Trade union situation in the U S S R
- Geneva International Labour Office 1960
- 136 p.
The International Labour Organisation is an intergovernmental agency, of which 97 countries are members. Representatives of governments, of management and of labour organisations participate in its work. It was established in 1919 and entered into relationship with the United Nations as a specialised agency in 1946.
Its purpose is to promote social justice in all the countries of the world. To this end it collects and disseminates information about labour and social conditions, formulates international standards and supervises their national application. It also engages in
operational activities and provides technical assistance in carrying out social and economic development programmes.
The machinery of the Organisation consists of The International Labour Conference, which is the supreme body of the Organisation. It constitutes a world forum for labour and social questions. National delegations to the annual meetings comprise four delegates, two representing the government, one representing management, and one representing labour; each delegate speaks and votes independently, so that all points of view find full expression.
The Governing Body, composed of twenty government representatives, ten repre sentatives of management and ten presentatives of labour, which is the executive council of the Organisation. The International Labour Office, which acts as a secretariat, an operational head
quarters, a world information centre and a publishing house. It is staffed by experts drawn from many different countries, whose knowledge, experience and advice are available to all nations which are Members of the Organisation. It has branch offices and correspondents in many countries.
The Conference adopts international labour standards which are formulated in special international treaties called Conventions, and in Recommendations. These are based on careful fact-finding and discussion. As a two-thirds majority of the Conference is required for their adoption, they represent the general agreement of informed world opinion. The decisions of the Conference are not automatically binding, but governments must submit the Conference standards to their national legislatures. When the legislature accepts a Convention the government is bound to apply it.