Monitoring International Labor Standards Techniques and Sources of Information (2004) / Chapter Skim
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Executive Summary
Executive Summary
Pages 1-10
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From page 1... ...
From the world summit for social development in Copenhagen in 1995, through the World Trade Organization's ministerial meeting in Singapore in 1996, to the ILO's Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work in 1998, the endorsement of a need to ensure core rights for workers has gained strength. The 1998 ILO Declaration defines four core labor standards: 1.
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There are still large gaps in the information available, and the quality of much of the available data is unknown. Most of the data sources reflect conditions only in the formal sector and ignore what are often far worse conditions in rural areas and the informal sector of developing economies.
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Also in response to the department's request, the committee considered the relationship between compliance with labor standards and human capital formation, which is an essential element in improving workers' standard of living over time. The report and the database structure together respond to the committee's charge to identify relevant and useful sources of country-level data assess the quality of such data, identify innovative measures to monitor compliance, explore the relationship between labor standards and human capital, and recommend reporting procedures to monitor compliance.
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Not only are the sources of information often problematic, but there are continuing controversies about the precise definitions of some elements of the core labor standards, and what specific obligations governmental authorities assume in trying to comply with the core labor standards as opposed to endorsing aspirations whose realization lies in the future. The disputes that surround acceptable conditions of work, for which no international consensus exists, are even more contentious.
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That is, we have attempted to create a useful structure within which different assessors -- who will make judgments about the extent of compliance and the direction of change -- can undertake "due diligence," with transparency for others to observe their evaluations, in the midst of imprecision and contention. Those assessors will include, among others, government officials, elected representatives, international organizations, socially responsible corporations and investors, board members, stockholders, labor organizations, and a wide range of nongovernmental organizations.
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To guide the performance of due diligence, and to help avert any potential rush to indefensible conclusions, the database structure provides direct links to the committee's cautions about definitions, information sources, and appropriate inferences along with access to data. These cautions also appear within the chapters of the report.
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The reactive aspect deals with enforcement mechanisms and determining whether there are prompt and adequate penalties for violations. The proactive aspect emphasizes educating workers, employers, and government officials about the importance of labor rights and the productivity gains and human satisfaction from successful worker-management relations, and it encourages the spread of best practices through a given economy and a given country.
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From page 8... ...
Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining 4-1 The committee recommends that the U.S. Department of Labor, and the ILO, support systematic data collection by providing technical assistance to developing country governments to add questions to household surveys relating to freedom of association and effective recognition of the right to bargain collectively.
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Child Labor 6-1 The committee recommends that national and international agencies cooperate in creating a system of data generation focused primarily on child labor, such as the ILO's Statistical Information and Monitoring Programme on Child Labour surveys. 6-2 The committee recommends that research be done on the scalability and cost-effectiveness of successful pilot programs (e.g., RUGMARK Foundation in Nepal, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, and PROGRESA in Mexico)
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10 MONITORING INTERNATIONAL LABOR STANDARDS · a mechanism to establish minimum wages; · a regular workweek of 48 hours or less; · a specific number of paid holidays each year for covered workers; · provision that all workers receive a full day of rest every 7 days; and · a mechanism for setting health and safety standards. Human Capital and International Labor Standards Compliance 9-1 The committee recommends research at the micro and macro levels to explore the mutually reinforcing links between the investments in education and training and labor standards compliance.
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