Politics

What Reith told the ILO

Workers Online has recevied a transcript of roving statesman Peter Reith's talk to the ILO in Geneva. This one's not satire.

Address to Plenary Session of the International Labour Conference, 87th Session, Palais des Nations, Geneva, 9 June 1999

On behalf of the Australian government, I would like to congratulate you on your election as President of the Conference. I also welcome the opportunity to comment on the Director-General's landmark report on the ILO and its priorities in this period of major global change.

I am encouraged by the New Director-General's strong advocacy of reform and modernisation. I also take this opportunity to acknowledge the development of reform proposals by Asia-Pacific Region Members, particularly noting the efforts of New Zealand. The strategic approach to budgeting outlined by the Director-General, which provides a clear framework for ongoing reform, is a particularly welcome development. Australia is committed to zero nominal growth budgets as part of the ILO reform process. This will require continued efforts to improve management efficiency and focused use of resources. Australia welcomes the emphasis on clarity of purpose and the results to be achieved, and an effective monitoring and evaluation system that features provision of regular progress reports to the Governing Body.

I would like to congratulate the Director-General on his proposals for modernising the structure and activities of the Office, including the delivery of technical assistance programs. I note that his intention is to create a management structure that will promote a sense of collective responsibility among staff, greater transparency and improved communication within the Office. This restructuring should enhance the ability of the Office to serve the needs of the organisation effectively.

I strongly agree with the Director-General that improving the visibility, effectiveness and relevance of the Organisation's standard-setting system must become a priority.

The Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, which has the firm support of the Australian government, is a significant milestone on the road to reform of the standard-setting process. The Australian Government's workplace relations legislation reflects our respect for the fundamental principles in the Declaration. For the first time in our federal jurisdiction the national legislation expressly recognises the principle of freedom of association by prohibiting discrimination on the basis of membership or non-membership of a union. The Act also contains extensive provisions designed to prevent and eliminate discrimination against employees on a range of grounds including those listed in the core Convention on Discrimination in Employment and Occupation.

In the true spirit of the Declaration, it is timely for the ILO to focus its energies on the core purposes of its work and standards.

Clear evidence of the urgent need for reform of standard-setting processes is the very poor ratification rate of conventions in recent years. The Director-General has pointed out that only three of the 23 conventions and two protocols adopted since 1983 have received 20 or more ratifications. This low rate of acceptance damages the credibility of the ILO's international labour code. It made little sense to keep adopting new conventions that have little support because Member States consider them to be either too prescriptive or not relevant.

The ILO needs to ensure that its labour code is contemporary and has universal relevance. Over time, many conventions and recommendations have lost their relevance for both developing and developed countries in a rapidly changing world. Therefore, it is high time that the labour code was brought up to date. This can be achieved in the following way.

Firstly, Australia believes that the ILO needs to introduce improved processes for identifying new labour standards that are likely to enjoy widespread support. In this way we could avoid wasting time on consideration of issues like contract labour for which there was little real support among Members.

Furthermore, where new labour standards are proposed, they should be expressed in flexible, principles-based instruments of general relevance. This accords with the Director-General's concept of framework conventions. Matters of detail concerning the way in which conventions could be implemented should be incorporated in accompanying recommendations. The Discrimination instruments adopted in 1958 are a good model.

But we need to go further than that. More consideration should be given to the adoption of recommendations, without accompanying conventions, that give guidance on many labour issues not considered appropriate for inclusion in conventions. A good recent example is last year's recommendation 189, which provides guidance for Members in the design and implementation of policies on job creation in small and medium-sized enterprises. Appropriate use of recommendations would help ensure Member States can apply new labour standards flexibly in accordance with changing circumstances and their particular national conditions.

In proposing this type of approach to standard-setting, I note the concern expressed by the Director-General that the present supervisory system at times gives equal weight to very serious issues and other issues which are essentially only matters of detail. I also note his comment that the system of supervision as a whole is increasingly bogged down under its own weight. He is right to point out that governments should understand the mechanisms for flexibility built into conventions.

Australia believes that more should be done to rationalise existing standards. Many conventions cover a good deal of common ground. It is time to consider how such conventions and associated recommendations can be reformulated to produce new instruments that express contemporary labour standards relevant to all countries.

It is vital that the ILO approaches reform of standard-setting expeditiously. I note that a number of steps to review conventions and recommendations have been taken in recent years. However, as only limited progress has been made, it is important that standard-setting reform remains firmly on the agenda.

My government is seriously considering ratifying the 1997 ILO Constitutional Instrument of Amendment which allows for the abrogation of obsolete international labour standards. The appropriate consultations have not yet been finalised, and the formal treaty-making processes must be completed before I can make any formal undertaking. However, I can say that to date, no objections have been raised to this most reasonable proposal.

The reform agenda must enable the organisation and its members to focus on practical issues. For example, the Australian Government has already laid before the international community the plight of two of our citizens, Messrs Pratt and Wallace, who are employees of the Australian division of the humanitarian aid organisation, CARE International, in the troubled Balkans region. These two employees have been wrongly accused and sentenced to long gaol sentences on baseless charges by the Yugoslav Government. These two workers were performing their employment tasks in most difficult circumstances. They have been deprived of basic human rights. We repeat our call for their immediate release - not just on humanitarian grounds but in order to recognise and respect their rights as employees. I have already raised this matter directly with the Director-General and am encouraged by his interest in this issue.

I welcome the opportunity to confirm Australia's support for a new Convention and Recommendation aimed at eliminating the worst forms of child labour. Their adoption will provide significant support for the ILO's efforts to promote and realise its fundamental principles.

In conclusion, I reiterate Australia's strong support for reform of the ILO's structures and processes. It is vital that the opportunity to achieve significant reforms is not permitted to slip away. The measure of the Organisation's success in achieving real, durable reform will be evidence of increasing compliance with the fundamental principles of the Declaration and contemporary labour standards.

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»	Reith Building Blitz Hits Bum Note
»	Entitlements Focus Shifts Back to Woodlawn
»	Fresh South Coast Ballot Called
»	"Big Drum Up" For East Timor
»	Eric Lee Public Forum

»	Guest Report
»	Sport
»	Trades Hall
»	Piers Watch

»	Vizard: Net Content Is Vital
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»	The Vizard deal. Is it another great deal for you!!!!???

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