Commonwealth countries should lead the world on workers’ rights, says CTUG

The Commonwealth Trade Union Group has condemned continuing attacks on trade unionists and violations of workers’ rights as Commonwealth Week 2008 draws to a close, and has urged Commonwealth countries to ratify the eight core conventions of the International Labour Organisation which set out the fundamental human rights at the workplace. 48 of the Commonwealth’s 53 members are also members of the ILO.

Based on a report which shows the extent of workers’ rights abuses across the Commonwealth issued at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting last November in Kampala (), ITUC General Secretary Guy Ryder said:
“Workers’ rights and trade union freedoms are not just fundamental human rights – they are the essence of the Commonwealth – alongside democracy, tolerance and the rule of law. They are essential to the concept of fair play which unites the diverse peoples of the Commonwealth.

“Abusing trade unionists, trampling the dignity of workers in the dust and ignoring the right to be treated with respect at the workplace are alien to the Commonwealth’s principles. In the language that almost everyone in the Commonwealth understands, it’s just not cricket!”

The least ratified convention is the 1973 convention on child labour, with only 35 of the 48 Commonwealth members of the ILO ratifying (though 42 have ratified the 1999 convention on the worst forms of child labour). The most ratified convention is on forced labour (45 out of 48).

Most Commonwealth members of the ILO have ratified all eight core conventions – the six worst offenders are:
Canada (which has not ratified conventions 29, 98 or 138);
India (which has not ratified conventions 87, 98, 138 or 182);
Kiribati (which has not ratified conventions 100, 111, 138 or 182);
The Solomon Islands have only ratified convention 29; and
Brunei Darussalam and Samoa have ratified no conventions at all.

The CTUG will be highlighting the need for trade union freedoms and workers’ rights during the World Day for Decent Work, 7 October 2008.

The Commonwealth Trade Union Group represents over 30 million trade unionists in 53 countries. The Commonwealth accounts for 1.8 billion of the world’s people – almost one in three.

The eight core conventions of the ILO (with the date of adoption and number of Commonwealth countries ratifying, out of a total of 48) are:
 Convention 29 – Forced Labour – 1929: 45
 Convention 87 – Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise – 1948: 40
 Convention 98 – Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining – 1949: 43
 Convention 100 – Equal Remuneration for Work of Equal Value – 1951: 43
 Convention 105 – Abolition of Forced Labour – 1957: 43
 Convention 111 – Discrimination in Employment and Occupation – 1958: 42
 Convention 138 – Minimum Age for Employment – 1973: 35
 Convention 182 – Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention – 1999: 42

For a full breakdown of ratifications by Commonwealth members of the ILO please click [here].

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(ITUC details)