…As ILO holds 113th annual International Labour Conference
From Bimbola Oyesola, Geneva,
Nigeria’s delegates are among the top 187 International Labour Organization (ILO)’s members states representing governments, workers, and employers participating in the 113 annual International Labour Conference (ILC) beginning today in Geneva, Switzerland.
The ILO member states will address a broad range of issues with lasting significance for the world of work within the two weeks of the annual conference.
The ILO said the ILC holding at the Palais des Nations in Geneva will hold from 2–13 June 2025.
“Government, worker, and employer delegates from the ILO’s 187 Member States will tackle a wide range of issues that have a long-term impact on the world of work, including:
Protection against biological hazards at work – second discussion on a proposed Convention and Recommendation,” the ILO said.
Other issues that would be addressed are Decent work in the platform economy – first standard-setting discussion; Innovative approaches to tackling informality and promoting formal work – general discussion.
The event would also witness the Tripartite input to the Second World Summit for Social Development in 2025, which borders on the ILO’s contribution.
The international gathering within the two weeks will equally look at changes to the Maritime Labour Convention and the approval of amendments adopted at the Special Tripartite Committee’s fifth meeting in April 2025.
Further discussions will cover the reports of the Chairperson of the Governing Body and of the Director-General, including the situation of workers in the occupied Arab territories, and the Draft Programme and Budget proposals for 2026–27.
The second edition of the Global Coalition for Social Justice Annual Forum will take place on Thursday, June 12th, 2025.
It will be attended by Coalition partners and ILO tripartite delegations who are accredited to the Conference.
Why is the ILC important for trade unions?
The International Labour Conference brings together workers, governments and employer representatives on an equal platform. Through the workers group, national and global trade unions can influence government and employers’ policies, for example in the drafting of Conventions, and also in the monitoring of their implementation in member states.
According to the IndustriALL Global Union, the Conference is also important to trade unions because, “It is a chance to hold governments to account for labour abuses in their countries.”
The global body said it also gives cases of labour rights abuses an international platform as well as help to resolve violations by making recommendations for action to governments and through sanctioning technical assistance to member states.
A member of Nigeria delegation representing workers, Sunday Bolarinwa in an interview with the Daily Sun said Nigeria has a lot to learn from participating in the global event in relation to driving amiable industrial relations.
Bolarinwa who is the President of the National Union of Chemical Footwear Rubber Leather and Non-Metallic Products Employees (NUCFRLANMPE) said his union has benefited tremendously from previous participations as it helped the leadership in its relationship with the employers.
“The ILC brings all the tripartite members across the world to the same level and table – we learn from each other, best practices I would say and as far as the ILO is concerned, a lot could be achieved through mutual understanding and negotiation rather than chaos and crisis,” Bolarinwa submitted.
From Belarus to biohazards: unions demand action at ILC
Meanwhile as the 187 member states of the ILC meet in Geneva, from today, this year’s ILC will address possible new international standards on the protection of workers against biological hazards in the working environment and decent work in the platform economy.
Every ILO member state is expected to send a delegation to the ILC consisting of two government delegates, one worker delegate and one employer delegate.
Each delegate has one vote in the Conference plenary. Delegations also include advisers, but they do not have voting rights. International organizations, like IndustriALL Global Union however attend as observers.
IndustriALL is participating in this year’s discussion on possible international standards on the protection of workers against biological hazards, as well as the discussions on promoting the transition to formality for decent work. IndustriALL will also be part of the workers’ group led by the ITUC at the Standard-Setting Committee on Decent Work in the Platform Economy.
ILO urged to enforce Article 33 on Myanmar
Earlier this year, the ILO Governing Body drafted a decision on the restoration of democracy and respect for fundamental rights in Myanmar, recommending the ILC consider measures under article 33 of the ILO Constitution to secure compliance by Myanmar with the commission report.
IndustriALL said the grounds are the military junta’s failure to carry out the recommendations given after an ILO Commission of Inquiry found serious violations of Forced Labour and Freedom of Association protocols.
“Invoking Article 33 has only happened twice before in the history of the ILO, the last time was over Belarus in 2023, underscoring the severity of Belarus’s violations of workers’ rights, the global body noted.
Belarus has become one of the worst countries in the world for workers, where independent trade unions have been dismantled, labour rights criminalized and freedom of association completely suppressed, prompting urgent calls for international action and ILO intervention.
What is the Conference Committee on the Application of Standards (CAS)?
The CAS is an essential part of the ILO’s supervisory system in that it checks how ILO standards are being applied by member states. There is preliminary list of 40 cases, out of those cases, 24 will be selected for the CAS discussion. In addition there will be a special sitting by the CAS on Belarus on 7 June.
IndustriALL explained that together with affiliated unions present in Geneva during ILC, as well as other activists, the global unions are planning a number of demonstrations at the Broken Chair in front of the Palais des Nations. “The Broken Chair symbolizes resistance to violence and serves as a meeting point for demonstrations in support of human and labour rights,” it added.