November 2005

1. Article

   Managing labour migration: Turkey and the European Union

   04 November 2005

   ANKARA (ILO Online) - Labour migration from Turkey to the member States of the European Union (EU) is one of the main issues in the long-delayed talks between the Turkish government and the EU that started on 3 October. While critics of Turkey's EU bid raise the spectre of unrestricted labour migration from a country of 72 million people, supporters say taking in Turkey, with its young labour force, will boost Europe's economy and offset the effects of its rapidly ageing population. Managing labour migration was also at the centre of a tripartite meeting of experts to be held on 31 October - 2 November at ILO headquarters in Geneva. The meeting reviewed the draft of the ILO Multilateral Framework on Labour Migration, prior to its submission to the ILO Governing Body in March 2006. ILO Online spoke with Gülay Aslantepe, Director of the ILO Office in Ankara, and Patrick Taran from the ILO International Migration Branch.

2. Publication

   AIDS increasing costs to companies in India - the ILO Study

   01 November 2005

October 2005

1. Article

   Socially sensitive enterprise restructuring: swimming together or sinking separately

   12 October 2005

   How can an enterprise restructure with maximum economic benefits and minimum costs to workers and society? It is often believed that downsizing has a positive impact on the performance of the company and the so-called "survivors". According to a new ILO publication, this is not always true in practice. Alternative options should be considered and if downsizing is necessary, it should be carried out in a socially sensitive way.

2. 11th Regional Seminar for Labour-Based Practitioners

   Mombasa Statement

   07 October 2005

3. Article

   Bulgaria: helping businesses to enter the formal economy

   04 October 2005

   GENEVA (ILO Online) - In 2003, a new regulation was introduced in Bulgaria, whereby it became compulsory for employers to register all labour contracts. In addition, as many employers and enterprises are unaware about the new regulations, there is a strong need now to inform them on how to conform with the new system. The ILO's Bureau for Employers' Activities (ACT/EMP) supports the Bulgarian Industrial Association (BIA) - the largest Bulgarian employers' organization, to help companies moving from informality to formality. ILO on line spoke with Henrik Moller and Jean-Marie Standaert, both from ACT/EMP, who assist BIA in making this happen.

September 2005

1. Article

   Decent work for all seafarers: ILO-IMO prepare new guidelines on death, injury and abandonment

   16 September 2005

   Globalization, complex vessel ownership and flagging, and multinational crewing have made it more pressing than ever to create guidelines for speedy and humane treatment of seafarers caught in unforeseen difficulties. A joint working group of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the ILO will discuss such guidelines on 19-21 September in London.

August 2005

1. Article

   New chemicals, old risks: why careful monitoring must be maintained

   26 August 2005

   Potentially harmful chemicals permeate today's workplaces. While the number of chemicals used in industry now exceeds 50,000, an additional 500 new chemicals are introduced in industry every year. The toll from chemical exposure is heavy - the ILO estimates that of the 2 million work-related fatalities, 439,000 are caused by chemicals, and of the 160 million cases of work-related disease, 35 million are due to chemicals. A new ILO publication says the toxicity of new chemicals must be checked for safety and health more carefully before marketing. The 17th World Congress on Safety and Health at Work will address safety and health of chemicals during a special session on 19 September 2005.

2. Article

   International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition Invisible prisoners: The trafficking and exploitation of Chinese immigrants in France

   18 August 2005

   According to an ILO study, some 50,000 illegal Chinese immigrants living in France are easy prey to exploitation through forced labour. Resulting from major economic and social change in China, the movement has been growing for the past ten years, with more than 6,000 Chinese immigrants arriving each year in Paris and the surrounding region. Victims of trafficking, at the end of their dangerous journey through transit countries where they run the risk of racketeering, violence and sometimes death, the migrants have little choice but to integrate themselves into a parallel ethnic economy where they can remain trapped for years, mainly in the clothing and catering sectors. The report describes this inhuman and invisible life, in the words of the Chinese migrants themselves, following a survey conducted in close collaboration with the French authorities.

3. Article

   International Day of the World's Indigenous People 2005 Indigenous and Tribal Peoples' Rights - still a long way to go

   03 August 2005

   GENEVA (ILO Online) - The ILO has adopted the only international legal instrument now open to ratification that pertains specifically to the 350 million indigenous and tribal peoples worldwide: the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989 (No. 169). It has been ratified by 17 countries and is internationally recognized as the foremost instrument on the subject. It covers a wide range of issues, including land rights, access to natural resources, health, education, vocational training, conditions of employment and contacts across borders.

4. 

   Publication

   Waving through history: how the ILO finally got an official flag

   01 August 2005