Monitoring International Labor Standards International Perspectives: Summary of Regional Forums (2004) / Chapter Skim
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3. National Governments
3. National Governments
Pages 15-33
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From page 15... ...
Statistics are a fundamental element of this assessment, she said, and Panama has several agencies and instruments that provide information relevant to monitoring the labor market and working conditions. This information is made public through the publication of annual bulletins, and it is accessible on the website of the general controller's office.
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From page 16... ...
In 2000 Costa Rica's system of labor inspection was decentralized, and the task was assigned to six regional offices coordinated by the National Directorate, which is located in San Jose. The objectives of the new inspection system include · a preventive approach, · active participation of employers and workers in the inspection process, and · a high level of productivity in relation to the available resources.
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From page 17... ...
Cacdac discussed the roles of the Bureau of Labor Relations in the Philippines: · serving as the central registry of unions and collective bargaining agreements; · adjudicating, or assisting in the adjudication of, intra- or inter-union and representation disputes; · acting as a secretariat of the Tripartite Industrial Peace Council; and . managing the workers' training and scholarship fund.
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From page 18... ...
Mr. Cacdac's third key point was that "compliance with the core labor standards and a search for industrial peace go hand in hand." He said that one of the difficulties the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)
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From page 19... ...
EUGENIO SOLANO GALDER0N MINISTRY OF LABOR, Cost RIGA Citing the ongoing trade negotiations between Central America and the United States, Mr. Calderon, the director of labor affairs in Costa Rica, focused his presentation on the incorporation of workers' rights provisions into any future agreement.
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From page 20... ...
INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES Labor rights must be enforceable in the entire territories of the sig· A permanent labor standards monitoring body must be part of the agreement.
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From page 21... ...
with the purpose of making it more viable and flexible." This includes a proposal for a law pertaining to micro- and small enterprises that would allow these enterprises, which have trouble complying with labor law because of low competitiveness, to observe lower standards than larger enterprises while still maintaining core ILO principles. GERMAN LEITZELAR—MINISTER OF LABOR, HONDURAS Minister Leitzelar said that international labor standards have been incorporated into the national legislation of Honduras since the 1 950s.
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From page 22... ...
As a result, the union movement "is constantly losing legitimacy in the framework of defense of social and labor rights." HONORABLE ASHRAF QURESHI HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR PAKISTAN IN SRI LANKA, PAKISTAN Mr. Qureshi gave an overview of the Pakistani government's commitment to compliance with core international labor standards.
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From page 23... ...
. The national action plan consists of several interrelated strategies: · progressive elimination of child labor from all sectors of employment; · immediate elimination of the worst forms of child labor; · coordination of child labor eradication efforts with other policy measures such as provision of universal primary education, poverty alleviation, and expansion of social safety nets; · awareness-raising and dissemination of information related to child labor; and · regular monitoring of implementation of the national action plan.
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From page 24... ...
However, in the late 1 980s, workers "carried out strikes and other unruly activities," Mr. Rahman said, and the flow of foreign direct investment was "seriously interrupted." He attributed these events to the "instigation of the outsiders." As a result, the government suspended the application of certain labor laws within the EPZs, including the Factories Act of 19ti5, the Employment of Labor Act of 1965, and the Industrial Relations Ordinance of 1969.
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From page 25... ...
The transaction reports are submitted by DOLE's 16 regional offices throughout the archipelago; they include statistics from inspection reports, accident investigations, labor relations cases, and registration of unions and collective bargaining agreements. The data collected from the various sources are included in the Statistical and Performance Reporting System of the DOLE, which is "conceived to be the Edepartment's]
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From page 26... ...
Ms. Roca said that two serious issues arose from this: First, there was a great deal of employment turnover as ''fixed-time'' contracts became more prevalent, and, second, "there was also a change in the pension regime that meant a transfer of important resources to private capitalization that, to a certain extent, had an impact on the public deficit problems that led to the crisis in Argentina." Other changes affected occupational safety and labor inspection as monitoring of workplace accidents fell increasingly under the purview of insurance companies rather than the state.
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From page 27... ...
The CEACR also requested additional information on child labor, citing estimates providecl by the International Confecleration of Free Trade Unions that there are approximately five million working children in Mexico, two million of whom are under 12. On these two issues, Mr.
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From page 28... ...
I seriously doubt this is the case." In his 30 years of teaching law, Justice van der Laat has found that "students would probably not consider labor law as an economically rewarding profession," and the curricula of law schools reflect this; very few courses dealing with labor law—particularly international standards are available on Costa Rica's campuses. According to Justice van der Laat, Costa Rica's 1943 Labor Code included the provision that ratified ILO Conventions were equivalent to national law.
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From page 29... ...
In this way, Justice van der Laat said, the "judicial schools" complemented by occasional ILO seminars for judges will be able to offer the training that law schools are not currently providing. Following his presentation, Justice van der Laat responded to a question on the mechanisms available in Costa Rica for workers or unions to file complaints alleging labor standards violations.
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From page 30... ...
~ If: ~ ~~ ~~ Merge :~schooiing years~for nonworking ~~.~: ~~ ~ I, ~7 ~ ~~ ~-:~ch:i~Idren ~~ ~~ ;~ ~6~697~91~6: 2,54483 ~ ~15:~: ::: ~~ ~~ :; :: :~ :~34~:~:; :~ ~ ~ ~~ :~ :::~: 5.6 ~:::~8.6: : ::: GLORIA LIZZETTE VEI~QUEZ~ NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STATISTICS, HONDURAS : ~ Ms. Velasquez focused her presentation on monitoring child labor in Honduras through the use of the Multipurpose Permanent Household Survey (MPHS)
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From page 31... ...
Velazco said, include company surveys and the ministry's administrative records, which cover items such as strikes, lockouts, and collective bargaining agreements. One of the fundamental issues measured through the company surveys is the labor turnover, which is analyzed by looking at indicators on hiring rates, dismissals, and contract modes.
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From page 32... ...
Sri Lanka has ratified all eight fundamental ILO Conventions, but issues of implementation particularly with regard to the national legal framework remain before full compliance is achieved. He said that Sri Lanka's Trade Unions Ordinance has "a lot of small problems" with freedom of association; for example, judicial and prison officers and members of agricultural cooperatives are prohibited from forming trade unions.
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From page 33... ...
During the open forum, William Conklin of the Solidarity Center in Sri Lanka returned to this issue, saying, "What happened! was that the phrase 'with consent of the workers' was taken out Lof the legislation]
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