Hello and welcome to this introduction to the work of the International Labour Organization,
the United Nations agency for Social Justice and Decent Work.
One hundred years ago, in 1919 when the ILO was created, governments employer's and
worker's organizations understood that we need to work together to improve labour
conditions around the world.
As stated in the ILO constitution:" the failure of any nation to adopt humane conditions of labor is an obstacle in the way of other
nations which desire to improve the conditions in their own countries."
Therefore, one of the main missions of our organization is to improve people's
lives by advancing social justice and promoting decent work for everyone.
We use what we call development cooperation to help our 187 member states address
the social and economic challenges of today and tomorrow's world,
and in this video, you will discover some of our 760 ongoing programs and projects in more than 100 countries.
All over the world, millions of women and men are entering
the labour market every year, but often lack the skills that companies are
looking for. So how can we meet this challenge?
The ILO, as a tripartite organization where workers, employers and governments work together,
and where the views of all the contributors to the economy are therefore reflected,
has developed an approach based on education and training called STED, which is
applicable in countries at all stages of development.
In Myanmar for example, tourism is a key driver of socio-economic progress. To help Myanmar
further develop its tourism sector, the ILO has helped to forge cooperation
among all stakeholders in the sector to create competency based standards for tour guides.
In Cambodia, the ILO has set up a program to develop national
standards for four professions: welding, machining, fruit and vegetable processing,
and baking. This approach has already had a direct impact on the lives of
thousands of people. But what about the billions of men
and women working in informal jobs who have no contracts and therefore no
social protection. Nearly one in three workers has an informal job in the
Central Asian Republic of Tajikistan.
With a new campaign, trade unions,
supported by the government in the ILO, are organizing mobile theatre performances,
where informal employment is common.
The plays present the challenges of informal work and the importance of labour rights.
Actress: "From now on, I no longer work without a contract.
Do you remember what you told me when you hired me?
"No work without time off". I believed you and I was wrong.
I'm exhausted. Find someone else."
After the performance, a union representative leads a discussion with the public
in the hope of inspiring them with this simple message: getting out of informal work is possible!
Because informality, in the worst case scenario, can also be a dangerous job...
In Malawi, one of the poorest countries in the world,
nearly 1.5 million children are working.
Ethel: "After picking tobacco I get headaches and pains in my stomach."
The ILO and its partners in Malawi have responded to
the urgency of child labour by developing an effective intervention model called the SNAP project.
Once working children are identified, the youngest are enrolled in
non-formal education to prepare them for public school.
Children aged 14 to 18 on the other hand
receive vocational training such as carpentry or sewing.
The SNAP project has not only changed lives, but also attitudes.
Gift Mandela:"In the future I dream of having my own shop and I will not employ children, I will only employ adults."
However, the scourge of child labour is present in all regions of the world,
from Asia to Europe.
Turkey is the world's largest producer of hazelnuts,
most of which come from the province of Ordu on the Black Sea.
Entire families of seasonal workers establish their campsites here
during the harvest and we can still find young children working with their parents.
The ILO has therefore worked with hazelnut producers and the government
to build a school near the campsites.
Now, children can continue to learn during the harvest.
All over the world, men and women have to travel to find work,
but even when they stay in their own countries, they can be vulnerable.
Bolivia, and in particular its capital La Paz, is currently experiencing a construction boom.
With the increasing demand for labour, many of the new
construction workers are women especially indigenous women from rural Bolivia,
and are therefore vulnerable to abuse and discrimination.
The ILO works with associations, local government and employers to raise awareness about
the rights of indigenous women and provide them with training on workplace safety on construction site.
Navidad Velasco: "Before, there was no safety and there were many accidents
But now thanks to this training, we are more aware of our safety and we look out for one another."
Indigenous women like Natividad still face many obstacles.
But by offering them training that makes them aware of their rights,
we ensure that they have the right to speak out.
Yet for some, staying in their countries can be dangerous
or even deadly.
Hundreds of thousands of registered Syrian refugees now live in Jordan,
driven from their homes by the civil war in Syria.
They have little chance of finding a job but a new initiative
from the ILO is connecting local employers with refugees who are looking for work.
In a pilot project, the ILO organized a job fair and career
counseling days in the Zaatari refugee camp.
A textile manufacturer ended up hiring 19 women from the camp.
Samira Alsmadi: "At first, our financial situation was very desperate
Now we're much better off. We feel more comfortable, we love life
and it's like starting to live again."
For the refugees who now have a stable
employment opportunity, the program has changed their lives and those of their families.
But for others, working abroad can sometimes result in dangerous and
threatening situations.
In Rome, a special unit dedicated to combating the scourge
of human trafficking in Italy carries out unannounced inspections of companies
in which potential victims may be working.
The ILO plays a key role in the evolution of this situation.
Our manual for labor inspectors helps
them identify cases of exploitation and forced labour.
One Thursday evening, the carabinieri command center in Teramo
receives a call from a unit in the field :
a suspicious activity is reported in a darkened factory on the outskirts of a nearby town.
The Carabinieri established a perimeter around the factory.
No one will be allowed to leave.
Then comes the signal to enter.
Chinese workers at this factory sew branded jeans for the Italian fashion industry
in hot, dirty and noisy working conditions but it's not just a factory it's also a home.
These little children and babies were found in a room.
This evening, three workers without documents were found and the owner of the factory investigated
for violations of the law on the protection of victims of forced labour.
In addition to the Carabinieri, health inspectors were also present.
For if the factory presents significant health and safety violations, it can be closed immediately.
Because occupational health and safety is paramount,
and without it, tragedy can strike!
Khaleda is one of the millions of garment workers in Bangladesh.
Khaleda was lucky. She survived after being trapped
for 16 hours under the rubble of Rana Plaza,
the deadliest disaster in the history of the garment sector.
What happened that day is never very far from her mind...
The building started to shake, there was a lot of noise and I started running.
After five or six steps, I couldn't see anything anymore,
and I started falling like an elevator. I was crying, the roof was so closed
that he touched my nose and every time I breathed, I felt it on my face.
We thought that we were going to die and we said goodbye to one another.
As a result, the government of Bangladesh, the garment sector, trade unions and
the international community are working together to improve workplace safety standards.
With the support of the ILO, teams of engineers systematically inspect
garment manufacturing factories in Bangladesh.
If we find that there is a problem in a factory, then we will immediately evacuate that building
and stop all the activities and it will go directly to the review panel.
Khaleda was able to overcome the trauma of the Rana Plaza.
She has since been trained through an ILO project and her new skills have empowered her and
given her a new outlook on the future.
This coordinated response in Bangladesh is directed towards a single goal:
to ensure that a disaster like Rana Plaza never happens again.
Every day, the ILO continues its founding mission:
to work for social justice which is essential for lasting and universal peace.
Thanks to the work of our organization, its members and partners,
this has become a reality for thousands of women and men around the world who now have rights at work,
decent jobs, access to social protection and social dialogue.
It gives them a voice for working conditions that are dignified and equal.
We are proud of our history and look forward to changing lives
for the better in our next hundred years.