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Freedom of association: Standards and Supervision

Monique CloutierACTRAV

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Freedom of association is key

• Preamble to the ILO Constitution, 1919

• Declaration of Philadelphia, 1944

• Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, 1998

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Fundamental Conventions on Freedom of Association and

Collective Bargaining • Freedom of Association and Protection of

the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87) (147 ratifications)

• Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98) (156 ratifications)

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Other Conventions and Recommendations

• Right of Association (Agriculture) Convention, 1921 (No. 11)• Rural Workers’ Organisations Convention, 1975, (No. 141) and

Recommendation (No. 149)• Collective Agreements Recommendation, 1951 (No. 91)• Workers’ Representatives Convention, 1971 (No. 135) and

Recommendation, (No. 143)• Labour Relations (Public Service) Convention, 1978 (No. 151) and

Recommendation (No. 159)• Collective Bargaining Convention, 1981 (No. 154) and

Recommendation (No. 163)

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Resolutions• 1952 Resolution on the independence of the

trade union movement • 1970 Resolution on trade union rights and civil

liberties– The right to freedom and security of person and

freedom from arbitrary arrest and detention– Freedom of opinion and expression– Freedom of assembly– Protection of trade union premises and property

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Convention No. 87

• Deals with constitutive elements of freedom of association

• Objective: Freedom of association without interference from public authorities

• Scope: employers and workers without distinction except armed forces and police.

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Right of employers and workers (Article 2)

• Without distinction whatsoever (public servants, rural workers, home workers, EPZ workers, seafarers, young workers, teachers, managers, foreigners)

• To establish and join organizations of their own choosing (trade union pluralism)

• Without previous authorization (registration, minimum membership)

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Rights of employers’ and workers’ organizations (Article

3)• Draw up their constitutions and rules

• Elect their representatives

• Organize their administration • Organize their activities and formulate

their programmes

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The right to strike (art. 3, 10)

• Essential means available to workers for the protection and promotion of their interests

• Not an absolute right. Restrictions in case of:– acute national crisis – members of the armed forces and the police – public servants exercising authority in the name of the

State – workers in essential services in the strict sense of the

term

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The right to strike (cont.)• Essential services (strike may endanger life,

personal safety, health):– hospitals, – electricity services, – water supply services, – telephone service– air traffic control

• Compensatory guarantees (arbitration)

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Non-essential services• Radio and television,• the petroleum sector and

ports, • banking, • computer services for the

collection of excise duties and taxes,

• department stores and pleasure parks,

• the metal and mining sectors, • transport generally, • refrigeration enterprises, • hotel services,

• Construction,• automobile manufacturing,• aircraft repair, • agricultural activities, • the supply and distribution of

foodstuffs, • the Mint, • the government printing

service• the state alcohol, salt and

tobacco monopolies• the education sector • postal services

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The right to strike (cont.)• Minimum services

– Genuinely minimum– Workers’ and employer's participation in definition

• Compulsory arbitration acceptable only:– Acute national crisis– Public servants exercising authority in the name of the

state– Essential services

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Other provisions• Right to form federations and

confederations (Articles 5, 6)• Right to affiliate with international

organizations of employers and workers (Article 5)

• No dissolution or suspension by administrative measures (Article 4)

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Convention No. 98• Completes C87, deals with relations

between workers and employers• Objectives: safeguards against anti-union

discrimination and interference, promotion of collective bargaining

• Scope: all workers except armed forces, police and public servants engaged in the administration of the state

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Protection against anti-union discrimination (art. 1)

• In taking up employment, the course of employment and its termination

• All acts (refusal to hire, dismissal, transfer, demotion, refusal to train, blacklisting)

• For membership and participation in trade union activities

• Legislative provisions combined with enforcement mechanism (effective, expeditious, inexpensive and impartial)

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Protection against interference (art. 2)

• Independence is a fundamental prerequisite to collective bargaining

• Complements C87 • Rapid appeal procedures, coupled with effective

and dissuasive sanctions provided in legislation

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Collective bargaining (art. 4)• Nature: Collective bargaining leading to

collective agreements– Precedence over individual contracts

• Scope: Terms and conditions of work and employment– Conditions of employment are included

• Subjects: Workers’ and employers’ organizations

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Collective bargaining (cont.)• The right is also granted to:

– Staff of the bus and water administration– Persons working in public or nationalized undertakings– Employees of postal and telecommunications services– Employees of state-owned commercial or industrial enterprises – Employees of the national bank– National radio and television institutes– Seafarers not resident in the country– Civil aviation technicians– Workers in export processing zones– Contract employees

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Collective bargaining (cont.)

• Voluntary nature– No duty to use compulsory means– No overly detailed regulation – The level of negotiation should not be

imposed

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Collective bargaining (cont.)

• Obligation to adopt measures to facilitate bargaining– Negotiations in good faith– Conciliation, mediation– Arbitration – Rules of procedure– Information - statistics– Recognition of representative organizations –

exclusive bargaining rights

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Intervention by the authorities

• In case of economic crisis

• Not acceptable where intervention affects agreements in force

• Admissible for future negotiations under conditions

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ILO supervisory mechanisms

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Regular supervisory mechanism

• Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations (art. 22, 23 ILO Constitution)– 20 independent experts

• Conference Committee on the Application of Standards (art. 23 ILO Constitution)– 225 Government, Employer and Worker delegates to

the International Labour Conference

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Regular supervisory mechanism (cont.)

Reports from Governments (art. 22) and comments from Employers and Workers (art. 23)

Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations

Direct Requests sent to the Governments

Observations Published in Report III (4A)

Conference Committee on Application of Standards

Report to the International Labour Conference

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Complaints based mechanisms

• Commission of Inquiry (complaints based on Art. 26 ILO Constitution)

• Ad hoc Tripartite Committee (representations based on Art. 24 ILO Constitution)

• Fact-Finding and Conciliation Commission on Freedom of Association (special procedure)

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Committee on Freedom of Association

• Established in 1951 by the Governing Body• Tripartite Committee, nine members• May examine complaints regardless of

ratification• Detailed rules of receivability• Complaints communicated to governments• Written procedure (direct contacts missions)• Unanimous decisions

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Committee on Freedom of Association

(tripartite)

Fact-Finding and Conciliation Commission(independent experts)

Receivable complaints transmitted to Governments for observations

Examination by CFA

Direct contactsRecommendations adopted by Governing Body

In case of ratification, CEACR follow up

Follow up discussed in Conference Committee on the Application of Standards

CFA follow up

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CFA: allegations examined by type of violation or restriction

Denial of civil liberties

30%

Restrictive legislation6% Collective bargaining

11%

Interference4%

Acts of anti-union discrimination

23%

By-laws, elections and activities

8%

Right to strike9%

Establishment of organizations

9%

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0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1971-1980 1981-1990 1991-2000

Total number of cases of progress

Committee on Freedom of Association

Cases of progress

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Complaints presented before theCommittee on Freedom of Association (1951-2003)

Europa24%

North America6%

Latin America45%

Africa13%

Asia12%

Continent N° of cases

L. America 1001Europe 546Africa 289Asia 283N. America 147

Total 2266

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Complaints presented before theCommittee on Freedom of Association (1995-2003)

Europa18%

North America5%

Latin America50%

Africa16%

Asia11%

Continent N° of cases

L. America 224Europe 81Africa 72Asia 50N. America 24

Total 451

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Número de quejas por país de América Latina (1951-2003)

109

9793

6861

57 5450 49 49 46

42 42 3934

28 2824

16 15

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Arg

en

tina

Co

lom

bia

Pe

rú

Ch

ile

Gu

ate

ma

la

Co

sta R

ica

Nica

rag

ua

Ve

ne

zue

la

Bra

sil

Do

min

ican

a, R

ep

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Ecu

ad

or

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alva

do

r

Uru

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ay

Pa

rag

ua

y

Ho

nd

ura

s

Bo

livia

Mé

xico

Pa

na

má

Cu

ba

Ha

ití

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Number of complaints originating from Europe (1951-2003)

94

86

80

40

3026

17 1512 12

10 10 9 9 9 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Greece

Spain

United K

ingdom

France

Portugal

Turkey

Denm

arkR

ussian Federation

Belgium

Cyprus

Malta

Rom

aniaG

ermany

ItalyP

olandIsraelN

orway

Hungary

Netherlands

Bulgaria

Ukraine

Czech R

epublicIceland

Austria

Belarus

Bosnia and H

erzegovinaC

roatiaK

azakhstan

Sw

edenS

witzerland

IrelandLithuaniaLuxem

bourg

Serbia and M

ontenegroE

stoniaF

inlandG

eorgiaG

erman dem

ocratic Republic

LatviaS

lovakiaT

he former Y

ugoslav Republic of M

acedonia

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Number of complaints originating from Africa (1951-2003)

64

2319

11 10 10 9 8 8 7 7 7 7 7 6 6 5 5 5 5 5 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Morocco

South A

fricaD

emocratic R

epublic of the Congo

Cam

eroonS

enegalS

udanB

urkina Faso

Chad

Mauritius

Central A

frican Republic

Côte d'Ivoire

Kenya

LiberiaT

ogoM

auritaniaZ

imbabw

eD

jiboutiE

gyptE

thiopiaG

abonN

igeriaB

eninB

urundiM

aliZ

ambia

Cape V

erdeC

ongoG

hanaG

uineaM

adagascarS

ierra LeoneS

waziland

Tunisia

Uganda

Com

orosLesothoLibyan A

rab Jamahiriya

Niger

Algeria

Guinea-B

issauM

alawi

Som

alia

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Number of complaints originating from Asia (1951-2003)

64

2926

21

1311 11 10 9 8 8 8 7 7 6 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 3 2 2 1 1

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Ind

ia

Ja

pa

n

Pa

kis

tan

Ph

ilipp

ine

s

Au

stra

lia

Ba

ng

lad

esh

Jo

rda

n

Ma

laysia

Sri L

an

ka

Ind

on

esia

Mya

nm

ar

Ne

w Z

ea

lan

d

Iran

, Isla

mic

Re

pu

blic

of

Th

aila

nd

Ch

ina

Iraq

Le

ba

no

n

Ba

hra

in

Vie

t Na

m

Fiji

Ko

rea

, Re

pu

blic

of

Ca

mb

od

ia

Ch

ina

- Ho

ng

Ko

ng

Sp

ecia

l

Ye

me

n

Ne

pa

l

Syria

n A

rab

Re

pu

blic

Pa

pu

a N

ew

Gu

ine

a

Sa

ud

i Ara

bia

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Number of complaints originating from North America (1951-2003)

80

35

96 4 4 3 2 1 1 1 1

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Ca

na

da

Un

ited

Sta

tes

Ja

ma

ica

Gu

ya

na

Ba

ha

ma

s

Gre

na

da

Ba

rba

do

s

Trin

ida

d a

nd

To

ba

go

An

tigu

a a

nd

Ba

rbu

da

Be

lize

Sa

int L

ucia

Su

rina

me