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Tag: International Labour Organisation

  • ILO: progress uneven, insufficient, 30yrs after Beijing Declaration

    ILO: progress uneven, insufficient, 30yrs after Beijing Declaration

    • Global gender parity in employment will take over 190 yrs’

    The Beijing Declaration and Plan of Action (BPfA) recognised the critical role that women play in the economy and called for urgent action to ensure their rights, including in the world of work.

    However, 30 years on, gender gaps in employment remain substantial, with only modest and uneven progress, the latest report by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has said.

    In 1995, the UN’s Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing marked a historic commitment to advancing equality, development, and peace for women worldwide.

    But the ILO Brief, titled ‘Women and the economy: 30 years after the Beijing Declaration’ said gender gaps in employment, as measured by differences in the employment-to-population ratio by gender, remain large across the world.

    The ILO Brief presents an updated and comprehensive statistical snapshot of the current situation of gender equality in the world of work 30 years after the Beijing Platform for Action.

    Utilising labour market indicators, primary and secondary data, and adopting a multi-dimensional perspective, the Brief provides both historical trends as well as more recent insights into the evidence of gender (in) equality in the world of work.

    ILO, in the report, acknowledged that progress towards equality has occurred over the past 30 years, but noted that it has been modest and uneven, adding that crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic, have interrupted progress.

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    The report, which was released during the week and made available to The Nation, said, for instance, that in 2024, only 46.4 per cent of working-age women worldwide were employed, compared to 69.5 per cent of men – a gap of 23.1 percentage points.

    ILO said while the global gender employment gap has narrowed over the past three decades, shrinking from 27.1 percentage points in 1991 to 23.1 percentage points in 2024, “this progress has been modest and uneven.”

    Crucially, this reduction has been driven primarily by a 6-percentage-point decline in the male employment rate, rather than meaningful gains for women, whose global employment rate decreased by 2.3 percentage points over the same period.

    ILO said this underscores the need for gender-responsive employment policies that create decent employment opportunities by promoting job-rich, inclusive and sustainable growth, and decent work for all

    The global labour organisation also said at the current pace, progress remains too slow and achieving gender parity in employment at the global level would take more than 190 years.

    “In over 30 years, the gender employment gap has narrowed by only four percentage points, with high income and lower-middle income countries exhibiting the largest reduction.

    “At this pace of progress, achieving gender parity in employment rates globally will take over 190 years,” the report stated.

    ILO said, for instance, that between 2004 and 2024, progress has been made in reducing gender inequalities in annual earnings per worker across all country income groups, particularly in low-income countries.

    It, however, said employed women globally still earn significantly less on average than men, work fewer paid hours, and are overrepresented in informal employment in low-and lower-middle-income countries.

    It also said globally in 2024, women worked approximately six hours and 25 minutes less per week than men in paid employment. However, women spend 3.2 times more hours on unpaid care work than men.

    “Excessive and unequal care responsibilities keep 708 million women outside the labour force globally,” ILO said.

    It further stated that as of 2023, women hold just 30 per cent of managerial positions globally, a modest improvement over the past two decades noting that low-income countries have demonstrated significant progress, with women’s representation in management rising from 24.7 to 36.5 per cent.

    “Women are 1.6 times more likely than men to experience sexual violence and harassment in the world of work, with young and migrant women being at greater risk,” the report added.

    It, however, noted that the Beijing Platform for Action remains a powerful force for championing women’s rights, including in the world of work.

    “Beijing+30 serves as a reminder that while the pursuit of gender equality remains an ongoing challenge, this pursuit is not just a response to inequality, it is also a powerful solution.

    “Advancing equal opportunities and treatment in the world of work can drive economic development, enhance workplace productivity, and foster resilient societies,” ILO said.

    It, therefore, said a sound macroeconomic framework is needed to foster an enabling environment that ensures the fiscal space necessary to invest in policies that promote gender equality and decent work for all.

  • ILO, institute partner on capacity building

    ILO, institute partner on capacity building

    International Labour Organisation (ILO), Geneva and the University of Greenwich’s Centre of Research on Employment and Work (UoG-CREW), London have partnered with Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies ( MINILS) Ilorin in the areas of workers’ education, training and research to enhance productivity, industrial peace and harmony at workplaces.

    This is to boost the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the area of capacity building for the country’s labour force.

    The historic partnership agreements between the MINILS and the ILO International Training Centre (ITCILO) in Turin, Italy took place recently in Geneva, MINILS Director General Comrade Issa Aremu has said.

    Comrade Aremu added that the agreement with the ILO International Training Centre was the outcome of his year-long engagement to revive the moribund partnership with the ILO in areas of workforce capacity building.

    He said that “the critical training areas consistent with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu include Impactful social dialogue in Nigeria’s world of work; Collaborative leadership skills for social partners; Strengthening tripartism and effective labour management relations; Trade union administration and governance in an era of change and renewed hope; Effective administration and implementation of tripartite collective agreement by public and private institutions. The agreement also envisages staff exchange, exposure visits and experience sharing between the two institutions. The ITC/ ILO  Director Christophe Perrin and MINILS Director General Issa Aremu signed on behalf of Turin Centre and MINILS respectively.

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    “In a similar vein, the agreement with the University of Greenwich centres on research on employment and work,  with both parties agreeing to develop collaborative activities in academic and educational work inclusive of the exchange of information and materials that are of mutual interest; Exchange of scientific and pedagogical staff and students; realisation of joint research; conduct of joint lectures, seminars and events; preparation of joint publications and exchange of research results. Importantly, both parties shall attempt to secure their reasonable funding to allow for the successful implementation of the MOU.

    “Arising from the new transformational development, Director-General Comrade Aremu urged all labour market stakeholders to take advantage of the repositioned Institute to develop the capacities of their employees, administrators and executive officers for an effective, efficient and productive workforce.”

  • Fed Govt seeks ILO’s support to tackle unemployment, others 

    Fed Govt seeks ILO’s support to tackle unemployment, others 

    The federal government has called on the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to help in addressing critical labour market challenges, including unemployment, skills development, and integrating the informal sector into the formal economy.

    The Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammadu Dingyadi made the appeal while receiving ILO Director-General, Gilbert Houngbo, who is on a working visit to Nigeria. 

    The visit underscores the strong partnership between Nigeria and the ILO.

    Speaking on behalf of President Bola Tinubu, the Minister reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to the ILO’s principles and its dedication to promoting decent work, social justice, and economic growth.

    He said: “Your visit is a testament to the strong and enduring relationship between the ILO and Nigeria. It also affirms our shared commitment to advancing decent work, social justice, and economic prosperity for all.”

    Nigeria, a member of the ILO since 1960, has ratified 44 ILO conventions, including nine of the ten fundamental conventions addressing core labour standards such as the elimination of forced labour, abolition of child labour, and workplace non-discrimination.

    The Minister acknowledged the historic significance of Houngbo’s leadership as the first African to head the ILO, calling it “a milestone that reflects Africa’s growing role in global labour governance.”

    On seeking the ILO’s expertise in strengthening social protection measures, enhancing occupational safety and health standards, and promoting gender equality in the workplace, the minister said: “Our government remains resolute in creating a business-friendly environment that supports sustainable enterprises, encourages decent work, and drives economic growth.”

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    He emphasized the importance of social dialogue, commending NECA for fostering harmonious employer-employee relations. 

    The minister also called for increased tripartite collaboration between the government, employers, and workers to “build a future of work that is inclusive, resilient, and sustainable.”

    He urged the ILO to adopt democratic reforms in its governance structure to ensure equitable representation for all member states.

    “In alignment with the African Group’s position, we earnestly request that you leverage your esteemed office to advance democratic reforms within the ILO Governing Body. These reforms are essential to reflect the diverse social and geographical interests of all continents and uphold fairness and equity,” Dingyadi stated.

    The ILO Director-General lauded Nigeria for its active engagement and commitment to promoting social justice. 

    Houngbo highlighted Nigeria’s significant contributions and robust participation in ILO initiatives, reaffirming the country’s dedication to advancing fair labour practices.

    He reiterated the ILO’s readiness to support member states like Nigeria in alignment with the organisation’s core principles. 

    The DG expressed confidence that the federal government would continue to uphold the values of social justice and fairness in its interactions with workers and employers.

    As part of his visit, the ILO chief will engage with the organisation’s tripartite constituents: government representatives, employers, and workers, as well as the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) and key development partners.

    At the heart of his mission is the promotion of the Global Coalition for Social Justice, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at addressing social justice deficits and accelerating progress on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the Decent Work Agenda.

  • Child trafficking: ILO executes £28m project in five African countries

    The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has begun a 28-million-euro project, sponsored by the Netherlands, to accelerate the fight against child labour in Nigeria and four other African countries.

    This was announced by the Ambassador of Netherlands to Nigeria, Marion Kappeyne van de Coppello, on the side line of a two-day workshop on the project in Abuja on Friday.

    The project, Acceleration of Action in the Elimination of Child Labour in Supply Chains in Africa (ACCEL), was also being carried out in Mali, Malawi, Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt and Uganda.

    The ambassador  said the project was a long term one which focused on  the causes of child labour.

    “Netherlands is financing this project; it is actually a project that is going to be undertaken in five different countries in Africa; Nigeria is one of them.

    “The total funding for this project from the Netherlands for these five countries is 28 million euros.

    “It is a long-term project and is expected to take at least five years to reach the results that are expected.

    “We think that a child should have the opportunity to go to school, to be a child but we also understand, we had the same situation in Europe two centuries ago, that it is not just child labour.

    “It has to do with the whole of the economy, with the social situation, the economic situation of the parents and so forth,” she said.

    She said that ILO was trusted by the government of Netherlands to facilitate the project in  African countries.

    “It is a complicated project;  that is why we are happy that the ILO is taking this up, they have a good track record on joining employers, employees and state authorities to work together.

    “I  also see  here in this workshop,  preparing the work for Nigeria that all the stakeholders are present and that is collaborative effort that will bring the most chance of success,” she said.

    Mr Dennis Zulu, Director, ILO Country Office for Nigeria,  said the organisation had been working with the federal government to develop a policy on child labour.

    Zulu explained that the project would focus on the supply chains in cocoa and mining in the country and work with local authorities to facilitate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

    “Now this project which is kindly being supported with funding from the Netherlands government, will be looking at the supply chain in cocoa and artisanal mining.

    “This is because those are some of the supply chains where there is quite a high level of child labour.

    “So basically, the project will work with the local communities and support the provision of alternative livelihoods.

    It will also withdraw children from child labour and support them by placement in schools.

    “So we will be working with local authorities and local governments to see how the children who are withdrawn from child labour can be placed in schools, providing some means of support to the families.

    “It is really working in a number of areas to ensure that Nigeria works towards the achievement of the SDG goals by 2030,” he said.

    The director added that the ILO was working with stakeholders to ensure opportunities of child labour in the cocoa and mining production processes were reduced or possibly eliminated.

    “We are trying to work with the communities to educate them but also to ensure that those who depend on child labour families are given alternative livelihoods so that they do not rely on children.

    “We are working with different stakeholders from the local communities we are working in and we will build the capacities of these stakeholders including law enforcement agencies and the communities where the children come from.

    Addressing newsmen, ILO Chief Technical Adviser, ACCEL Africa, Mr Minoru Agasawara, said the project would work with stakeholders according to the priorities identified in the different countries.

    “We are looking at legal framework, policy framework, capacity building, awareness raising, community mobilisation and also working with employers.

    “In addition to the employers and workers’ organisation,  we also have the Ministry of Mines and Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

    “Ministry of Mines because they are working in the artisanal mine area in Niger State and Ministry of Agriculture because they are working in the supply chain of the cocoa in Ondo,” she said.

    The project is a four-year one,  starting from Nov. 2018 and would end in Oct 2022.

  • FG committed to promotion of decent work environment– AL Alo

    The Federal Government is committed to the promotion of decent work environment in line with the provisions of the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

    The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment, William Alo, stated this in Abuja when he received the National Women Commission of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) led by Comrade Mercy Okezie, on an advocacy visit to the Ministry on the adoption of the ILO Convention on Violence and Harassment in the World of Work.

    He said Nigeria had always eschewed all forms of discrimination and negative attitudes in the work place, had adequate laws forestalling such practices, and had always keyed into the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) provisions.

    According to him, “Nigeria is ready, willing and determined to show more commitment to making the work environment conducive for every Nigerian worker”.

    “If the work environment is conducive, friendly, accommodating and protective, it brings peace, love and understanding. So, the advocacy is timely because we need to do more”, he added.

    He pledged the commitment of Government to supporting the ILO Convention on Stopping Gender-based Violence and Harassment of Women and Men in the World of Work, emphasizing the relationship between an enabling work environment, productivity, and economic growth.

    Alo congratulated Nigerian workers, and the Nigeria Labour Congress in particular, for their effort in negotiating for the new National Minimum Wage, saying “the Nigerian government is determined to ensuring that the average Nigerian worker is happy”.

    The Permanent Secretary appreciated the NLC as a credible ally to the Ministry on labour issues – all geared towards making the Nigerian workers happy.

    Earlier, the leader of the National Women Commission of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Mercy Okezie, said the Commission was on an advocacy visit to the Ministry to solicit support for the adoption of the ILO Convention on Violence and Harassment in the World of Work.

    She requested for the adoption of the ILO Convention and Recommendation to stop all forms of gender-based violence and harassment of women and men in the world of work.

  • Salaries, wages growing at lowest level since 2008 — ILO

    Salaries are still far too low in the developing world with take-home pay growth overall at its lowest since 2008, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has said.

    The UN labour agency in its Global Wage Report 2018/19 released on Monday, also said that pay rose by just 0.4 per cent during last year in advanced economies.

    The report, however, said wages grew higher and faster in developing countries in 2017 than in richer nations, at over four per cent.

    ILO Director-General Guy Ryder, however, noted that wages in developing countries increasing more quickly than those in higher-income countries, should not be exaggerated.

    Ryder said: “That sounds like good news, because we all want to see convergence around the world. But let’s not exaggerate, because the gaps are still very, very big.

    “Very often the level of wages is still not high enough for people to meet their basic needs”, he added.

    Overall, global wage growth declined to 1.8 per cent in 2017 from 2.4 per cent in 2016, according to the findings, which were based on data from 136 countries.

    In the last 20 years, average real wages had almost tripled in emerging and developing G20 countries, the ILO report also found.

    On the other hand, in advanced G20 countries, they have increased by just nine per cent.

    Faced with such low salary growth in richer economies in 2017 – with pay growing at its lowest level in a decade – the ILO chief noted with concern that “this has happened despite a recovery in global output”.

    “It’s puzzling that in high-income economies we see slow wage growth alongside a recovery in GDP growth and falling unemployment.

    “Wages are still growing much less slowly than productivity. I think that has implications for demand; if you haven’t got money in your pocket, you can’t spend money,” he said.

    The ILO chief noted that “if you can’t spend money, enterprises suffer” and “investment opportunities become more rare.”

    For the first time, the ILO report also focused on the global gender pay gap, using data from 70 countries and some 80 per cent of employees worldwide.

    Its findings indicated that despite some significant regional differences, men continue to be paid around 20 per cent more than women.

    This, the ILO chief called “perhaps the biggest single injustice in the world of work”.

    “This goes diametrically against this basic principle of equal pay for work of equal value,” Ryder  added.

    He noted that it had featured “in the constitution of the ILO for the last 100 years”, and also figures among the goals the international community has agreed to achieve by 2030, as part of the UN Sustainable Development Goals agenda.

    In high-income countries, the gender pay gap is at its biggest in top-salaried positions, according to the report.

    In low and middle-income countries, however, the gap is widest among lower-paid workers, the ILO report found.

    Its data also suggested that traditional explanations for this – such as differences in the levels of education between men and women who work – play only a “limited” role in explaining gender pay gaps.

    “In many countries women are more highly educated than men but earn lower wages, even when they work in the same occupational categories.

    “The wages of both men and women also tend to be lower in enterprises and occupations with a predominantly female workforce,” said ILO expert Rosalia Vazquez-Alvarez.

    To reduce gender pay gaps, she recommended that more emphasis should be placed on ensuring equal pay for women and men, and on addressing the lower value placed on women’s work. (NAN)

  • ILO to celebrate centenary in 2019

    The International Labour Organisation (ILO) will celebrate its 100th anniversary next year.

    Its Director-General Guy Rider said the anniversary will be an exceptional opportunity for the ILO, which is one of the oldest specialised United Nations (UN) agencies, to look back at its history, and to celebrate some of its many substantial achievements.

    “The anniversary will also be a time to look honestly and critically at the major challenges and changes taking place in the world of work, and how the ILO and its member states can respond to and shape these most effectively.

    “Our Future of Work initiative addresses these challenges. We have set up a global commission on the future of work, which will present its report in January, and we expect that this report will provide the basis for discussion and engagement with our members and partners throughout the year,” Rider said.

    The launch of the report of the global commission on the Future of Work  on January 22 will be one one of the major highlights of the centenary celebration.

    The report was the culmination of a process that began in 2016 with a series of national dialogues in ILO member states on the Future of Work.

    The centenary will also be an opportunity to celebrate the ILO’s achievements and reaffirm its position as the authoritative global organisation for the world of work.

    Throughout the centenary year, multiple commemorative events will take place around the globe to highlight the achievements of the organisation and the role it plays in everyone’s life.

    It will also be an opportunity to reaffirm the ILO’s core values and vision as it prepares for its second century of work.

  • Nigeria not lagging behind on ILO standard – Ngige

    The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige said on Wednesday that the country was not lagging behind in submitting its report on Labour standards to International Labour Organisation (ILO).

    While reacting to a report credited to a team of experts from the ILO that the country was not up to date in its reports on Labour Standards, the Minister said the government constantly submits its report to the world Labour body as required.

    The Nation had quoted visiting officials of the International Labour Organisation, as saying that the country was lagging behind in reporting Labour Standards to the world body.

    He however told The Nation on phone that the nation was only having difficulty in handling certain technical reports and sought the assistance of the ILO in handling those technical issues.

    “We invited the ILO to help with with technical support because there are some areas where we are having problems. We invited the team you saw and they came to train our people on how to handle those technical areas.

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    “The training was attended by our people (government officials), Labour and employers. We now know how to handle the reports which will be submitted to the ILO latest 1st of September this year. So, it will be wrong to say that we are lagging behind in reporting on Labour Standard in the country”

    On the inability of the government to set up the Nigeria Labour Advisory Council, the Minister said that lack of resources was delaying the composition of the council, adding that inspite of that, he has constantly held regular meetings with all those who are supposed to be represented on the council on how to move the Labour sector forward.

    Meanwhile, the Minister has reinstated the commitment of the federal government to job creation for the citizenry and called on the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) to expand its skills acquisition programmes in order to reduce the nation’s unemployment index.

    Speaking at the inaugural meeting of the Board of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), the Minister said the NDE is a multipurpose vehicle whose mandate is anchored on creating varying programmes   to ginger creativity, skills acquisition and self-reliance.

    “The whole essence is to create a sustainable mechanism for job creation through skills development paradigm capable of producing a self-dependent generation of Nigerians who will not only empower themselves but also transfer the skills and replicate jobs,” the Minister said.

    He regretted that this noble ideal was being hampered by paucity of funds, saying “NDE as of today is not well funded. If it were to be rich, its mandate centering around training and equipping of trainees, empowering them with loans to set up their own businesses such as carpentry, tailoring, metal fabrication and welding, computer- based technology, mechatronics among others would be easy. But that’s not to say the NDE is not doing its best within the limit of available resources.”

    He however added, it was impossible for government alone to be charged with job creation as the private sector either alone or in liaison with the government has a huge role to play, saying that the public sector which the government controls is not expected to give more than 20% of jobs in a well-structured economy.

    Ngige further said that part of the mandate of the NDE included the comprehensive national data on unemployment and therefore enjoined it  to work in alliance with the National Identity Card Commission, who is currently creating a Single Data Base for the  entire country.

  • Nigeria lagging behind on reports on Labour standards, says ILO

    The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has said that Nigeria was lagging behind in filing its reports on Labour practices in the country to the International Labour body and therefore need to retrace its steps in line with practices on International Labour standard.

    But the Nigeria Labour Congress(NLC) attributed the delay in filing such reports to the absence of the Nigeria Labour Advisory Council which is responsible for advising the government on very critical Labour decisions which has been lacking in the country for the past three years.

    Specialist in Workers Activities ILO office to Nigeria, David Kwable Dorkenoo who disclosed this when an ILO delegation visited the headquarters of the Nigeria Labour Congress in Abuja said the Nigerian government was aware of need to be up to date in its reports and feels that it has obligation to be able to fulfil these requirement.

    He said the government wrote to the International Labour body to send a delegation to support them, saying “we are here to build the capacity of the ministry and other stakeholders

    “So for the pass two days there has been a workshop were the ministry and other stakeholders and some othere relevant government ministries.

    So they have gone through the training program and they have also looked at the previous report which is outstanding and some work has being produced as a result of the meeting

    “But as part of the training program, the team is also of here to interact with the social partners to know the key issues of the development of the laboour scene from various perspectives so that they would be well informed. So the team is here to listens to issues in Nigeria as regard to the NLC.”

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    Addressing the deflation, President of the NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba called on the government to immediately set the council, adding that the absence of the Council has hampered the smooth running of Labour issues in the country.

    The Labour Advisory Council is a statutory organ of government made up of representative of government to Labour and employers and is supposed to work as a tripartite committee to handle Labour issues in the country.

    Wabba said that the National Labour Advisory Council was necessary to ensure that Nigeria drive the process of tripartite consultation on labour matters.

    According to him, the Council has not met for the past three years because it has been non existent which is partly responsible for why Nigeria was in arrears of reporting on major conventions at the annual International Labour Conference (ILC) in Geneva Switzerland.

    He said “We demand that the National Advisory Council should be constituted immediately so that it can fill in the gap of advising in this important respect. At the last ILC, we have said yes, it is true that we are in arrears of reporting on major conventions, particularly conventions that has to do with freedom of association and the right to organised.

    “We have also reported some new areas of violation, basically on the issue of review of the labour laws where we have actually faulted the process and because the draft laws that we have are not only obsolete, but they have not actually accommodated the issues that have being raised by the committee of experts. ‘’he said.

    Wabba said further that the current labour laws which are five in number have been doctored and Labour was called by government on the even of the ILC conference to come and adopt the doctored laws through a letter from the Ministry of Labour and Employment inviting the organised labour  for a revalidation of the five labour laws.

    “Looking at the bills we found out that we have not participated in the process of coming up with the draft as required by law. The process ought to be tripartite which is why the National Labour Advisory Council is important and it is a platform form that should be used to drive the process of the tripartite consultation, ‘’he said.

    Wabba said the National Labour Advisory Council was also an important forum to look at reports and adapt it before it was sent to ILO office in Geneva.

    In her remarks, Specialist on ILO standards and Labour Law, Mrs Sofia Oliveria,

    said the visit was to build the capacity of the government and other stakeholders in the country.

  • Metals, minerals recycling can generate 6m jobs, says ILO

    Recycling of plastics, glass, wood pulp, metals and minerals can generate about six million more jobs worldwide, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has said.

    Its Director-General, Guy Ryder, in a statement, said more than 32 per cent of plastic packaging escapes collections, as most of them end up in landfills, dumps, oceans and farm lands.

    He said though plastic has many benefits, it has many drawbacks, hence, the need to keep the planet safe, clean and fit for work, he said.

    “The sad reality is that the handling of plastic waste, as well as e-waste and other fast-growing solid waste streams, remains largely part of the informal economy in many countries.

    “Unless we act now, there will be more plastics than fish in the oceans by 2050,” he said.

    Ryder said workers faced serious decent work deficits, such as work hazards, violence, discrimination, stigmatisation and harassment, low earnings and long-working hours.

    The ILO chief said filling the gaps would enhance opportunities for decent work, noting that a coherent and integrated legal framework is a step in that direction.

    Ryder noted that governments, employers’ and workers’ organisations have a role to play in plastics evacaution.

    He added: “The challenge before us is to transform the “make-use-dispose” plastics’ economy into a circular economy, based on recycling. We also need to reduce our consumption of single-use or disposable plastic.

    “We can lessen the environmental damage that plastic pollution is causing by extending the use of plastic products for as long as possible, while recovering, reusing and recycling plastics at a much higher rate.

    This will not only reduce the environmental damage that plastic pollution is causing but will also open up new opportunities for decent work.”

    Ryder called for an urgent action to tackle the causes of child labour, pointing out that attention should  be paid not only to global supply chains, but also to unpaid family work in agriculture.

    “The challenge is not just about globally-traded garments, tobacco and cocoa; it is also about local markets for sorghum, millet, bricks – and it’s about domestic work as well,” he said, at a panel held on the sidelines of the International Labour Conference and ahead of the World Day against Child Labour.

    Ryder pointed out that 152 million children aged five and 17 are in child labour worldwide. Between 2012 and 2016, there was “almost no reduction in the number of children aged five to 11 in child labour, and the number of these most vulnerable, youngest children in hazardous work actually increased.”

    This, Ryder added, was partly because child labour in agriculture – which is mostly unpaid family work – increased.

    “These children typically begin child labour at six or seven and they commonly perform hazardous work as they get older.”