International Labor Organization (ILO)
ILO, the International Labor Organization, is a worldwide organization that is working to preserve the rights of the laborers and to facilitate them in several ways. It came into existence on April 11, 1919, and was associated with the League of Nations. It is a United Nations (UN) agency dealing with labor issues, particularly international labor standards and decent for all. The organization is much older than the United Nations. All members of the U.N.O. automatically become the members of the I.L.O. After the establishment of the UN, it was included as a specialized agency. There are 185 countries that are member states of the International Labor Organization. The I.L.O. seeks to promote social justice by improving the conditions of workers all over the world. The ILO was founded to advance the cause of social justice and, in so doing, to contribute to the establishment of universal and lasting peace.
ILO carries out different activities to favor the right to and privileges of the working class of people. The ILO aims to ensure that it serves the needs of working women and men by bringing together governments, employers, and workers to set labor standards to develop policies and devise programs. This Organization defends basic trade union rights. It ensures that the views of the social partners are closely reflected in ILO labor standards, policies, and programs. It has formulated the Committee on Freedom of the Association. It takes attempts to ensure working standard worldwide. They have a concern about many issues which are happening in the world. Its aim, therefore, is to improve labor conditions in regard to wages, hours of work and conditions of work. ILO work on child labor over the decades has mainly taken its indication from the phrase “protection of children” in the Preamble to its Constitution.
Its Committee on Freedom of Association enables workers to bargain collectively. The ILO’s motto is: “Poverty anywhere constitutes a danger to prosperity everywhere.” This Committee also accepts complaints from the trade unions and from other workers. By performing all these activities ILO is doing a magnificent job for the laborers as well as for humanity. It prepares the agenda for every Conference and publishes regular bulletins and periodicals regarding the condition of workers all over the world. Its headquarters are in Geneva. Actually ILO is working as a pressure group to fulfill the demands of the working class. Through ILO, many labor organizations come to realize their demands and thus reduce exploitation by employers.
