Report
and conclusions of the Sixth European Regional Meeting
Introduction
- The Sixth European Regional Meeting of the ILO
was held in Geneva, Switzerland, from 12 to 15 December 2000.
- The Meeting was attended by 420 delegates and advisers
from 43 countries. They included 213 Government delegates, including
12 Ministers, 106 Employers’ delegates and 101 Workers’ delegates.
The Meeting was also attended by representatives of intergovernmental
and international organizations. Of the delegates and advisers attending
the Meeting, 312 were men and 108 were women.
I. Opening
ceremony
- The Meeting unanimously elected Ambassador Jean-Jacques
Elmiger, Chief of International Labour Affairs at the Ministry of
Economic Affairs of Switzerland, as Chairperson, and Mr. Ludek Rychlý,
Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Affairs of the Czech Republic,
Mr. Antonis Pierides (Employers’ delegate, Cyprus) and Mr. Marc
Blondel (Workers’ delegate, France) as Vice-Chairpersons.
- The Director-General of the International Labour
Office welcomed the delegations to the Meeting, and extended a special
welcome to the delegation of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia,
which had recently been admitted to membership of the ILO. He also
extended his thanks to Switzerland for hosting the Meeting and for
its support to the multilateral system. He recalled the importance
of regional meetings for the decent work agenda, and noted that
the heterogeneity and vastness of the European and Central Asian
region presented a particular challenge. Nonetheless, the region
was united in change, as many countries were making a transition
to democracy and the market economy, as well as facing globalization
and the information revolution. He also recalled that the ILO’s
roots were in Europe (14 out of 42 founding Members were European
States), and that in Europe the ILO’s goals and principles had most
widely become a reality.
- He noted that the European social model, which
was guided by the idea of social solidarity in a market economy,
faced the challenges of modernization and globalization. Furthermore,
European achievements could not be taken for granted; problems of
human trafficking and child labour were emerging in the region.
Nonetheless, it was heartening to witness regional mobilization
around these matters: to date, 42 European and Central Asian States
had ratified the Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138), and 14
had ratified the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No.
182). In many ways the future of social development in the global
economy was being played out in Europe. The world was eager to see
that countries with well-developed social protection systems as
in Europe could demonstrate success in terms of economic performance,
productivity and trade.
- The Director-General then outlined the role the
Organization might play in a region in which social integration
was already high. He mentioned the role of the ILO as a vehicle
for expressing Europe’s commitment to the developing world and as
a platform for Europe in the global policy-making agenda. Beyond
this, the ILO should also be an actor in the social and labour challenges
confronting European societies themselves. In the east and centre
of the region, the ILO had the priority task of assisting nations
grappling with economic transformation or those emerging from armed
conflict. In those nations preparing for accession to the European
Union (EU), ILO assistance in achieving this goal was a clear objective
as well. In the most advanced economies, the policy concerns of
the ILO’s decent work agenda remained highly relevant. These policy
objectives were: generating employment to ensure continued prosperity;
sustaining social protection in the face of demographic change and
increased global competition; promoting social dialogue and generating
consensus-based solutions through active tripartite participation;
and applying labour standards and fundamental principles and rights
at work. To achieve these goals, the ILO sought to strengthen its
cooperation with European institutions. The ILO was intent on strengthening
cooperative relations with the European Commission and the European
social partners and exploring joint actions which brought the ILO
together with constituents in new forms of dialogue to address "key
issues" in developed countries.
- The Director-General referred to the Report’s theme
of decent work in the information economy. The intention had been
to deal with an issue at the heart of the new economy, the prospects
for job creation and job destruction based on information and communications
technology and to address the problem of the digital divide within
and between countries. He observed that technological development
was irreversible but it was important to work towards ensuring that
the potential benefits were extended to many more people. Finally,
he called on the delegates to give the Office guidance on the way
forward on ICT and other issues in terms of their different realities
and within the context of decent work and the strategic objectives
agreed upon by the Conference and the Governing Body.
- Lord Russell-Johnston, President of the Council
of Europe Parliamentary Assembly, stated that he was honoured to
have been invited to speak at the Meeting. He highlighted the convergence
between the fields of activity and objectives of the ILO and those
of the Council of Europe and its Parliamentary Assembly. He elaborated
on the European Social Charter as perhaps the best-known and most
important example of such a shared field of activity.
- As regards the impact of information and communication
technologies in the world of work, Lord Russell-Johnston expressed
the view that new technologies had revolutionized forms of work
and working conditions at a high speed. While flexibility resulting
from new technologies had improved access to employment for many,
their development also posed new dangers, such as the violation
of workers’ rights and privacy, work under high pressure, and risks
of new occupational diseases. He called on the delegations present
and on both the ILO and the Council of Europe organizations to cooperate,
where common ground existed, in the implementation of human and
social rights in their respective member States.
- Mr. Pascal Couchepin, Minister of Economic Affairs
of Switzerland, welcomed the delegates on behalf of Switzerland.
He noted that order in Europe was maintained through the expanding
European Union, the Council of Europe, and the Organization for
Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), yet the social conscience
of the world and of Europe remained the responsibility of the ILO.
He further noted that all European and Central Asian countries were
affected by the process of liberalization and the information technology
revolution. The new information and communication technologies would
result in the creation of new jobs, and would allow transition countries
to bridge the digital divide through their educational systems.
Countries which were opposed to new technologies would be deprived
of significant economic gains. He then asked why Europe lagged behind
the economic growth which had marked the United States for the past
decade. The answer, he found, was that the United States was open
to innovation and technology, which allowed it to be a leader in
information technology and biotechnology. Only a Europe which remained
open and economically strong could serve as a model for other countries.
- To meet this challenge, the social partners would
have to redefine their respective roles. The State would have to
ensure education for the global economy and training in information
and communication technologies. As an employer, the State should
allow interaction between the public and private sectors; the lifting
of the status of official for Swiss civil servants had allowed the
public authorities to act as modern employers. In the new global
economy, employers would have to become more aware of their social
responsibilities. For this reason, the participation of employers
in the ILO World Employment Forum of 2001 and the United Nations
Global Compact was essential for their success. Finally, globalization
presented a challenge to trade unions, as work was transferred abroad
and as telework fostered individual, outsourced work. As a result,
trade unions would have to be strengthened, and they needed to offer
a wider range of services, including vocational training and legal
support. Deregulation at the national level called for greater regulation
at the international level, in which the ILO had an important role
to play. In this regard, he expressed his satisfaction at the reform
of the ILO’s standards policy, and added that the Organization should
also strengthen the Governing Body’s Working Party on the Social
Dimension of Globalization through an integrated approach which
included such issues as trade, investment and working conditions.
The ILO should also use its technical cooperation to seek new solutions,
for example, in the area of migration. Through these means, the
ILO could help create in all of the Global Village a globalized
economy with a human face.
II. General
discussion of the Report
of the Director-General
Development
trends in the region
- Before beginning the discussion of the Report of
the Director-General, the Meeting viewed the video Globalizing
Europe.
- The Workers’ delegates, through their spokesperson
Lord Brett, remarked that, although the Director-General’s Report
referred to the "European social model", reference was
actually made to universal principles and values embodied by the
ILO. Such values were universally important to social and economic
progress regardless of region. With regard to Volume I of the Report,
Globalizing Europe: Decent work in the information economy,
they believed that it did not address the wider problems with the
new economy, such as the fact that many new technology companies
had failed, resulting in job loss, job transfers and insecurity.
The Report called for migration to fill the needs of the new labour
demands, giving the false impression that there was full employment
in Europe. Social security would have to be re-examined as workers
were less tied to one employer. For the same reasons, trade unions
would have to be strengthened so as to offer protection to nomadic
and isolated information technology workers. The ILO should address
these issues in a wider context of the changing nature of work,
which extends beyond information and communication technologies.
Turning to Volume II of the Report, Decent work in Europe and
Central Asia: ILO activities 1995-2000, the Workers’ delegates
hoped for greater cooperation between the ILO and the international
financial institutions working in European and Central Asian countries.
Specifically, they hoped that the ILO would examine the widespread
problem of corruption. Other issues which needed to be addressed
were the weak development of small and medium-sized enterprises
and the rise of atypical employment. The latter called for European
member States to ratify the Part-Time Work Convention, 1994 (No.
175), and the Home Work Convention, 1996 (No. 177).
- The Employers’ delegates, through their spokesperson
Mr. Thüsing, noted the broad scope of the Report, which covered
the region from Western Europe to Central Asia. They expressed the
desire for greater cooperation between the ILO and the European
Union (EU). Turning to the Employment Chapter of the Amsterdam Treaty,
they noted that the task of employment policy-making had been given
to Europe, while labour markets and tax, wage and economic policy
remained the competency of individual nations. It had to be made
clear that these areas would remain the responsibility of individual
nations. The Employers’ delegates also noted the mention in the
Report of atypical forms of work, which in their view were no longer
atypical but new forms of work with concomitant advantages and problems.
They pointed out that many of the social protection systems lauded
by the Report could only be maintained through reductions in benefits.
It was difficult to take such necessary measures because of an ingrained
sense of entitlement in Europe. In transition countries, social
security benefits would also have to be examined in the light of
market forces. Finally, they underlined the need for transition
countries and members of the Commonwealth of Independent States
(CIS) to develop sound political and administrative infrastructures,
which would be the basis for peace and progress. Such a legal framework
should also guarantee the autonomy of each of the respective social
partners.
- The representative of the Government of France,
speaking on behalf of the Member States of the European Union (EU),
underlined the convergence of ILO principles and European social
policy goals. European social policy had sought to encourage a more
inclusive society. At the European Council in Lisbon, the Member
States of the EU had affirmed the common objectives of combating
exclusion, which included promoting participation in employment
and access to all resources, rights, goods and services, preventing
exclusion risks, acting for the most vulnerable, and mobilizing
all actors. Social dialogue would also have to be promoted. The
objective of decent work coincided well with the EU policy agenda,
which sought to enhance education, lifelong training, invest in
human resources, improve employability and reduce skills shortages,
and promote social inclusion and equality of opportunity for men
and women.
- The representative of the European Commission indicated
that cooperation with the ILO was very important, especially given
the vast areas of convergence between the social and economic objectives
of both organizations. The ILO’s decent work agenda also coincided
with European Commission priorities, which included a new social
agenda of the Commission aiming to ensure employment, and social
protection and promote industrial relations. With a view to achieving
quantitative and qualitative improvements in employment, educational
and lifelong learning strategies should be developed. In this respect,
the Lisbon European Council had established the objective of making
Europe the most competitive knowledge economy in the world.
- The representative of the Organization for Security
and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) emphasized that democracy, peace,
and stability in the European region, which were the focus of his
organization, also contained the dimension of decent work. The ILO,
with its unique tripartite structure, was an important partner in
the OSCE’s activities for peace. The representative expressed his
hope that the regional meeting would develop proposals for further
intensifying collaboration between OSCE and ILO, taking into account
the particularities and strengths of both organizations and avoiding
unnecessary duplication of activities.
- A number of speakers from the region observed that
despite macroeconomic stabilization in many transition countries,
no tangible economic growth had been achieved yet. Many of these
countries were burdened with public debt, which had reduced the
budgetary resources for job creation, heath care and social protection.
Women especially suffered from such policies as they faced a reduction
in maternity benefit and related health care. In this respect, cancelling
the foreign debt would contribute to the realization of the goals
of the ILO in some countries. Some speakers suggested that it might
be time to review the ILO Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning
Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy in order to provide
it with a more effective supervisory mechanism. They urged the ILO
to further stress in its relationship with the international financial
institutions the need to take into account the adverse social impact
of their policies on the workers in developing countries. Labour
market policies and macroeconomic policies needed to be linked to
establish full employment as a central political goal. The ILO should
advocate the inclusion of international labour standards in international
agreements and treaties, and in the work of relevant international
organizations, such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and
the World Trade Organization (WTO).
- A number of delegates emphasized that economic
reform and the need for labour flexibility should be balanced with
the maintenance of a strong social protection system and employment
promotion. To achieve this, governments needed to pursue macroeconomic
stability, open markets, and active vocational training and labour
market policies. The ILO could contribute to such policies through
its research, the reform of the standards-related policy, and the
formulation of policy on work in the information technology field.
Some speakers pointed out that in some countries, structural policy
reforms and a stable fiscal policy as well as a common understanding
between the government and the social partners on wage increases,
were the main reasons for positive economic and employment development.
They stressed the need for strong social dialogue in order for such
mediated approaches to succeed, and stated that the ILO had an important
role to play in fostering such mechanisms.
- Regarding the social challenges of the new information
technology, a number of speakers suggested that these challenges
were best met through lifelong learning, greater employability and
flexibility. The principal sources of economic wealth would be the
wage earners’ capacity to adapt to very rapid changes in the world
of work. Workers would thus need to be innovative, constantly trained,
and increasingly professionally mobile. More investments in education
were needed in the EU countries to counter the risk of skill deficiencies,
and future EU Member States should further develop their expertise
in the field of information and communication technology. They emphasized
that new technologies would impact on all of working life and all
workplaces, irrespective of whether they were exposed to global
or only domestic or even local competition, or even not exposed
to market competition, as in the case of the public sector. The
social partners would need to be strengthened in order to respond
to this powerful change. A new balance between flexibility and security
had to be found. Security had to be maintained, since it was understood
that it acted as a springboard for new jobs. The tripartite constituents
and the ILO had to act on the basis of knowledge of the forces of
change at work, at the level of both workplaces and economies in
general.
- Several speakers called for increased protection
of migrant workers, often socially excluded in most European countries.
They expressed the hope that the region would play a central role
in formulating and implementing policies targeting migrant workers
and other disadvantaged groups. The issues of trafficking in humans
and irregular migration needed to be addressed.
- Many delegates commended the ILO’s involvement
in the Stability Pact for South-Eastern Europe, in particular the
initiative for social cohesion. Respect for labour standards, promotion
of social dialogue and active labour market policies were considered
essential building blocks for social cohesion and the development
of democracy.
- A large number of speakers called for closer cooperation
between the ILO and the EU, the European Commission, and with the
Phare and Tacis programmes in Central and Eastern Europe and in
the CIS countries. They also advocated further cooperation with
the OSCE and regional employers’ and workers’ organizations.
- A number of Employers’ delegates emphasized the
need for well-organized, representative and autonomous employers’
organizations in Central and Eastern Europe as an important ingredient
for creating social dialogue. The current weakness of employers’
organizations was due to their financial instability. Their situation
with respect to the tax deductibility of membership fees was not
considered satisfactory. They appealed to governments to adopt and
fully implement the resolution on the subject which had been adopted
at the Fifth European Regional Conference in Warsaw in 1995.
- A number of Workers’ delegates stressed the importance
of strong trade unions, especially in Central and Eastern Europe
and Central Asia. After ten years of reforms in CIS countries, free
trade unions had become more important in the context of social
dialogue. In this connection, the ILO had to re-examine its attitude
towards different types ("old" and "new") of
trade union organizations. In the future, each country of the CIS
region should be treated and considered separately, taking account
of their level of development and specific particularities. Furthermore,
trade unions should have among their future priorities training
in information and communications technology, as well as lifelong
and distance learning that would allow them to preserve their major
role as a social partner. With ILO support, trade unions might use
information and communications technology to promote the observance
of fundamental rights at work, as well as to deliver information,
training and knowledge. The promotion of framework agreements including
collective bargaining should also be considered.
- Several speakers also expressed their concern about
the reform of ILO standards-related policy which had been approved
by the Governing Body in November. In their view, the new approach
to standard-related activities would slow down the standard-setting
process, weaken the supervisory mechanisms, and transform standards
into mere guidelines. Such a process might be dangerous for Central
and Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
- One speaker pointed out that many workers in Central
and Eastern Europe and in the CIS worked in agriculture. These workers
found themselves faced with considerable difficulties with respect
to fundamental principles and rights, including the right to organize
and bargain collectively. Furthermore, they worked in a hazardous
sector with a high rate of occupational accidents and fatalities.
He welcomed the forthcoming discussion of new standards on occupational
safety and health in agriculture at the International Labour Conference
in June 2001. The role of the ILO to ensure decent work in agriculture
was therefore important for countries in transition.
- In addition to the general discussion above, a
number of individual speakers made statements regarding their respective
countries and institutions.
- The Minister of Labour, Social Affairs and Family
of Slovakia stated that his Government had sought to orient social
policy towards the fundamental principles and rights at work which
were contained in the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles
and Rights at Work, and that it had included the development of
information and communication technologies as part of its strategy
of economic and social growth. He recalled that the ILO’s Central
and Eastern European Multidisciplinary Advisory Team (ILO-CEET)
in Budapest had provided assistance with the recently adopted Economic
and Social Partnership (Tripartite) Act, and that his Government
had signed an agreement of cooperation with the ILO which focused
on promoting employment for men and women, increasing social protection
and strengthening social dialogue. Slovakia was preparing further
new labour laws, including a new Labour Code, with ILO technical
assistance. He announced that Slovakia had deposited the instrument
of ratification of the Maternity Protection Convention, 2000 (No.
183), making it the first country to ratify the Convention.
- The Minister of Labour and Social Affairs and Deputy
Prime Minister of Albania expressed her satisfaction with the Report
of the Director-General. Development in the Balkans and South-Eastern
Europe had an impact on labour relations in the whole region. Social
development, reduction of poverty and unemployment, and the strengthening
of social cohesion were priority issues for Albania at this moment.
Cooperation with the ILO should be further strengthened in this
area. The Minister welcomed the importance given to regional development
concerns by the ILO, especially in the framework of the Stability
Pact for South-Eastern Europe. The promotion of development and
consolidation of labour relations, as well as tripartism as an element
of social consensus-building, were essential for the ILO’s and the
international community’s agenda for Kosovo.
- The Minister of Labour and Social Policy of Bulgaria
recalled positive developments in his country, including the high-level
Tripartite Conference of ILO Constituents on Employment, Labour
and Social Policy in South-Eastern Europe, which was held in October
1999 and which resulted in the adoption of the Sofia Declaration,
and the adoption by the Bulgarian Government of a Draft Statute
of the Council for Economic and Social Cooperation in South-Eastern
Europe. This Council would contribute to the enhancement of regional
economic and social cooperation, identification and discussion of
common problems, exchange of experience and elaboration of employment
promotion programmes, social integration and poverty alleviation.
He recalled that, under the agreement for cooperation in the field
of European integration, signed in June 2000 by the ILO and the
Republic of Bulgaria, consultations had been undertaken with a view
to harmonizing national labour legislation with European and international
standards.
- The Minister of Labour and Social Welfare of Croatia
stated that the number of ILO projects in the transition countries
was impressive. He welcomed especially the objective assessment
of the situation in each country within the active partnership policy
and underlined the cooperation between his country and ILO-CEET
in Budapest. The Minister stressed that Croatia had supported the
ILO initiative to develop a social dimension of the Stability Pact
for South-Eastern Europe and expressed his hope that the ILO would
continue to support projects within this context.
- The Minister of Labour and Social Protection of
Kazakhstan said that many efforts had been undertaken by his country
to achieve democracy and a socially-oriented market economy. Under
the auspices of the National Permanent Tripartite Commission, tripartite
general agreements had been signed over the past five years. In
the context of cooperation between the ILO and Kazakhstan, many
important programmes were being carried out, including poverty alleviation
for the period 2000-02. He hoped that the ILO would assist Kazakhstan
in the elaboration of social policy and that the Organization would
disseminate codes of good practice and codes of ethics with regard
to multinational enterprises.
- The Employers’ delegate of Croatia recalled that
the employers of South-Eastern Europe had created in September 1999
a South-Eastern Europe Employers’ Forum (SEEEF). Its meeting in
Zagreb on 3 October 2000 had taken decisions on the creation of
mechanisms for future cooperation to participate in the Working
Tables of the Stability Pact; to participate in the economic development
and cooperation proposed by the Sarajevo Declaration; to represent
the interests of the employers’ organizations towards other international
institutions and conferences. Lastly, some new initiatives had been
discussed during the meetings in Istanbul in October 2000, and in
Paris in December 2000. In this context, the speaker suggested that
the social partners should be involved in all the processes and
decisions in the region. This could be made possible through national
tripartite structures from each country at the level of the South-Eastern
European region. Representatives of the social partners of each
country of the South-Eastern European region should have the possibility
to inform and consult their members about all the proposals for
improving employment, incomes and decent work in the region, such
as investments, job creation programmes, vocational training, etc.
She asked for support for the proposal prepared by the Bulgarian
Industrial Association to create an electronic network for the countries
in the Stability Pact region aiming at promoting employment, cooperation
and economic growth.
- The Workers’ delegate of Belarus expressed his
agreement with the position that the process of strengthening social
dialogue provided opportunities for addressing national problems
and that social dialogue itself was also a fundamental element of
the rights of the social partners. He pointed out, however, that
social dialogue in Belarus was very formal and did not have any
impact on national problems, such as poverty and low standards of
living. At present, trade unions in Belarus were undergoing transition
and becoming more independent. He stated that the Government tried
to intervene in trade union affairs and that, through the specific
procedure of re-registration, trade unions were subject to greater
control. As a result, the Belarusian trade unions had submitted
a complaint to the ILO. He thanked international and national trade
union organizations for their support.
- A number of speakers voiced their support for the
Workers’ delegate of Belarus and stated that they did not believe
that the Government of Belarus had made adequate efforts to resolve
problems of interference in trade union affairs in that country.
- The representative of the International Confederation
of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) highlighted the interdependence of
globalization and the European integration process. It was essential
for the ILO to advocate and monitor the respect of core labour standards,
and to influence other international organizations, such as the
World Bank, or international treaties, to that end. This was particularly
relevant in the light of trends to undermine collective bargaining
and workers’ rights in the region, as well as the yet unresolved
problem of non-payment of wages.
- The representative of the World Confederation of
Labour said that the influence of the ICTs on the world of work
had become evident. Now the role and objective of States as well
as of employers’ and workers’ organizations was to make sure that
each person had the possibility of participating in the information
society. New technologies were changing types of work, types of
contracts and relationships with employers. She stated that the
WCL placed great importance on the fundamental principles of collective
bargaining and collective relations at the world of work, and in
particular framework agreements including industry-wide collective
bargaining at the European level. She also drew attention to problems
in Central and Eastern Europe of degrading working conditions, non-payment
of wages, low levels of social protection and discrimination. She
recalled the importance of the strict implementation of ILO Convention
No. 95 and the necessity to involve women in the social dialogue
process. She also called for governments in the region to ratify
Conventions Nos. 143, 144, 175 and 177.
- A representative of the European Trade Union Confederation
(ETUC) stressed that promoting economic growth and modernizing the
economy must be balanced by attempts to strengthen the social dimension.
The "European social model" would be crucial in order
to make workers and citizens "winners" and not "victims"
of the ongoing globalization process and rapid technological development.
The role of the social partners would increase at the enterprise,
national and European level, and workers’ rights to information,
consultation and participation would be key factors, together with
training and lifelong learning. The ETUC would be committed to establishing
a social foundation for peace and economic prosperity, especially
in South-Eastern Europe, and the successful implementation of the
Initiative for Social Cohesion (ISC).
- Finally, the representatives of the Governments
of Bulgaria, the Russian Federation and Slovakia expressed their
thanks to the ILO-CEET in Budapest and the ILO Moscow Office for
technical assistance and cooperation in the preparation of labour
legislation and other activities.
- The representatives of the Governments of Bulgaria,
the Russian Federation, Slovakia and Turkey announced significant
reforms in their labour legislation.
- A number of other representatives of Governments
also stated that they would soon ratify further fundamental and
priority ILO Conventions.
Decent
work in the information economy
- Mr. Philip Jennings, Secretary-General of the Union
Network International (UNI), gave a keynote address to the special
session on information and communication technology. He argued that
the modern "dot.com bubble" had burst and "dot.com
mania" had subsided, but that the IT revolution was here to
stay. He then raised five issues regarding information and communications
technology:
(i) Skills shortage in the
IT sector. There could be a shortfall in the numbers of available
IT professionals of 1.6 million in 2002 and 1.7 million in 2003
in the European Union Member States plus Norway and Switzerland.
This shortage may be attributed to the downsizing programmes which
occurred at the beginning of the 1990s in large companies, during
which thousands of highly skilled specialists were laid off and
younger and less experienced – in other words cheaper – workers
were hired in their place. To remedy this shortage, the IT sector
could call upon untapped reserves of female labour; this would mean
recognizing the current gender inequalities and putting in place
measures to combat them. Another remedy would be to pay more attention
to lifelong training to retain older workers. In practical terms,
UNI was calling for a European-wide training scheme for the ICT
sector for skilling and re-skilling employees. UNI would like to
establish a "talent bank", that is a multi-employer European-wide
clearing house to match skills no longer needed by one employer
with skills needed elsewhere. UNI also would like a trans-European
employer and trade union network to facilitate good practices in
recruitment and retention of ICT employees.
(ii) E-ways of working.
New ways of working that maximized the opportunity for workers to
use their own knowledge were needed. More flexible working practices
could be beneficial to both employers and workers. But they could
also pose dangers for individuals. It was therefore vital that new
ways of working were not imposed on workers but were developed through
partnership and negotiation. With the growth of new ways of working,
self-employment was increasing. UNI was increasingly reaching out
to welcome the self-employed as members. However, there was also
a growth of false self-employment in situations where employers
tried to avoid their employment and social insurance responsibilities.
The ILO needed to pay attention to this phenomenon.
(iii) Online rights for online
workers. Good industrial relations in the electronic workplace
required appropriate access to the powerful new electronic means
of ICT. Workers needed to be able to have free access to an enterprise’s
e-mail and Internet systems to network with their union. The rise
of electronic surveillance was a matter of concern in this regard
as it undermined unions’ activities. The individual’s rights to
privacy at work were eroding.
(iv) Authors’ rights for all.
It was necessary to broaden the traditional industrial relations
agenda to copyright and intellectual property rights. This was an
issue which should be addressed by the ILO since the idea of value
today would be based less on material assets than on intellectual
property.
(v) E-health and safety.
Stress in the workplace due to new technologies was an important
labour matter and should be addressed as a collective issue.
- Mr. Jennings concluded by saying that there was
great potential for Europe to enjoy the benefits of the information
age provided that the revolution took place in the context of a
social Europe. This meant that the digital divide had to be confronted.
It was vital that new inequalities were not allowed to develop,
either within or between countries. Social partnership was similarly
important. It was important to move forward by negotiation and agreement.
Finally, it was vital that the ILO develop its own e-agenda. The
ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work should
also be respected in the e-world. Therefore, the ILO should, as
part of its activities, support online rights for online workers,
highlight best practices for learning and training, embrace the
new economy in its sectoral work, and study related mobility issues.
- Mr. Neuve-Eglise, Chairman of the Comité
Consultatif du Fonds Commun de Placement I-Source, was the second
keynote speaker of the special session. He underlined that the world
of work was deeply changing in the sway of ICTs. The objective thus
should be to master the changes instead of surrendering to them.
ICTs impacted the world of work at five levels:
(i) Occupations/jobs.
ICTs created new occupations and jobs as a result of the emergence
of new activities, particularly in the services sector. ICTs also
transformed existing jobs and occupations, especially because they
brought about significant changes in the relationship of work with
the dimensions of time and distance.
(ii) The need for skills.
In the banking sector, for example, massive lay-offs were currently
taking place as a result of the closing down of counters; however,
massive hiring was simultaneously taking place of more skilled staff
in marketing or information systems. Thus, to harness the immense
potential offered by ICTs and to satisfy the demand for new skills,
Europe needed to increase the number of young skilled graduates,
retrain young graduates originally skilled in non-ICT disciplines,
increase lifelong learning and the retraining of older workers,
allow the immigration of highly skilled specialists, and invest
and outsource in foreign countries.
(iii) Social inclusion.
The potential of ICTs benefited primarily workers already in the
labour market. For those excluded from it, it was much more difficult
to take advantage of the opportunities offered by ICTs (such as
teleworking). There was a risk of a divide growing between those
who were IT-skilled and those who were not. Thus, accompanying policies
with respect to information, training and learning were needed.
Conflicts between generations had to be avoided and the costs of
training should be shared between the enterprises and the State.
(iv) Organization of work.
ICTs had given rise to a new production paradigm; ICTs also facilitated
the relocation of work. But the freedom offered by ICTs also posed
the problem of the measurement as well as of the fair remuneration
of work. New modes of remuneration were bound to emerge based on
tasks completed or objectives reached rather than on presence at
work.
(v) Management. ICTs could
be real opportunities for enterprises as much as they could be a
pitfall. Therefore, enterprises had to be careful when using these
technologies. Managers needed to explain ICT projects clearly, develop
a digital culture among themselves, avoid risks of exclusion, and
to manage risks of using ICT and to clarify the role of middle management.
- The Workers’ delegates, through their spokesperson,
stated that they were in agreement with almost everything the Secretary-General
of the UNI had said in his presentation. They emphasized however
that the digital divide had an age factor: older persons encountered
greater difficulty in using the technologies than younger ones.
Turning to the impact of ICTs on traditional industries, they cited
the example of retailing. A cashier today passed goods in front
of a scanner and the bar code was recorded automatically. Earlier,
a cashier had been required to know basic arithmetic to perform
his or her job. This was no longer the case. Thus, the impact of
ICT on this particular traditional sector had been one of deskilling.
In relation to the issue of the digital divide, they argued that
a major effort was needed to overcome it and place it in the broader
context of sustainable development. Even in Europe, some trade unions
did not have computers and thus could not network efficiently. They
suggested that the ILO provide technical assistance to the unions
in this field.
- The Employers’ delegates, through their spokesperson,
questioned whether there was a widening split between rich and poor
countries within Europe and even more to what extent that was due
to ICT development. It was clear that there was and would be job
destruction as well as job creation in the information economy.
Future prospects were nonetheless good. Europe had to accept that
jobs would be displaced to developing countries because this was
in Europe’s long-term interest. They then emphasized that the private
sector had to be involved in education since this was the crucial
tool to harness the potential of ICTs. ICTs could help disadvantaged
groups enter the world of work and improve the quality of the services
delivered, the ILO being no exception.
- The representative of the European Commission fully
agreed with the Report’s emphasis on social dialogue. She underlined
the fact that in less than ten years, half of all jobs would be
in ICT-intensive skills. Thus, the importance of developing the
right skills was crucial. Similarly, increasing the participation
rate of women generally and in ICT jobs in particular should be
emphasized. She then addressed the divides that were deepening in
Europe between the North and the South, and within income ranges,
age groups, and vulnerable groups. Building an inclusive ICT society
meant paying attention to specific social needs of different groups.
For example, public Internet access was essential for those who
could not afford it at home. Similarly, access for all to online
public services should be made available. She concluded by calling
for the ILO to focus on the divide between countries.
- In the course of the debate that followed the presentations
by the two keynote speakers, many critical questions for social
policy were raised. Several speakers pointed out that ICTs provided
an opportunity that would help resolve employment problems in Europe.
For every computer scientist job created, four to five other jobs
were created. The multiplier effect was very large. But the question
remained as to whether Europe would be able to guide this employment
creation potential to enjoy all its benefits without suffering its
disadvantages. To answer this question, one needed to look first
at the obstacles in the way of this potential.
- The skills shortage was mentioned by many speakers
as the main problem facing Europe in the information economy. The
speed of change was such that there were not enough qualified people
to fill all the vacancies. This skills shortage, it was stressed,
could cause a slowing down of economic growth in Europe.
- Many solutions were suggested to overcome the skills
shortage. Several speakers underlined the need for more appropriate
education, better training of the younger generations, retraining
schemes for older workers and, most importantly, lifelong learning.
A number of other speakers also pointed out that special attention
should be given to the education and training of women who were
not, at the moment, taking full advantage of the new opportunities
offered by ICTs and who could, if they entered the labour market
better prepared, play a key role in resolving the skills shortage
problem. The skills shortage in Europe should be addressed by a
unified Europe, which should engage in a real policy of human resources
promotion.
- Several speakers said that migration had been envisaged
as a solution to the skills shortage in Europe. A number of Employers’
delegates considered migration as a necessary part of globalization.
In their opinion, the European response to migration could not be
a restrictive migration policy. But the migration process should
not lose sight of the principle of equal opportunities for all.
Countries that were in danger of experiencing a brain drain should
think about how they could retain skilled people: e.g. develop cooperation
in the field of science, offer incentives for attracting foreign
investors, and support student exchange programmes. But for other
speakers, migration was not to be the solution to the skills shortage
in Europe; instead, they emphasized the need for lifelong learning.
They feared the possibilities of a brain drain and some speakers
said that such a loss of skilled workers would increase the divide
between countries.
- The digital divide was a recurrent issue in the
debate. Several speakers underlined the divide within countries
while others pointed to the divide between countries in Europe.
Several Workers’ delegates said that a widening divide between a
minority of highly skilled, highly paid workers and a majority of
precarious workers should be avoided. Employers’ delegates pointed
out that the divide was rather one of generations than one between
rich and poor. One delegate stressed that it was important to ensure
that ICTs did not reinforce the existing duality in the labour market.
Vulnerable groups, the unemployed, and older people might be excluded
from the technological revolution, which would threaten social cohesion.
There was a risk that several categories of workers would be left
behind in the knowledge economy. There was also a risk of increased
segmentation in the labour market. Thus, public policy should concentrate
on training and lifelong learning to prevent the potential marginalization
of certain groups. The risk of exclusion was not just a theoretical
speculation. It was pointed out that the Czech Government had decided
to act on three fronts: connect all primary schools by 2002, reinforce
programmes of lifelong learning, and encourage retraining. No country
could afford to see any of the actors in its labour market remain
outside of the ICT revolution. Doing so could cause economic and
social turmoil.
- Several speakers addressed the issue of working
conditions in the information economy. The spokesperson for the
Workers’ delegates described how workers in the media, public relations
and ICT work practically lived in the office almost 24 hours a day,
seven days a week. At the same time, there were opposite situations
where work was performed outside the workplace (for example homeworking)
and colleagues did not know each other. Companies were moving across
borders at the expense of working conditions and workers’ remuneration.
Such situations needed to be regulated by legislation and agreements,
and they underlined the importance of ILO Conventions in this field,
such as the Home Work Convention, 1996 (No. 177). They would appreciate
more references to these and other relevant Conventions in future
ILO reports as it was the task of the ILO to create awareness of
these instruments and push for their ratification and implementation.
Similarly, some speakers pointed out the need to review employment
contract laws and labour laws generally as they might no longer
be appropriate. Finally, one speaker pointed out that at the European
level, the Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for ICT was working
to reach a consensus on guidelines on telework to be adopted via
proper collective agreements by all the telecommunication companies
in Europe. The assistance of the ILO could be useful to guide the
Committee’s efforts in the right direction.
- On working conditions, the Workers’ spokesperson
further emphasized that organizational changes brought about by
ICTs facilitated the externalization of work where precarious employment,
imposed flexibility and bad working conditions were often to be
found. But competitiveness was not incompatible with decent working
conditions and a high level of social protection. Competitiveness
particularly depended on education and training systems, lifelong
learning, and research and development. Trade unions were not against
ICT; on the contrary, they were at the forefront of using it for
their own development.
- Social protection was also an issue raised by several
speakers. The Employers’ delegates pointed out that the current
trend towards having numerous jobs in a lifetime implied that the
system of social protection would have to be adapted. In particular,
rules and criteria were needed to determine clearly who was employed
and who was self-employed. Other speakers also underlined the need
for social protection systems to adapt to the fast-changing employment
environment. Social protection must be adapted to take into account
workers’ increased mobility.
- Numerous speakers addressed the question of fundamental
principles and rights at work. The Workers’ delegates stated that
without a social dimension and without respect for the fundamental
rights of workers, the use of ICTs and telework would not be much
different from homeworking in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
All the workers in the new economy should benefit from their fundamental
rights at work, for example, freedom of association. The growing
independence of work from location had the potential to undermine
workers’ collective rights. The ILO’s standards-related activities
had a role to play in this regard as international labour standards
were more pertinent than ever. Furthermore, one speaker said that
in spite of the current robust economies and rapid growth in productivity,
European countries faced a deficit in decent work. The benefits
of higher economic growth needed to be translated into well-paid,
productive and secure jobs for all.
- The representative of the International Federation
of University Women highlighted gender inequalities related to ICTs,
such as gender segregation along typical male/female lines in new
jobs. Comparative advantages sought by transnational corporations
investing in Central and Eastern Europe were often found in cheap
and abundant female labour, but they were often associated with
precarious employment, low wages and inadequate conditions of work.
ILO Conventions Nos. 175 and 177 were of particular importance to
women in ICT jobs. Further research was needed on the reasons for
continued gender segregation, and an overhaul of the International
Classification of Occupations (ISCO) was required to reflect the
new forms and nature of ICT work. ICT-related work should seek to
avoid the present pitfalls of discrimination based on age and gender.
Education, lifelong learning and distance learning should take into
account workers’ – most often women’s – constraints because of family
responsibilities. E-business could function as an equalizer between
men and women, yet workers could face yet unknown difficulties with
regard to protection of their intellectual property rights. A joint
effort of the ILO, WIPO and UNESCO was needed to address this matter.
- Finally, many delegates discussed the role the
ILO should play in the information economy. Some speakers pointed
out that the pace of change was unequal within Europe. Therefore,
the ILO had a role to play through technical cooperation to ensure
that the divide between countries did not increase. Other speakers
stated that the ILO should create and operate an international advisory
network on the application of ICTs, available to all the actors
in the labour market and to governments. Others pointed out that
the ILO should not limit itself to an intermediary role in which
it only collected information and then diffused it in reports. The
ILO should move forward and set up an interactive website where
constant discussion among all the interested parties would be possible.
Workers’ and employers’ groups were already doing this, so the ILO
should examine this possibility as well. The ILO should also compile
a record of experiences and best practices in the field of ICTs.
In other words, the added value of the ILO was not necessarily to
undertake further research, but to provide its constituents with
the facilities to access best practices around the world. Perhaps
the Director-General should seriously consider the proposal from
Philip Jennings that the ILO should set up its own e-university,
or at least develop an e-strategy to help its constituents more
effectively. The Turin Centre did not have a module on ICT; it was
worth considering if the Centre should develop one. The ILO should
play an active role, going beyond its current observatory and forecast
roles to actively impact the process of change. The ILO could also
contribute to lifelong learning in Central and Eastern Europe. Through
its MDTs, the ILO should give priority to the countries in the region
which had the lowest level of development, as well as the most severe
problems in the transition process to the market economy and in
responding to the challenge of globalization.
Activities
of the ILO
- The Workers’ spokesperson re-emphasized that the
disparities within the region should be the determining factor in
planning ILO activities. The decent work agenda and its four strategic
objectives remained relevant everywhere – despite regional differences
– and constituted an essential ingredient in "Social Europe".
Freedom of association and the right to organize were not sufficiently
protected throughout the region. Future emphasis on Conventions
other than the fundamental Conventions was needed. In the light
of the decreasing social protection in countries of the region,
in particular that of women workers, the ILO should launch a campaign
on the promotion and ratification of the Maternity Protection Convention,
2000 (No. 183). In this respect they congratulated Italy and Slovakia
for being the first countries to ratify Convention No. 183. The
discussion on the impact of ICT on the world of work had clearly
indicated the need for ratification and effective implementation
of a number of ILO Conventions, in particular the Part-Time Work
Convention, 1994 (No. 175), and the Home Work Convention, 1996 (No.
177). Other issues which demanded rapid and more effective political
solutions and which could benefit from ILO assistance were discrimination,
especially on the basis of gender and race; trafficking in women;
growing child labour; and social protection of political refugees
and migrant workers. Any assistance and investment should contribute
to the goal of sustainable development, and to the strengthening
of principles of social dialogue and tripartism as pillars of democracy.
- With regard to the situation in Belarus, Lord Brett
outlined the written statement submitted by the Workers’ group on
violation of trade union rights in Belarus. This was a serious situation
which needed to be addressed, although it was not the only situation
warranting attention in this region. The Workers’ delegates further
added that the ILO should be aware that there was no total harmony
between EU regulations and the decent work agenda.
- The Employers’ delegates, through their spokesperson,
recognized the positive role the ILO had played in Europe, in particular
through the MDTs and the employers’ specialists in Budapest and
Moscow. Stronger support and financial resources were needed for
such work as it dealt with a vast geographical region. The support
of Western European countries in this regard was appreciated. Since
the goals of the ILO and the EU were largely identical, although
implemented through different means, more coordination between the
two organizations was needed. The ILO had clear comparative advantages
in terms of competences, but not in finances. The strengthening
of institutions in social dialogue, in particular employers’ organizations
which were currently the weakest parts of the system, was of great
importance. They pointed out that the matter of the financial stability
of employers’ organizations had not been solved, including the question
of tax deductibility of membership fees. True social dialogue could
only take place between strong, free and independent partners. With
regard to the situation in Belarus, the Employers’ delegates indicated
their support for the statement, since employers’ and workers’ organizations
were equally affected.
- The delegate of the Government of France, speaking
on behalf of the European Union member countries and Bulgaria, Cyprus,
the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania,
Malta, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey, San
Marino, and Switzerland, endorsed the statement put forward by the
Workers’ group. She reiterated the importance of the principles
of freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining
as enshrined in the ILO Conventions, particularly Conventions Nos. 87
and 98 and the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights
at Work, and urged for specific and significant measures to be addressed
by the Government of Belarus.
- The Government delegate of the Republic of Belarus
referred to the statement of the Workers’ group and pointed out
that the procedure of registration introduced in the Republic was:
in strict conformity with the national legislation; well known by
all the parties concerned, including trade unions; and was known
to the OSCE. It could be shown that all actions carried out in relation
to the registration procedure were legal. Other actions such as
the blocking of bank accounts of the Belarusian Trade Unions Federation
were also carried out in accordance with national legislation. As
regards pressure brought to bear on unions, new legislation on trade
unions which provided for expanded trade union rights and guarantees
had been adopted on 14 January 2000. Labour disputes could
be resolved by the appropriate national courts. The speaker stressed
that the Government was open to dialogue and interested in constructive
cooperation with the social partners. The visit in October 2000
to Belarus of the high-level ILO delegation was evidence of this
attitude.
- The Workers’ delegate of the Ukraine pointed out
that actions undertaken by the Government of Belarus against unions
had a history. He recalled that retaliatory measures had been taken
in 1995 against those who had participated in the strike in the
metropolitan underground railway in the Belarusian capital. These
measures had still not been redressed, and he stated that the ongoing
acts against trade unions were deliberate and planned. He expressed
his support for the Workers’ group’s statement.
- The Government delegate of the Russian Federation
pointed out that the purpose of the present Meeting was to discuss
problems existing in countries of the region and not those subjects
related to one specific country. The ILO had adequate procedures
to deal with such cases, namely the Committee on Freedom of Association
and the Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and
Recommendations. He proposed that the matter of Belarus be taken
up in the appropriate supervisory bodies through their regular procedures.
- A Workers’ delegate of Kazakhstan stated that events
in Belarus reflected what was occurring in various countries of
the CIS region. He recalled the freedom of association Case No.
1834 (Complaint against the Government of Kazakhstan presented by
the Independent Trade Union Centre of Kazakhstan (ITUCK)) submitted
in 1995. The recommendations made by the Committee on Freedom of
Association in this case to the Government of Kazakhstan had not
been implemented. Interference in trade union matters was a regular
occurrence in his country. He expressed his support for the statement
of the Workers’ group.
- The spokesperson for the Workers’ delegates reiterated
the Workers’ group’s commitment to the use of established mechanisms
and procedures within the ILO. The Workers’ group also shared the
views of those who wished to seek solutions to the problems in Belarus
through advice and technical assistance by the ILO. Considering
that the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work
created obligations for all ILO member States, this Meeting provided
a unique opportunity to express a shared view on the worrying situation
in Belarus, as articulated in the statement put forward and endorsed
by the Employers’ group and the overwhelming majority of member
States present. He encouraged delegations that had not endorsed
the statement of the Workers’ group to do so.
- The Chairperson, in summing up, noted that the
statement put forward (which is appended to the conclusions) had
been endorsed by the Employers’ group, as well as a large number
of governments present.
- The Workers’ delegate from Hungary highlighted
the often formal character of social dialogue and the resulting
lack of effective consultation with the social partners. The ILO
should prepare guidelines on the effective implementation of the
fundamental rights of social partners to information and consultation
at all appropriate levels. Such rights would also apply to employers’
organizations. The speaker suggested that the ILO should pay attention
to the fact that there was no clear definition of "representativity"
of workers’ and employers’ organizations. Both the criteria for
representativity itself and the powers to decide on the criteria
needed to be determined. To address discrimination in new forms
of work such as the ones created through ICTs, a new ILO Convention
was needed. Existing Conventions, such as Conventions Nos. 111,
175 and 177, did not adequately address discrimination and social
protection of workers in these forms of work.
- The Employers’ delegate of Romania emphasized that
the ILO, through its expertise, could support the development of
SMEs in Central and Eastern European countries. He stated that the
Romanian employers and workers were under the impression that Romania
had not received concrete economic support from the international
community, but only congratulations for its positions on international
issues.
- The Government delegate of Belgium considered that
the ILO should play a leading role in the relationship between East
and West with regard to new technologies. The ILO should develop
its expertise in these fields and call on the support of its Regional
Office for Europe and Central Asia. He informed the Meeting of his
Government’s intention to intensify multi-bilateral cooperation
with the ILO, namely through the MDTs in the Central and Eastern
Europe region. He expressed his concern that despite his Government’s
and the ILO’s efforts, social dialogue still remained difficult
in several countries.
- The Workers’ delegate of Sweden drew attention
to the fact that there was no ILO presence in the five Nordic countries,
which had a negative effect on public awareness of the ILO and its
values. He considered that the existence of an unresolved conflict
of competence between the EU and the ILO had a negative effect on
the rate of ratifications of ILO Conventions in European countries.
He also believed that the ILO should provide additional support
and technical assistance to countries in transition. He stressed
that governments had the obligation to actively promote collective
bargaining, explicitly provided by ILO Convention No. 98.
- The Employers’ delegate from Norway regretted that
the format of the Meeting was too general and suggested a fixed
agenda with working groups for the next regional meeting, which
should be better able to produce clear guidance for action. Future
priorities of the ILO should be the development of small and medium-sized
enterprises as engines of job creation. ILO capacity-building activities
should focus on the areas of health and safety and collective bargaining,
as well as wage statistics as a basis for collective bargaining.
Recipients of assistance should be granted more opportunities to
visit and gather experience in Western European countries. He also
appealed to countries with strong commitments in the field of technical
assistance to re-examine the possibilities of allocating additional
resources to projects in Central and Eastern Europe.
- A Workers’ delegate of Poland supported the statement
on Belarus. He stressed the need to gather experience in Europe
and to make other countries’ experience available to other regions.
He indicated that a tripartite agreement of cooperation had been
signed the day before with the ILO. The ILO should support the process
of reform of legislation to avoid the exclusion of people in the
transition process.
- The representative of the General Confederation
of Trade Unions (GCTU) expressed his appreciation for the reference
to the "brain drain" from the CIS countries in the Report
of the Director-General, Globalizing Europe. He recalled
that the GCTU had prepared a model labour code, based on international
labour standards, for countries of the region, and he called for
further ratifications of fundamental ILO Conventions by countries
of the CIS. The assistance provided by some international trade
union organizations (ICFTU, WLC, ETUC) to national trade unions
was highly appreciated. He concluded by expressing his support for
the statement of the Workers’ group on Belarus.
- The representative of the Government of Germany
cautioned the ILO against focusing short-sightedly on transition
countries in the European region. Principles and rights at work
needed to be the focus of attention everywhere during this era of
globalization. ILO country studies on Western Europe, as well as
ILO work on labour market information systems, enterprise creation
by the unemployed, occupational safety and health, and social protection,
continued to be of benefit to Western Europe as well. On behalf
of the Government of Germany, he thanked the Regional Director Mr.
Scharrenbroich for his work during the last five years.
- The representative of the Government of Romania
informed the Meeting of institutional reforms in her country intended
to improve social dialogue and the social partners’ participation
in the decision-making process. The reform of the social insurance
system and the expansion of benefits and social services to prevent
social exclusion remained a priority for the Government. By recently
ratifying ILO Convention No. 182, Romania had joined the countries
that had ratified all of the ILO core Conventions. The programme
of cooperation between Romania and the ILO for 2000-01 represented
a new step in consolidating an active partnership with the ILO.
- The Employers’ delegate of Ukraine pointed out
that it was difficult to overestimate the importance of social dialogue
in countries with transitional economic systems which allowed them
to resolve conflicts and problems. In this respect, the role of
the ILO was very important. Through social dialogue, employers’
organizations in Ukraine had a growing influence on Government decisions
concerning: employment; improvement of the wage payment system;
occupational safety and health; and workers’ social protection.
They also participated actively in the National Council of Social
Partnership and other tripartite bodies, and took part in the elaboration
of new legislation, including the draft Act on Employers’ Organizations
submitted to the Ukrainian Parliament. He expressed his appreciation
for activities developed within the programme of active partnership
between the ILO and Ukraine.
- The Workers’ delegate of Kazakhstan pointed out
that his country attached great importance to cooperation with the
ILO and to participation in seminars, symposia, and workshops. Such
activities had been useful in devising policy to address the problems
of decreasing living standards, mass unemployment, and non-payment
of wages which had plagued his country in the past. Trade unions
had shown their openness to discuss with the Government ways and
methods to overcome these problems, but their contributions had
been ignored. Only through strikes and demonstrations had trade
unions been able to initiate talks with the Government, resulting
in the signing of a general agreement. Tripartism was now taking
root in Kazakhstan.
- The Minister for Health and Social Policy of the
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia expressed his Government’s pleasure
at the fact that Yugoslavia had recently become a member State of
the ILO. Yugoslavia was attaching utmost importance to the ILO and
its fundamental principles and values. For the time being, Yugoslavia
was facing numerous problems, such as an extremely high unemployment
rate, an underdeveloped market economy and private sector, and almost
depleted funds for health care and pensions. To find long-term solutions
to these problems, numerous multilateral and bilateral initiatives
had already been launched. The Government of Yugoslavia was intending
to launch other multilateral cooperation activities with the ILO,
WHO, and IOM in this regard.
- The representative of the Government of the Russian
Federation noted the dynamic development of the information economy
in Russia and at the same time the considerable gap between this
country and the most advanced countries in this respect. He stated
that his Government was carrying out a number of activities in the
field of labour, including the preparation of the new Labour Code
in consultation with the social partners, the development of a more
responsive system of social assistance, labour market policies to
boost employment and training activities to foster the creation
of new workplaces. The speaker underlined the growing role of ILO
assistance and of the specific help provided by the ILO Moscow Office
for implementing the decent work agenda. He concluded by suggesting
that two more specialists be added to EECAT in order to reinforce
the work of the ILO Moscow Office.
- The representative of the Government of Italy indicated
her support for the ILO’s priorities in Europe and Central Asia
with regard to social dialogue, employment policy, social security
reform, equal opportunity and migrant workers’ protection. Through
the ILO and the ILO Training Centre in Turin, Italy had supported
several programmes designed for Eastern European and Central Asian
countries, with a particular focus on Balkan countries.
- The representative of the Government of Hungary
expressed his sincere appreciation to the Director of the Regional
Office for Europe and Central Asia and to the Budapest MDT for the
assistance it had provided in his country. He also expressed deep
satisfaction that the ILO had taken on a dynamic role in assisting
candidate countries preparing for accession to the EU. He highlighted
the major progress Hungary had made on the way to European integration.
However, as the European Commission had pointed out in a recent
report, further efforts were required to strengthen social dialogue
and his Government would like to rely on the assistance of the ILO
in this regard.
- The representative of the Government of Lithuania
noted that the promotion of employment and the development of social
security were two important areas of activity for the ILO within
the context of globalization. The Lithuanian Government was addressing
these issues through the development of a number of programmes,
including an anti-poverty strategy, pension reform, a National Employment
Action Plan and a new Labour Code.
- The Workers’ delegate of Albania briefed the Meeting
on the current situation in Albania which was characterized by high
long-term unemployment and poverty. He announced that a number of
tripartite structures had been established and highlighted the strong
ILO support in speeding up the reform process in his country. He
concluded by expressing his solidarity with the trade union movement
in Belarus.
- The representative of the Government of Belarus
noted that future cooperation with Belarus should include the improvement
of national labour legislation, the development of effective social
dialogue, improvement of occupational safety and health systems,
reforms of wage systems and finding new approaches towards generating
employment.
- The Workers’ delegate of the Czech Republic deplored
the colonization of pension systems in the Central and Eastern European
countries by some Western countries and transnational financial
groups and the assistance of international financial institutions,
which tried to encourage private for-profit schemes. He thanked
the ILO for what it had done for the emerging democracies and nascent
trade unions in the region and stressed that the ILO was the only
respected tripartite organization in these countries. He supported
the Workers’ group’s statement on the situation in Belarus.
- The Workers’ delegate of Greece considered that
increasing unemployment in the region was due to neo-liberal policies
and requested a change of political and social forces at the European
level. He expressed his hope that the ILO would strengthen its supervisory
mechanisms to promote the implementation of international labour
standards.
- The Workers’ delegate from Italy stressed that,
taking into account the specificities and needs of different countries,
the ILO should promote all international labour standards and not
focus exclusively on the core standards. Two concerns which urgently
required attention were the growing phenomenon of child labour and
the violation of women’s rights, especially the trafficking of women.
She was concerned about the situation in Belarus and voiced her
support for trade union organizations there.
- A representative of the Government of the Czech
Republic associated himself with the previous speakers who highly
appreciated the efforts of the ILO in the region in the past five
years. He particularly thanked the ILO for assistance received in
the fields of social dialogue, occupational safety and health, labour
inspection, public employment services and elimination of discrimination,
especially discrimination between men and women, as well as pension
reform and the open dialogue on labour migration. Further ILO assistance
would be needed in the near future regarding the ratification of
Convention No. 138, and in the development of pension reforms, the
Labour Inspection Act, as well as the new Labour Code.
- The Workers’ delegate from Belgium emphasized the
need for a better coordination of the policies of different national
and international organizations, including macroeconomic policies,
trade policies and their interrelation with social principles and
norms. At the next meeting of this kind, other actors for social
development in the region such as the Council of Europe, the Bretton
Woods institutions, the WTO and others should be more strongly involved.
- The Employers’ delegate from Poland stated that
formal restrictions against the free movement of ICT experts were
not justified. In government-backed programmes for the migration
of experts, mechanisms of compensation for countries who lost skilled
workers should be found. The delegate also strongly emphasized the
need to address the problems of employment accident insurance reform.
- The representative of the European Commission underlined
the high degree of compatibility between the ILO’s decent work agenda
and the European Union’s programmes in Central, Eastern and South-Eastern
Europe and the CIS countries, namely Phare and Tacis. Both organizations’
objectives were mutually supportive. The European Commission strongly
supported the Social Cohesion Initiative within the Stability Pact,
in which the ILO was playing a leading role, and looked forward
to further cooperation with the ILO in the European region.
- An Employers’ delegate from Hungary stressed the
central importance of knowledge in the new economy and the possibilities
it opened for countries poor in other resources. The ILO should
be particularly active in developing strategies to meet these challenges.
- The Employers’ delegate of Belarus pointed out
that the Belarusian employers participated actively in social dialogue.
Social dialogue was carried out in a structure set out in a series
of agreements concluded at different levels, as well as various
tripartite councils, including the National Council on Labour and
Social Issues. The speaker also pointed out the particular usefulness
of technical assistance provided by the ILO and in particular by
the ILO Moscow Office to the Belarusian Confederation of Entrepreneurs
and Employers.
III. Adoption
of the report and conclusions
of the Meeting
- The Sixth European Regional Meeting adopted its
conclusions and its report by consensus, and noted the following
reservations expressed by the Employers’ group and by the Government
of Belarus.
- The Employers’ group stated that it could not ignore
the existence of the Home Work Convention, 1996 (No. 177). However,
the group has a continued fundamental opposition to this Convention.
Therefore it wished to record its strong reservation on the adoption
of paragraph 39 of the conclusions and on the mention of Convention
No. 177 in the conclusions.
- The Workers’ group stated that Convention No. 177
was duly adopted by the Conference and having received the required
number of ratifications, it was already in force. The reference
in the conclusions to Convention No. 177 was an indication of its
relevance to the ICT sector.
- The Government of Belarus, supported by the Government
of the Russian Federation, expressed strong reservations as to the
content of paragraph 20.
- The Government of the United Kingdom wished to
clarify that in paragraph 24 of the conclusions, it was agreeing
to what was contained in the resolution aiming at ensuring the independence
and facilitating the financing of employers’ and workers’ organizations,
adopted at the Warsaw Regional Conference (September 1995), and
nothing more and nothing less.
- The Regional Director, Mr. Scharrenbroich, addressed
the Meeting and noted that it had been productive. The European
and Central Asian region was very diverse but faced a number of
common problems. In order to address these problems, the ILO would
seek to assist its constituents in the region with employment creation,
strengthening of social dialogue and social security, and the development
of information technology. In follow-up to views expressed at the
Meeting, the ILO would also seek to strengthen its cooperation with
the European institutions and other international organizations.
- The Meeting concluded with thanks expressed by
the representatives of the Government, Employers’ and Workers’ groups
and by the Director-General to Mr. Scharrenbroich for his effective
service and valued contribution to the work of the ILO in his capacity
as European Regional Director.
- The Governing Body may wish to request the Director-General:
(a) to draw the attention of the governments
of member States of the European region and, through them, that
of their national employers’ and workers’ organizations, to
the conclusions adopted by the Meeting;
(b) to bear the conclusions in mind
in executing ongoing programmes and in preparing future programme
and budget proposals;
(c) to transmit the text of the conclusions:
(i) to the governments of all
member States, and through them, to national employers’
and workers’ organizations;
(ii) to the international organizations
concerned, including the non-governmental international
organizations having consultative status.
Appendix
Conclusions
1. The delegates at the Sixth
European Regional Meeting of the ILO welcome the contents of the
Report of the Director-General, Globalizing Europe – Decent
work in the information economy (Volume I) and Decent work
in Europe and Central Asia: ILO activities 1995-2000 (Volume
II). They adopted these conclusions by consensus as well as the
report of the Meeting which reflects also the discussion which
took place before the adoption of the conclusions.
2. The participants at this
Meeting reaffirm their commitment to the decent work agenda which
encompasses the four strategic objectives of the International
Labour Organization, as endorsed by the International Labour Conference
in 1999:
n
promoting and reinforcing fundamental
principles and rights at work and international labour standards;
n
creating greater opportunities for women
and men to secure decent employment and income;
n
facilitating access to social protection
for all; and
n
strengthening tripartism and social
dialogue.
3. The participants recommend
that policies and activities should be developed, at the national,
subregional and regional levels, which encompass all of the four
strategic objectives of the Organization, including gender-sensitive
and development-oriented components.
Development
trends in the region
4. Europe and Central Asia
is a vast and diverse region with countries at different levels
of development. The disparities between the levels of development
in the region are very wide and might even be growing.
5. The Meeting acknowledges
the diversity of situations in the employment, social dialogue
and social protection systems throughout the European and Central
Asian region. There is however a wide range of common approaches
that can assist those most impacted by economic and social change.
These approaches should be highlighted and shared throughout the
region.
Challenges
and opportunities for the ILO
6. The Meeting reaffirms the
importance of international labour standards and the Declaration
on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work as benchmarks and
tools for achieving social and economic progress.
7. The establishment of two
multidisciplinary teams in Europe and Central Asia, each of them
coinciding with an area office, as well as the consolidation of
the network of National Coordinators, brought technical expertise
closer to constituents. The main interventions in the countries
covered by the teams consist of policy advisory and technical
cooperation activities. Further measures to enhance their effectiveness
require that the composition of the teams more accurately reflect
the needs of constituents. Labour standards are noted as a technical
field of particular importance.
8. The Meeting also invites
the Governing Body, during discussion and adoption of the programme
and budget for the next biennium, to propose adequate financial
and human resources for the proper functioning of the ILO Regional
Office for Europe and Central Asia, including its field units
and network of National Coordinators, while fully taking into
account the needs of the constituents of the countries concerned.
In order to enhance the capacity of the tripartite constituents,
the Office is also called upon to provide adequate resources for
strengthening its research and advisory services capacities in
the economic and social sectors.
ILO’s
contribution to accession countries
9. The ILO should continue
to provide assistance to European Union candidate countries to
modernize their social systems and integrate the "acquis
communautaire" in the labour and social fields.
ILO’s
contribution to the Stability Pact
10. Well-functioning tripartism
and bipartite social dialogue within the South-Eastern Europe
region, involving representatives of the social partners of each
country via proper institutions, are essential tools for a stable
economic and social development policy. All activities aiming
to increase access of the social partners to the workings of the
Stability Pact and of tripartite consultations at the regional
level are encouraged.
ILO’s
contribution to the consolidation of democracy
11. Good governance plays a
fundamental role in the economic transition consolidation process
for a number of Central and Eastern European as well as Central
Asian countries. The fight against corruption, which is a component
of good governance, has to be pursued vigorously wherever it happens.
When addressing these issues, the ILO should request the assistance
of member States to coordinate its efforts with those of other
interested international and regional organizations that are also
active in this field.
12. Some countries within the
region are beset by conflicts that jeopardize economic and social
cohesion. The ILO is requested to continue being active with rehabilitation
programmes in crisis-affected countries, and to contribute during
conflict and post-conflict situations to the protection of displaced
persons, in particular workers and their families. The Meeting
also recognizes that, to be successful, reconstruction efforts
should include as a strong component the establishment of sound
and effective tripartite and bipartite social dialogue mechanisms.
ILO’s
relationship with the EU, the CIS
and other regional institutions
13. A pan-European approach,
whereby countries of the region will pool their human resources,
technical resources and expertis |
