Trade
& Labour
The ILO is the specialised UN agency with responsibility
for setting, promoting and monitoring international labour
standards. The 1998 ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles
and Rights at Work covers internationally agreed "core
labour standards" on freedom of association and the
right to collective bargaining, the elimination of discrimination
in employment and the elimination of forced and child
labour. Under the Declaration, all Member States are obliged
to respect, promote and realise these rights whether or
not they have ratified the related ILO Conventions. More
details can be found on ILO (http://www.ilo.org/public/english/).
There
have been calls by some countries to introduce labour
standards into the WTO. The argument has been that trade
sanctions should be used as a way of pressurising countries
to comply with internationally agreed labour standards
which would protect workers from exploitation. However,
many other countries, including most developing countries,
fear that such regulations would amount to protectionism.
Indeed trade sanctions against the formal export sector
may, for example, simply displace children into the informal
sector where conditions are typically worse, or into unemployment
and even greater poverty.
The
1996 WTO Ministerial Conference in Singapore identified
the International
Labour Organisation (ILO) as the most suitable forum
to deal with labour issues. The WTO 4th Ministerial
in Doha in November 2001 reaffirmed the declaration made
at the Singapore Conference concerning the competency
of the ILO and noted its work on the Social Dimensions
of Globalisation.
The
UK emphatically and explicitly rejects a sanctions-based
approach in this area, and will continue to oppose and
reject any initiative to use labour rights for protectionist
purposes. Whilst recognising that the ILO is the most
appropriate forum for dealing with labour issues, the
UK has worked to develop a consensus that labour standards
should be promoted through all the relevant multilateral
organisations - the ILO, the WTO, the World Bank and UNCTAD.
We will continue with this approach (for example, we are
seeking formal reciprocal observership between the ILO
and WTO).
The
Government lead on this issue is with the Department
of Work and Pensions and the Department
for Education and Skills.
Contact:
Emma Squire
Tel: 020 7215 6017
Fax: 020 7215 2235
Email: emma.squire@dti.gsi.gov.uk
