ILO anniversary

January 30, 2013

 Today, the International Labour Organization (ILO) and its members are celebrating the 94th anniversary of the Organization’s formation in 1919. The ILO is the oldest specialized agency of the United Nations (which was formed in 1946) and the only surviving major creation of the 1919 Treaty of Versailles.

On 30th January 1919 the Paris Peace Conference establishes the Commission on International Labour Legislation to draft the constitution of a permanent international labour organisation, founding the International Labour Organization (ILO).
Today, as part of the United Nations, the ILO is charged with drafting and overseeing international labour standards.

The ILO remains one of the most important institutions for trade unions to defend their rights and the only tri-partite UN agency where workers are represented, together with employers and governments.

Public Services International celebrates International Labour Standards and vows to continue working for the protection of workers’ rights.
In times of crisis, labour standards are more important than ever. PSI stands up for the interests of public sector workers from around the world.
http://www.world-psi.org/en/ilo-anniversary

ILO lauds Peru's efforts to promote youth employment

http://www.andina.com.pe/Ingles/noticia-ilo-lauds-perus-efforts-to-promote-youth-employment-445862.aspx

Lima, Feb. 02 (ANDINA). International Labour Organization (ILO) Director-General Guy Ryder has appreciated the efforts being made by Peru to promote job creation and training programs for low-income youth.

Ryder -who met Peruvian President Ollanta Humala in Lima on Friday- warned that there is a global crisis of youth employment and so he called on countries around the world, including Peru, to reverse this worrying situation.
"There is a huge challenge for societies seeking to improve living conditions, hence the importance of what is happening in Lima right now. Given the problems of youth unemployment it is necessary to introduce specific measures and it is clear that Peru is willing to face this challenge," he said.
After attending the graduation ceremony of 1,000 beneficiaries of the national youth employment program Jóvenes a la Obra (Youth Get to Work) at Peru's Government Palace, the ILO chief said that such initiatives are a priority in days of job losses.
Ryder noted that about 75 million young people around the world do not get a job and many others have to settle for informal jobs, with no rights or benefits.

Solidarity needed for Indonesian trade unionists

http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/53216
Trade union activist Sulthoni Farras, a leader of the Indonesian union federation Progresip, union alliance Sekber Buruh, and member of Indonesian political organisation KPO-PRP, is in danger of arrest for leading a strike last year. Another activist, Bona Ventura, may also face charges.
The Indonesian government and bosses are using these kinds of tactics against a growing workers’ movement in Indonesia.

Why union membership is declining

http://www.redbluffdailynews.com/ci_22506109/why-union-membership-is-declining
Would you want to work for an employer who ignores your contributions?

What about one who only promotes on seniority?

The answer to these questions explains why union membership keeps falling: unions have not adapted to the modern workplace.

Collective bargaining means one contract covers everyone. Such contracts do not reflect individual contributions. Instead unionized companies typically base promotions and raises on seniority, not merit. Unions designed this system for the industrial economy of the 1930s.

Today's knowledge economy looks quite different. Machines and computers automated many of the rote tasks of the industrial age. Most employers today value employees for their skills and abilities _ "human resources" _ instead of seeing them as interchangeable cogs on the assembly line. Employees also expect to be rewarded for what they bring to the table.

The sex and race workplace double whammy

http://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/features/WCMS_203525/lang--en/index.htm

Ethnic minority women face double discrimination in the workplace because of their race and their gender. Many fail at the application stage simply because of their names.

 GENEVA (ILO News) – When university graduate Jorden Berkeley, 22, began applying for a job, she was surprised to have no responses.

Born in the United Kingdom of Caribbean parentage, she never dreamed that her name might be a problem. But a careers adviser suggested that she begin using her more English-sounding middle name – Elizabeth – in her applications.