Question

Write a 1-2 page essay wherein you consider the effectiveness of the International Labor Organization (ILO) in regulating the activities of multinational businesses in the treatment of their employees, the payment of fair wages and the prevention of child labor.

Answer 1

ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL LABOR ORGANIZATION:-

The only tripartite U.N. agency, since 1919 the ILO brings together governments, employers and workers of 187 member States , to set labour standards, develop policies and devise programmes promoting decent work for all women and men.

INTERNATIONAL LABOR ORGANIZATION STANDARDS:-

International labour standards are first and foremost about the development of people as human beings.

In the ILO's Declaration of Philadelphia of 1944, the international community recognized that "labour is not a commodity". Indeed, labour is not like an apple or a television set, an inanimate product that can be negotiated for the highest profit or the lowest price. Work is part of everyone's daily life and is crucial to a person's dignity, well-being and development as a human being. Economic development should include the creation of jobs and working conditions in which people can work in freedom, safety and dignity. In short, economic development is not undertaken for its own sake but to improve the lives of human beings; international labour standards are there to ensure that it remains focused on improving human life and dignity.

INTERNATIONAL LEVEL ORGANIZATION HELPS IN FRAMING LEGAL FRAMEWORK AND DECENT WORK:-

Achieving the goal of decent work in the globalized economy requires action at the international level. The world community is responding to this challenge in part by developing international legal instruments on trade, finance, environment, human rights and labour. The ILO contributes to this legal framework by elaborating and promoting international labour standards aimed at making sure that economic growth and development go along with the creation of decent work. The ILO's unique tripartite structure ensures that these standards are backed by governments, employers, and workers alike. International labour standards therefore lay down the basic minimum social standards agreed upon by all players in the global economy.

THE SUM OF INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE:-

International labour standards are the result of discussions among governments, employers and workers, in consultation with experts from around the world. They represent the international consensus on how a particular labour problem could be tackled at the global level and reflect knowledge and experience from all corners of the world. Governments, employers' and workers' organizations, international institutions, multinational companies and non-governmental organizations can benefit from this knowledge by incorporating the standards in their policies, operational objectives and day-to-day action. The standards' legal character allows them to be used in the legal system and administration at the national level, and as part of the corpus of international law which can bring about greater integration of the international community.

Note 1 - OECD, OECD Skills Outlook 2013: First Results from the Survey of adult skills, Paris, OECD, 2013.
Note 2 - D. Kucera: "Core labour standards and foreign direct investment", in International Labour Review, Vol. 141, No. 1-2 (2002), pp. 31-70.
Note 3 - World of Work Report 2013 : Repairing the economic and social fabric, International Institute for Labour Studies, ILO, Geneva, 2013.
Note 4 - ILO: Transitioning from the informal to the formal economy, Report V(1) , International Labour Conference, 103rd Session, Geneva, 2014.

It regulates the activities of multinational businesses in the treatment of their employees,the payment of the fair wages and the prevention of child labour.

Fair labour practices set out in international labour standards and applied through a national legal system ensure an efficient and stable labour market for workers and employers alike.

In many developing and transition economies, a large part of the work- force is active in the informal economy. Moreover, such countries often lack the capacity to provide effective social justice. Yet international labour standards can be effective tools in these situations as well. Most standards apply to all workers, not just those working under formal work arrangements; some standards, such as those dealing with homeworkers, migrant and rural workers, and indigenous and tribal peoples, actually deal specifically with areas of the informal economy. The extension of freedom of association, social protection, occupational safety and health, vocational training, and other measures required by international labour standards have proved to be effective strategies in reducing poverty and bringing workers into the formal economy. Furthermore, international labour standards call for the creation of institutions and mechanisms which can enforce labour rights. In combination with a set of defined rights and rules, functioning legal institutions can help formalize the economy and create a climate of trust and order which is essential for economic growth and development.

INTERNATIONAL LABOR ORGANIZATION ON PREVENTION OF CHILD LABOR :-

Education for all cannot be achieved while child labour exists

The international community's efforts to achieve Education For All (EFA)  and the progressive elimination of child labour are inextricably linked. On the one hand, education is a key element in the prevention of child labour. Children with no access to quality education have little alternative but to enter the labour market, where they are often forced to work in dangerous and exploitative conditions. On the other hand, child labour is one of the main obstacles to EFA, since children who are working full time cannot go to school. In addition, the academic achievement of children who combine work and school often suffers. There is a strong tendency for these children to drop out of school and enter into full-time employment.

It is widely accepted by many organizations, including UNICEF , the World Bank , UNESCO  and the G8 Education Task Force , that education - and in particular, free and compulsory education of good quality up to the minimum age of entering into employment as defined by ILO Convention 138  - is a key element in the prevention of child labour.

The ILO is promoting EFA in the context of its Decent Work  campaign, not only as a meants to combat child labour, but also as part of its work to develop vocational and skills training, promote the status of teachers  and uphold their individual rights and the rights of their organizations.

For the goal of universal primary education to be reached by 2015 , governments will need not only to accelerate efforts to achieve EFA, but also to step up efforts to eliminate child labour. The prevention and elimination of child labour should be an integral part of education policy worldwide. The education sector has great potential to contribute to the elimination of child labour. The prevention and elimination of child labour should be an integral part of education policy development and reform worldwide.