Page 36 - DMGT516_LABOUR_LEGISLATIONS

Unit 2: ILO and its Contribution in Labour Welfare and Social Security

Notes
and (viii) World of Work, Magazine of ILO. The Encyclopedia of Occupational Health and
Safety, International Labour Conventions and Recommendations and Modular Programme
for Supervisory Development, are a few notable among numerous titles published by
ILO.

4. Research and studies: Researches and studies relating to specific labour and social issues
have been completed under the auspices of ILO and their results published. Some of the
more notable areas covered have been industrial relations, social security, working
conditions, industrial safety and health and manpower development.
The role of the International Institute of Labour Studies founded in 1960 and functioning
under the auspices of ILO has increasingly become prominent. The Institute aims at raising
awareness of labour-related problems and of methods appropriate for their solution. The
core theme of the Institute's work is to examine the possible contribution of labour
institutions to economic development and social progress. Labour or social institutions
include: "formal organisations such as trade unions and employers' organisations, as well
as the rules governing their interactions, including industrial relations systems, their
regulations and laws, and the informal social mechanisms regulate labour markets.
5. Training: The ILO has attributed great importance to training. The Human Resources
Development Convention, 1975 requires the ratifying country to adopt and develop policies
and programmes in collaboration with employers' and workers' organisations, and to
assist all persons on an equal footing to develop and utilize their vocational proficiency in
their own interest and according to their aspirations. The Recommendation adopted the
same year gives details of the principles of training. It deals with vocational guidance and
training as well as training in management functions and self-employment, and
programmes intended for specific regions and specific categories of target groups. The
training activities of ILO are essentially based on the guidelines contained in the
Recommendation.
The principal role of ILO in the field of training is that of an adviser. It makes available to
the governments, social partners and public and private trainers, the services of its experts,
training designs and aids in a variety of training programmes such as vocational training,
apprenticeship training, and those for the unemployed, women and special target groups.
The ILO has also established the International Training Centre at Turin in Italy. The
Centre is committed to the development of human resources based on the principle that
"such an investment in human capacity is the most efficient means of social advancement
and assuring the future of developing countries or those in transition." The subjects
determined jointly by ILO and the Centre include: management training, workers'
education, industrial relations, programmes for women, health and safety, social security,
and so on. "Within the United Nations system, the Turin Centre is now recognised as an
effective means of improving the co-ordination between the different actors involved in
technical co-operation."
6. Improvement of working conditions and working environment: For improving working
conditions and environment ILO adopts in a co-coordinated manner various means of
action including international standards of labour, studies and research, collection and
diffusing of information and technical co-operation. An appreciable number of Conventions
and Recommendations aim at achieving the objective. Apart from persuading the member
countries to apply these standards, ILO makes available consultancy services to countries
making request, and develops training activities to facilitate the actions of all involved.
7. Development of social institutions: ILO's programmes in this sphere relate to: development
of workers' and employers' organisations, improvement in labour legislation and

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