ILO (International Labour Organisation)

  1. The International Labour Conference

It is the policy making body of the ILO. The Conference comprises 4 groups representing governments, employers and workers in the ration of 2:1:1. The sessions of the ILO are held at least once a year and all delegates may be accompanied by advisors, not exceeding two for each item on the agenda. The government delegates are mostly ministers, diplomats or government officials. As per the constitution, the employer’s and worker’s delegates to the conference are nominated by the government of that state in agreement with respective organizations of employers and workers. One of the primary powers of the conference is to appoint committees to deal with different matters during each session. These committee except finance committee, are tripartite in nature. The Conference has so far had 4 Indian Presidents viz., Sir. Atul Chatterjee (1927), Shri Jagjivan Ram, Minister for Labour (1950), Dr.Nagendra Singh, President, International Court of Justice (1970) and Shri Ravindra Verma, Minister of Labour and Parliamentary Affairs (1979). There have also been 8 Indian Vice Presidents of the International Labour Conference, 2 from the Government group, 3 from the Employers and 3 from the Workers’ Group. Indians have chaired the important Committees of the Conferences like Committee on Application of Standards, Selection Committee and Resolutions Committee.

These committees are:

i.The Selection Committees

ii. The Credential Committee

iii. The Resolution Committee

iv. A Committee for the application of Conventions and Recommendations

v. The Drafting Committee

vi. The Committed on Standing Orders

v. The Finance Committee

Functions of ILC

i. To formulate International Labour Standards

ii. To fix amount of contribution by the member states

iii. To decide the expenditure budgeted estimate proposed by the Director General and submitted to the Governing Body

iv. To make amendments to the constitution subject to subsequent ratification of the amendments by 2/3 member states including 5 of the 10 states of the industrial importance.

v. To consider the report of the Director General giving labour problems and assist in their solution.

vi. To appoint committees to deal with different matters during each session

vii. To select once in 3 years members of the Governing body

viii. To elect its President

ix. To seek advisory opinion from the International Committee of Justice

x. To confirm the powers, functions and procedure of Regional Conference

  1. The Governing Body

It is another principal organ of the ILO. It is non-political, non-legislative partite body. It implements decisions of the ILC with the help of the International Labour Office. Out of the 56 members in it, 28 represent the governments, 14 employers and 14 labour. Out of 28 government members, 10 are appointed by the member States of Industrial Importance and the balance are delegates of the other governments. India is one of the 10 states of Industrial importance. The tenure of office of this body is 3 years.  Four Indians have so far been elected Chairmen of the Governing Body. They are Sir Atul Chatterjee (1932-33), Shri Shamal Dharee Lal, Secretary, Ministry of Labour (1948-49), Shri S.T. Merani, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Labour (1961-62) and Shri B.G. Deshmukh, Secretary, Ministry of Labour (1984-85).
Earlier, the Governing Body of ILO functioned through its various Committees. India was a member of all six committees of the Governing Body viz. (i) Programme, Planning & Administrative; (ii) Freedom of Association; (iii) Legal Issues and International Labour Standards; (iv) Employment & Social Policy; (v) Technical Cooperation and (vi) Sectorial and Technical Meetings and Related issues. Now the Governing Body of ILO functions through its various Sections and India takes part in all the proceedings of the Sections during the sessions of the Governing Body viz. Institutional Section (INS); Policy Development Section (POL);Legal Issues and International Labour Standards Section (LILS); Programme, Financial and Administrative Section(PFA);High-level Section(HL); and Working Party on the Functioning of the Governing Body and the International Labour Conference (WP/GBC).

The functions of Governing Body are:

i. To co-ordinate work of the organization

ii. To prepare agenda for each session and subject to the decision of the ILC to decide to decide what subject should be included in the agenda of the ILC

iii. To appoint the Director General

iv. To scrutinize the budget

v. To follow up the implementation of the conventions and recommendations adopted by the ILC by member states

vi. To fix the date, duration and agenda of the Regional conference

vii. To seek advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice with the consent of ILC.

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