Marking 90 Years of the ILO (2010)

In 2009, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) celebrated its 90th anniversary, against a backdrop of financial crisis and critical levels of unemployment around the world. The ILO is the world's oldest and only tripartite international agency, created in 1919 as part of the Treaty of Versailles that ended World War I, to reflect the belief that universal and lasting peace can be accomplished only if based on social justice. It was a truly global organisation before globalisation entered our everyday vernacular and figured so prominently in our consciousness. Today the ILO has 183 member states. The ILO is dedicated to bringing decent work and livelihoods, job-related security and better living standards to the people of all countries though social dialogue and tripartism. The first annual International Labour Conference beginning on 29 October 1919 in Washington DC adopted the first 6 International Labour Conventions. Since then, the ILO has had a mandate from its worldwide members to establish a set of core principles. Today, the ILO has 188 Conventions and Declarations and 199 Recommendations. In 1998 the 8 Core Conventions, were consolidated into 4 principles and rights in the Declaration of Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work: * Freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining * Abolition of forced labour * Elimination of the worst forms of child labour * Equality of opportunity and treatment. Symposium on 90 Years of the ILO: The significance for Australia and New Zealand On 19-20 November 2009, the Business and Labour History Group of the New Zealand Work and Labour Market Institute at Auckland University of Technology (AUT), in association with the Auckland Labour History Group, organised a symposium to mark the 90th anniversary of the ILO, at AUT in Auckland. The title of the symposium was 90 Years of the ILO: The significance for Australia and New Zealand. In addition to a number of specialist papers listed below, two national tripartite panels discussed the significance of the ILO for their respective countries. The New Zealand Tripartite Partner Panel on The Significance of the ILO for New Zealand consisted of: Carol Beaumont, Labour Member of Parliament, former Secretary, NZ Council of Trade Unions, and former worker representative to ILO; Paul MacKay, Manager Employment Relations Policy, Business New Zealand and employer representative to ILO; and Michael Hobby, Principal Adviser, International Services, New Zealand Department of Labour. The Australian Tripartite Partner Panel: on The Significance of the ILO for Australia consisted of: Louise McDonough, Branch Manager, International Labour and Consultation, Workplace Relations Policy Group, Australian Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations; David Gregory, Director, Workplace Policy, Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry and employer representative to ILO; Linda Gale, Victorian State Organiser, National Tertiary Education Union, representing Australian Council of Trade Unions; Steve Marshall, ILO Liaison Officer in Myanmar (and former employer representative to the ILO from New Zealand), provided a summarising overview as Rapporteur. These were the overarching questions guiding the symposium participants: * What has been the significance of the ILO for Australia and New Zealand? * What influence have Australia and New Zealand had on the ILO? * What does the future hold for interaction of the ILO with Australia and New Zealand? 1. What has been the significance of the ILO for Australia and New Zealand? One indication is to examine the impact of ILO conventions in Australia and New Zealand. Conventions need to be ratified by member states. Once ratified, countries commit themselves to applying it in national law. This occurs automatically in some countries, but not in Australia and New Zealand. …