1919: The Beginning of a Long Journey

The initial four months of 1919 are significant in international working class history in which the Constitution of the world`s most prominent organisation for labour, the International Labour Organisation (ILO), was written by the Commission on International Labour Legislation constituted by the Treaty of Versailles. The Commission comprised representatives from nine countries: Belgium, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, France, Italy, Japan, Poland, the United Kingdom and the United States, under the chairmanship of Samuel Gompers, head of the American Federation of Labor (AFL).

The ILO, which came into existence as part of League of Nations in the wake of the destructive First World War, was mandated to pursue a vision based on the premise that universal, lasting peace can be established only if it is based upon social justice and decent treatment of working people. Though there were immediate humanitarian, political and economic motivations for setting up ILO in 1919, the desire for setting up an international legislative framework for the working class may be traced to the conceptualisations of nineteenth century industrialists, Robert Owen (1771-1853) of the United Kingdom and Daniel Le Grand (1783-1859) of France. Their vision was furthered by the International Association for Labour Legislation, founded in Basle in 1901. The Constitution of the ILO, adopted by the Peace Conference in April 1919, duly incorporates and truly reflects the spirit of these earlier contemplations.

The first international labour conference was held in Washington in October-November 1919. The Conference adopted the first six International Labour Conventions. The initial growth of the organisation owes much to the contribution of its first Director, Albert Thomas, who provided it with a sound foundation. In the summer of 1920, the ILO headquarters was set up in Geneva and in less than two years, 16 International Labour Conventions and 18 Recommendations had been adopted.

The Early Decades

During its first 40 years, the ILO devoted the bulk of its energies to developing international labour standards and ensuring the application of these. The first Convention in 1919 dealt with hours of work, the famous eight-hour day and 48-hour week. The other major initial conventions include those on unemployment, maternity protection, night work for women, minimum age and night work for young persons in industry. In 1926, the International Labour Conference (ILC) set up the supervisory system on the application of standards, an important innovation that exists even today. During these first few decades, the organisation grew in terms of the number of members, and took on its universal character by changing from a forum conceived by and for industrial countries to that of an organisation that has the prominent participation of the developing countries of the world.

Declaration of Philadelphia 1944 and the `Golden Jubilee` Nobel Prize!

In 1944, the ILC Meeting in Philadelphia, organised in the midst of the Second World War, was attended by representatives of governments, employers and workers from 41 countries. The meeting adopted the Declaration of Philadelphia, which redefined the aims and purposes of the ILO. The Declaration, which was annexed to the Constitution, still constitutes the Charter of aims and objectives of the ILO.

The declaration proclaimed that `labour is not a commodity` and `poverty anywhere constitutes a danger to prosperity everywhere`. It was also held by this declaration that freedom of expression and association are essential to sustain progress and all human beings (irrespective of race, creed or sex) have the right to pursue both their material well being and their spiritual development (in conditions of freedom and dignity, of economic security and equal opportunity). Subsequently, in 1946, the ILO became the first specialised agency of the United Nations.

There was a commendable increase in the membership of the ILO in the two decades following the Second World War. The ILO Conventions shaped after the Second World War focused largely on human rights (freedom of association, elimination of forced labour and discrimination). In 1948, the ILC adopted its seminal Convention No. 87 on freedom of association and the right to organise. The Convention gave full recognition to the right of workers and employers to organise freely and independently.

The ILO expanded its organisational structure in 1960s by setting up its research and training centres. In 1960, the ILO created the International Institute for Labour Studies at its Geneva headquarters and the International Training Centre in Turin in 1965.  Subsequently, in 1969-the ILO`s 50th anniversary-the organisation was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. While presenting the prestigious award, the President of the Nobel Prize committee said, "The ILO has had a lasting influence on the legislations of all countries" and that it "was one of the rare institutional creations of which the human race can be proud."

Imprints of the ILO

The ILO is the only surviving major creation of the Treaty of Versailles, which brought the League of Nations into being. The organisation is the only `tripartite` agency of the United Nations, bringing together representatives of governments, employers and workers to jointly shape policies and programmes. This structure makes the ILO unique among world organisations, providing equal voice for employers, workers` organisation and governments.

The ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, adopted by the ILC in June 1998, marked a universal reaffirmation of the obligation of member countries to respect, promote and realise the principles concerning fundamental rights, which are the subjects of certain ILO conventions, even if those conventions have not been ratified. These rights include freedom of association, effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining, elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labour, effective abolition of child labour, and elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.

The present Director-General, Mr. Juan Somavia, in March 1999, is ILO`s first supreme official from the southern hemisphere. Mr. Somavia has been successful so far in bringing out more focused interactions between the ILO and its constituents in the world of work through a redefined and refined slogan of `Decent work for all`. The framework of decent work brings together the four key elements of employment, workers` rights, social security and social dialogue.

(Major Sources: The ILO: What it is. What it does, International Labour Organisation, Geneva; www.ilo.org)