CNV

From 02 to 18 June 2010 the International Labour Organization (ILO) organized its 99th Session of the International Labour Conference in Geneva, Switzerland. The annual meeting offers a platform to representatives of governments, employers and employees from all over the world to meet and discuss all possible labour-related issues.

During the two-and-a-half weeks of the conference there are four committees where representatives of governments, employers and employees can debate on adaptations of conventions, talk about overtredingen and discuss all problems they encounter in their countries. Additionally, there are tripartite meetings consisting of all three (governments, employers and employees).

This year the vice-president of the World Organization of Workers - WOW, Mr. Koffi Chrysanthe Zounnadjala from Togo, participated for ten days. From 08 – 10 June Mr. Roel Rotshuizen, WOW President, Bjørn van Heusden, WOW Executive Secretary, and Piet Nelissen, WOW Boardmember, participated in order to further increase the profile of WOW. Additionally, Mrs. Juana Maritza Chireno, WOW Vice-President for the commercial sector in Latin-America, was present as delegate of the Venezuelan employees.

The main items on the agenda this year were:
IV.  Decent work for domestic workers;
V.  Elaboration of an autonomous Recommendation on HIV/AIDS in the world of work;
VI. A discussion on the strategic objective of employment;
VII. Review of the follow-up to the 1998 ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights  at Work.

The ILO conference is an important tool for labour-related issues. In many countries trade union leaders are still persecuted, imprisoned and sometimes even killed for the fact that they struggle for the improvement of workers-conditions and rights.

For the World Organization of Workers - WOW it is pivotal that an organization like the ILO exists. They are globally esteemed for the work they do to counter work-related offences.

This year the WOW had a special interest on work done by the ILO in the different continents. For this we visited the regional directors for Africa and Asia. These talks were very fruitful and may give possibilities for future cooperation. We further met with the office for micro-finance wheer our question was in what way we could get involved or get support from the ILO. Their experience with micro-finance may proof very interesting for our regional federations.

Apart from these meetings we had quite a few informal talks with colleagues from all over the world. Representatives from Togo, Indonesia, Venezuela, Nepal amonst others. The ILO Conference is a very good platform to discuss various matters with people from all over the world. One receives a lot of interesting information about the situation in countries and continents. Both politically and on the level of trade unions.

Next year will be the 100th Session of the International Labour Conference. Hopefully until then the situation for some workers changes a little to the better. WOW will try its best to increase the cooperation with the ILO. Without organizations like this many workers would be lost. It is for these workers that both the ILO and the WOW are working hard.

for pictures click here