrated many of its existing technical projects into five flagship programmes, designed to

enhance the efficency and impact of its development cooperation with constituents on a global scale.

 Better Work improves working conditions and competitiveness of firms in the global garment

and footwear industry. The programme provides incentives for firms to improve their compliance

with labour standards and helps national constituents to play a stronger role in governing their

labour markets.

 The Programme on Social Protection Floors (SPFs) for All acts to extend social protection to

the 5 billion people who are partially covered or living without social protection and the dignity it

affords.

 IPEC+ aims to provide robust evidence based policy advice for countries working to eliminate

forced labour and child labour.

 The Global Action for Prevention on Occupational Safety and Health (GAP-OSH

programme) aims to improve the health and safety of workers in small and medium sized

enterprises through fostering a global culture of prevention.

 The Programme on Jobs for Peace and Resilience focuses on employment generation,

especially for young people, in conflict affected and disaster prone countries.

EU-wide legislation adopted to improve working conditions in the fishing sector

On 19 December the Council of the EU formally adopted the EU Directive giving legal effect to an

agreement negotiated by the European social partners to implement the ILO Work in Fishing Convention,

2007 (No. 188).

BRUSSELS (ILO News) - The Council of the EU has adopted a proposal of the Commission

which transposes a social partners’ agreement regarding the implementation of ILO Convention

No. 188 into EU law.

Several years ago, the Association of National Organisations of Fishing Enterprises

(Europêche), the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF), and the General

Confederation of Agricultural Cooperatives in the EU (COGECA) reached an agreement which

proposed to align EU law with key provisions of the ILO Work in Fishing Convention No.188.

The EU institutions have now transformed this agreement into binding legislation for the 28 EU

Member States. The EU Directive will apply to all fishers employed on fishing vessels flying the

flag of an EU Member State, including when operating outside EU waters.

“I welcome today’s decision by the Council to transform the social partners’ agreement on the

implementation of the ILO Work in Fishing Convention into an EU Directive. This represents an

important contribution to the global efforts aimed at improving the working conditions of fishers -

both men and women”, ILO Director-General Guy Ryder said.

The Work in Fishing Convention includes a comprehensive set of labour standards covering

such issues as medical care at sea, written work agreements, mandatory crew lists, safety,

health, food, accommodation, rest time and repatriation. Its provisions help prevent

unacceptable forms of work in the sector, including forced labour, child labour and abuses in the

recruitment and placement process. So far, ILO Convention No. 188 has been ratified by 10

countries, and both the Convention and the EU Directive will enter into force on 16 November

2017.

The fishing sector is estimated to directly employ about 38 million workers worldwide, while

working on board fishing vessels has been recognized by the ILO as one of the most hazardous

occupations.
Uzbekistan ratifies the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize Convention, 1948

(No.87)

Uzbekistan becomes the 154th member State of the ILO to ratify this Fundamental Convention

News | 16 December 2016

On 12 December 2016, Uzbekistan deposited the instrument of ratification of the Freedom of

Association and Protection of the Right to Organize Convention, 1948 (No. 87) , thereby

becoming the 154th member State of the ILO to ratify this Fundamental Convention.

This ratification is of particular importance for the ILO as Europe and Central Asia has now

become the first ILO Region to have ratified all eight ILO Fundamental Conventions. The

Region covers 51 countries.

On receiving the instrument of ratification, the Director of the International Labour Standards

Department very much welcomed this ratification, which is a testimony to Uzbekistan’s strong

commitment on its way to promoting and implementing fundamental rights at work. This

commitment is confirming the intensified cooperation between Uzbekistan and the ILO in the

framework of the Decent Work Country Programme, which was signed in 2014.

This ratification also underlines the particular importance of Convention 87 amongst ILO

member States, affirming the role of freedom of association as a crucial enabling right for the

achievement of decent work.

Convention 87 on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize grants to

workers and employers the right to establish and join organizations of their own choosing in

order to further and defend their own interests.

Sri Lanka ratifies the ILO Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC, 2006)

Sri Lanka is the 81st ILO member State and the 16th Asian State to have ratified the Convention

On 12 January 2016, the Government of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka

deposited with the International Labour Office the instrument of ratification of the Maritime

Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC, 2006) . Sri Lanka is the 81st ILO member State and the 16th

Asian State to have ratified the Convention.

In depositing the instrument of ratification, the Permanent Representative of the Democratic

Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka to the United Nations Office and other international organizations

in Geneva, stated: “Sri Lanka is committed to the creation of new job opportunities in

sustainable manner as envisaged in the Sustainable Development Agenda 2030 and

particularly, in line with the Government’s commitment to eradicate poverty and promote

inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all. Ambassador

Aryasinha also stated that Sri Lanka looks forward to working closely with the ILO for capacity

building, in particular, training in the areas of labour standards and labour inspection, for officers

in the Ministry of Labour of Sri Lanka”.

In receiving the instrument of ratification, Mr Guy Ryder, Director-General of the ILO stated:

“The ratification of Sri Lanka, located in a key position within the global liner shipping network,

brings one more important player in the Asia Pacific region within the scope of the MLC, 2006.

Such ratification proves once more that the Convention has sparked a new dynamic, as

countries now realize that the MLC, 2006 unavoidably impacts on the manner in which they

carry out maritime trade and that they have to align their laws and practice with the provisions of

the Convention. This ratification is all the more timely as it will allow Sri Lanka to improve labour

conditions for its more than 22,000 seafarers and ensure that ships calling at its ports are

inspected in compliance with the requirements of the Convention thereby promoting quality

shipping and providing additional protection for seafarers transiting within its waters”.
The MLC, 2006 entered into force on 20 August 2013 for the first 30 member States that had

registered their ratification by 20 August 2012. The MLC, 2006 will enter into force for Sri Lanka

on 12 January 2018, that is, one year after its ratification. For more background information,

please visit the dedicated MLC, 2006 webpage .

Bangladesh Business and Disability Network to help boost disability inclusion

A new business network will support the practical needs of employers who are employing people with

disabilities or are willing to make their workplaces more disability inclusive.

News | 19 December 2016

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina declares the launch of the BBDN. Joining her (from left) are Shah

Mohamad Abu Zafar, Chairman, NCCWE; Salahuddin Kasem Khan, President BEF; Guy Ryder,

Director General ILO; Nurul Islam, Minister of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment;

Nurul Islam Nahid, Minister of Education; Md. Mujibul Haque, State Minister for Labour and

Employment and Siddiqur Rahman, President, BGMEA.©ILOThe Bangladesh Business

Disability Network (BBDN), is a voluntary group of representatives from business, non-

governmental and disabled peoples’ organizations with a primary purpose of helping people

with disabilities to find decent work and for employers to recruit staff with disabilities. The

network, which operates under the Bangladesh Employers Federation (BEF) was officially

launched by the Hon Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on 11 December 2016.

A workshop held in Dhaka today by the (BEF) and the Canadian-funded Bangladesh Skills for

Employment and Productivity (B-SEP) Project of the International Labour Organization (ILO)

introduced the BBDN to employers who are currently employing or willing to employ persons

with disabilities. By doing so it helped highlight the social and economic benefits of disability

inclusive industries for promoting growth and productivity.

Speaking at the event, Salahuddin Kasem Khan, President of the Bangladesh Employers’
Federation said, “Staff with disabilities bring skills and diversity to the workplace. Hiring them

helps foster greater social inclusion and above all, makes good business sense. The

Bangladesh Business Disability Network will play an important role in facilitating companies to

recruit and accommodate a more diverse workforce.”

Participants at the workshop heard how the BBDN could help their companies better

accommodate existing workers with disabilities. BBDN can also provide practical advice to

organizations wishing to start making their workforce more disability inclusive.

Amongst other activities the BBDN will help share knowledge and identify good practices among

companies and employers’ organizations related to hiring and retention of disabled persons. It

will help companies adhere to international and national labour standards related to disability

and provide advice on inclusion of disability issues into corporate policies and CSR

programmes.

Linkages will also be forged among companies, non-governmental organizations, governments,

employers' organizations, disabled people’s organizations and international agencies to

facilitate BBDN objectives at national level. This will help, for example, to bring together

companies which wish to make their workforce more diverse with potential staff.

The BBDN is based on ILO’s Global Business Disability Network which was formed in 2010 to

encourage greater disability inclusion in the workforce.

Wage inequality in the workplace

This new ILO Global Wage Report contributes to the United Nations 2030 Agenda for

Sustainable Development by making comparative data and information on recent wage trends

available to governments, social partners, academics and the general public. These trends

show that global real wage growth dropped sharply during the post-2008 economic crisis,

recovered in 2010, but has since decelerated.

More specifically, the report analyses the extent to which overall wage inequality is the result of

wage inequality between enterprises and wage inequality within enterprises