International Labour Organisation (ILO) in India: Definition, Mission , Impact of the ILO ,Objectives and Membership

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.

ILO is a specialised agency of the United Nations.

ILO issued World Social Protection Report 2017-19

The World Social Protection Report 2017-19 provides a global overview of recent trends in social protection systems, including social protection floors. Based on new data, it offers a broad range of global, regional and country data on social protection coverage, benefits and public expenditures on social protection.

New ILO report shows that massive efforts are still needed to ensure that the right to social security becomes a reality for all.

Mission and impact of the ILO

Promoting jobs, Protecting people

The International Labour Organization (ILO) is devoted to promoting social justice and internationally recognized human and labour rights, pursuing its founding mission that social justice is essential to universal and lasting peace. 

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

Today, the ILO's Decent Work agenda  helps advance the economic and working conditions that give all workers, employers and governments a stake in lasting peace, prosperity and progress. 

Four strategic objectives at the heart of the Decent Work agenda

• Set and promote standards and fundamental principles and rights at work 
• Create greater opportunities for women and men to decent employment and income 
• Enhance the coverage and effectiveness of social protection for all 
• Strengthen tripartism and social dialogue  

For the convenience purposes, the discussion is presented in two parts:

(i) ILO: its Objectives and Organisational Structure

(ii) Impact of ILO on IR in India

ILO: Its Organisational Structure and Objectives:

Labour mobility across the nations has been in practice for long times. In course of time, this has led to international labour problems for various reasons and also underlined the need for understanding the problems of international labour. In 1919, the ILO came into existence as a solution to this problem.

The ILO was born as a result of the peace conference at the end of World War I at Versailles on April 19, 1919. Being an original signatory of the treaty of peace, India became member of ILO in 1919 Itself In fact, ILO is the only international organisation that survived the Second World War even after dissolution of its parent body ‘the League of Nations’. Its main concern is to make the world know that world peace is subject to be affected by unjust conditions of its labour. Thus, ILO deals with international labour problems.

Objectives of the ILO:

The main objectives of ILO contained in the preamble to its constitution are to:

1. Provide social justice to workers.

2. Avoid injustice, depravation and exploitation of labour.

3. Build up human working conditions to the labour

In the 26th session of the International Labour Conference held at Philadelphia in April in 1944 during the Second World War, the principles of ILO were affirmed as follows:

1. Labour is not a commodity.

2. Freedom of expression and of association is essential to sustained growth.

3. Poverty anywhere constitutes a danger to prosperity everywhere.

4. War against want requires to be carried out by joint efforts by government, management and workers together on equal status and with democratic traditions.

The objectives of the ILO were redefined at the Philadelphia conference in 1944. This was termed as “Declaration of Philadelphia. The following 10 objectives were enunciated at the above Philadelphia.”

Conference:

1. Full employment and the raising of standards of living.

2. Employ workers on jobs for which they have adequate skill and satisfaction to work.

3. Provide training and development facilities to achieve the above objective.

4. Provide due share of profit as compensation to ensure a minimum level of living standard to all employed and protection as and when needed.

5. Accept collective bargaining as a right of workers and a means of improving productivity between employees and management.

6. Extend social security measures to provide a basic income to all in need and also medical cover.

7. Protect the life and health of workers in all occupations.

8. Provision for child welfare and maternity protection.

9. Provide adequate nutrition, housing and facilities for recreation and culture.

10. Provision for quality education and vocational opportunity.

Membership:

As per the amendments of Constitution in 1945, the membership rules of ILO are as follows:

1. Any original member of UNO may become member of ILO by accepting its obligations of its constitutions.

2. If a State is not the member of the UNO, the ILO confers on the ILC (Parliamentary Wing of the ILO) the right to admit that state to membership which it had assumed de facto during the period of ILO with League.

The membership of ILO has increased from 45 in 1919 to 151 in 2003.

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