ILO debates workers' rights

ILO Conference, Geneva

Speech by Sam Gurney to Plenary

17 June 2010

I have the pleasure to address the conference on behalf the British Trades Union Congress and British workers.

I wish to begin on a positive note, before moving on to more negative developments.

On the positive side the discussions here on both the new recommendation on HIV-Aids and Domestic Workers have shown the continued importance of the ILO as a standard setting organisation.

I have heard some say that there are quote 'enough standards' and that the ILO should concentrate on other areas, but the debate on both issues shows the need to continue to develop standards that keep pace with the changing needs of workers, governments and employers in the 21 century.

The domestic workers discussion showed again how essential it is to have the voices of those directly affected by proposed standards setting the agenda, and on this note I am particularly proud that my organisation was represented by a domestic worker and union activist Marisa Begonia.

On the issue of Child Labour it was fantastic to see here, as part of the events linked to the Global Report, a group of young people from Britain who are in various ways raising the profile of the campaign to eliminate child labour globally.

I must stress the importance of all of the core ILO conventions in this regard. In addition to work to promote 138 and 182, Conventions 87 and 98 are essential because the best guarantee of child free workplaces in both the formal and informal sectors is to have unionised workplaces.

Turning to more negative developments.

We are deeply concerned by what appears to be a move away in many countries, including Britain, from the approach agreed during the initial response to the Crisis that stimulus must be maintained and support given to defend jobs and employment.

Indeed as ITUC General Secretary Guy Ryder said on this stage on Tuesday we appear to be seeing a 'Stampede to austerity.'

With apologies for using a Hollywood reference, in the film The Usual Suspects the lead character and villain Keyser Soze says, 'the greatest trick the devil ever played was convincing the world he didn't exist.' I am minded of this when I look at the trick that the world's financers and bankers appear to have pulled off.

Having created the greatest economic crisis since the 1930s through greed and the development of a system of unsustainable casino capitalism they have moved back into the shadows and it is working people who appear to be expected to meet the costs of a crisis they had no part in causing.

Swingeing cuts are already taking place in countries like Ireland, Spain and Greece and are planned in Britain.

The Global Unions statement to the G20, sets out the polices needed to; ensure a just and fair recovery, to reverse the increase in precarious work and help deliver the ILO's central mandate of Decent Work for all;

These include:

• retaining stimulus measures that focus on jobs and growth
• reform of the global financial system - including a financial transaction tax, and
• ensuring that climate change polices encompass just transition and the creation of green jobs

The ILO has a vital role in working with the wider UN system and G20 to deliver these aims.

Finally I must comment on our anger that we were unable in the Committee on the Application of Standards to discuss a key case highlighted in the Committee of Expert's report concerning attacks on the right to take strike action by the courts in Britain.

As the General Report of the Committee on Applications says and I quote, 'Discussion of the case would have raised the important issue of the restrictions imposed on the right to strike of workers who were affiliated to a trade union which itself was facing a court action for damages that clearly threatened its survival.'

The case has increased relevance for our unions following subsequent court judgements and was also of great relevance to many other countries in Europe and beyond facing similar restrictions.

We deeply regret that some in the employers group clearly did not have enough faith in their own arguments to discuss the pros and cons of the Committee of Expert's findings in an open and transparent fashion.

I must add that we feel the same in relation to the blocking of the case on Colombia.

In the eyes of many of our members the fact that we were not able to discuss these cases, due to an effective veto by the employers group puts in doubt the credibility of the whole ILO committee system. Such vetoes cannot be allowed to stand in future.