Monitoring International Labor Standards International Perspectives: Summary of Regional Forums (2004) / Chapter Skim
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7. Open Forums
7. Open Forums
Pages 88-96
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From page 88... ...
This chapter includes a brief summary of these perspectives. SRI LANKA Basil Ilangakoon of the Marga Institute in Sri Lanka opened the session by asking participants to elaborate on several issues discussed in the Sri Lanka forum.
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From page 89... ...
"We can't go below the floor. That is the basis on which we could develop, because labor is an important component in development, and workers' rights will have to be respected, recognized, and guaranteed if any meaningful development is to take place." Adhikari layaratna, the general secretary ofthe Confederation of Public Service Independent Trade Unions in Sri Lanka, commented that the ratification of ILO conventions is essentially meaningless if there is no implementation.
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From page 90... ...
Anton Marcus of the Free Trade Zone Workers Union in Sri Lanka addressed several problems that the union movement has been facing. While a tripartite consultation agreed that trade unions would be recognized in the zones, the Board of Investment (BOI)
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From page 91... ...
provisions, that will have some impact." The thirc! tool is the collection of national institutions that constitute civil society, such as the National Economic Development and Labour Council, which can promote social dialogue on a broad basis.
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From page 92... ...
While a spectrum of national commitment certainly exists, he said, it is important to note the power that linking trade and labor rights has in both circumstances. Professor Kalula offered his experience in Swaziland as an example, noting that although there are still significant problems in Swaziland, the linkage created by AGOA has pressured the government to reach agreement with the social partners on several contentious compliance issues that it was not willing to address in the years preceding AGOA.
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From page 93... ...
In particular, the strength of the labor movement is a determinant of the level of social dialogue within a country, and "there is not a single government," she said, "that has the political will to enforce compliance without this dialogue and this pressure coming from below." Turning to the changing nature of the labor market in the region, Ms. Ryklief emphasized that the systemic lack of jobs in the formal sector and the rapid growth of informal employment result in labor legislation that is inapplicable to the vast majority of the working population.
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From page 94... ...
"You can promote labor-management cooperation by doing joint training with managers and union representatives," he said, and this can lead to the development of bipartite committee structures focusing on HIV/AIDS and other issues at work. Momar N'Diaye, a representative of the ILO, discussed the development of international labor standards and the flexibility that exists in the approaches that countries may take to implement them.
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From page 95... ...
Tekie discussed several steps that the labor movement has been taking in South Africa. The three largest federations have launched a massive awareness campaign, hired HIV/AIDS educators, and are seeking to pressure companies to adopt policies to reduce the prevalent stigma of HIV/AIDS, protect the rights of the infected, and promote prevention efforts for those who are not infected.
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