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International Labour Organization

The International Labour Organization is responsible for drawing up and overseeing international labour standards. It is the only ‘tripartite’ United Nations agency bringing together representatives of governments, employers and workers to shape policies and programmes.

last updated:

9 September, 2024

Australia

Inside the hidden world of modern slavery in Australia’s diplomatic heart

Recent court rulings reveal harrowing stories of abuse and neglect at the hands of envoys operating under diplomatic immunity in Canberra.

9 Sep 2024 - 8:00AM

South Korea

Why will Filipino helpers earn more in South Korea than Hong Kong, Singapore?

30 Aug 2024 - 8:01AMvideocam

Australia

Sri Lanka defends envoy in Australia fined for ‘modern slavery’ of maid

19 Aug 2024 - 4:30PM

United Nations

Education, social welfare essential for Asia to grow rich, cope with ageing: UN

The UN report said that growth in productivity has slowed, hurting incomes and undermining the purchasing power of the region’s 2 billion workers.

28 May 2024 - 6:00PMvideocam

Pedicab drivers move on a street in Manila, Philippines. Economies in Asia and the Pacific need to do more to ensure workers get the education, training to raise incomes and ensure social equity, a UN report said on Tuesday. Photo: AP/File

Crime

Criminals reap US$236 billion in yearly profits from forced labour: UN agency

This is up by 37 per cent, or US$64 billion, compared with its last estimate published a decade ago in 2011, the International Labour Organization says.

19 Mar 2024 - 5:23PMvideocam

South Korea

South Korea doctors ask ILO to intervene as strike shows no signs of ending

The issue isn’t likely to be settled soon as President Yoon’s party has large public backing for the plan to increase medical school places, senior doctors say.

14 Mar 2024 - 7:17PM

China-EU relations

EU reaches deal on forced labour ban, with China’s Xinjiang in its sights

Provisional agreement would target sectors and regions profiting from state-imposed forced labour based on database drawn up by European Commission.

5 Mar 2024 - 6:02PMvideocam

The EU has reached a provisional agreement to ban goods made using forced labour, advancing legislation that was broadly written with Beijing in mind, although it does not name China. Photo: AFP

Artificial intelligence

How AI development has fostered a digital ‘sweatshop’ in poor countries

The development of artificial intelligence has created opportunities for educated workers in the Philippines and other developing countries. But they are poorly paid and lack training.

13 Jan 2024 - 7:52AM

Hong Kong workers/labour rights

How overworked are Hongkongers? More than half log 45-hour weeks: survey

Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions says 7.3 per cent of respondents work more than 70 hours a week, well above International Labour Organization recommendation.

17 Jun 2023 - 10:53PM

Poverty

Child labour is on the rise again, ILO warns

13 Jun 2023 - 10:00PM

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Taiwan economy

Taiwan’s migrant-worker reputation hit as Greenpeace flags labour violations

With the world’s second-largest fishing fleet, Taiwan is at risk of being shunned by foreign workers from Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines, at a time when it is desperate to shore up its workforce.

20 Jun 2023 - 5:59PMvideocam

Migrant workers from Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines account for a large portion of Taiwan’s fishing crews. Photo: Bloomberg

Malaysia

US lifts import ban on Malaysia’s Smart Glove

In November 2021, US Customs and Border Protection sanctioned imports from the company over the alleged use of forced labour at its production facilities

28 Apr 2023 - 5:21PM

Malaysia

Malaysia probes cases of migrant workers left jobless, no passports

They risk forced labour as their plight is worsened by debt bondage, poor living conditions, isolation and limited freedom of movement.

20 Apr 2023 - 6:10PM

Business of climate change

‘There is no escape’ from EU ESG disclosures, says global trade body head

‘If you don’t start preparing now, you will be late if and when the legislation kicks in,’ trade body head warns Asian suppliers to global brands

14 Feb 2023 - 12:30PM

Shipping containers and gantry cranes are pictured at the Kwai Tsing Container Terminal in Hong Kong on March 14, 2022. Photo: Bloomberg

China's economic recovery

‘China’s doors will be opened wider’: Premier Li tells trade, finance heads

Li Keqiang vows to ‘facilitate international exchanges and people mobility’, at annual round-table gathering featuring face-to-face exchanges with heads of IMF, World Bank, WTO and others.

9 Dec 2022 - 9:02PM

Premier Li Keqiang poses for a photo with World Trade Organization (WTO) director general Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on Thursday. Photo: Xinhua

China's economic recovery

‘Not an easy job’: China premier promises steady economic growth despite Covid

China’s Premier Li Keqiang met with the heads of the World Bank, World Trade Organization and International Monetary Fund on Thursday in Huangshan, Anhui province.

8 Dec 2022 - 9:17PM

Middle East

Qatar says worker deaths for World Cup ‘between 400 and 500’

Since Fifa awarded the tournament to Qatar in 2010, the country has taken some steps to overhaul its employment practices such as setting a minimum wage and enhancing worker safety laws.

29 Nov 2022 - 9:11PMvideocam

Fifa World Cup 2022

Fifa World Cup 2022: South Asian workers watch match from outskirts

A cricket ground in Asian Town outside the city is where migrant workers from some of the world’s poorest countries enjoy the tournament they helped create. The World Cup spotlight has compelled Qatar to overhaul its labour system.

27 Nov 2022 - 12:03AMvideocam

Labourers cheer at a fan festival at the Asian Town cricket stadium in Doha, Qatar. Photo: AP

Middle East

Qatar rejects compensation fund for World Cup migrant workers

Labour Minister says Qatar is already handing out hundreds of millions of dollars in unpaid wages – and accused the Gulf state’s critics of ‘racism’.

2 Nov 2022 - 10:25PM

Human trafficking

Inside Out | Focus on economic growth, education to prevent harms of ‘modern slavery’

‘Modern slavery’ is terrible, but practices such as forced labour and forced marriage have existed for centuries and hoping to end them is misguided. Our best bet is to stay alert, develop practices to minimise harm and work on economic growth, good education for everyone and reducing poverty.

10 Oct 2022 - 5:15AMvideocam

United Nations

UN: 50 million in ‘modern slavery’, cites Xinjiang, Fifa World Cup host Qatar

UN report said nearly one out of every 150 people in the world are caught up in modern forms of slavery, highlighting the situation in Xinjiang, where several UN agencies warned of possible forced labour.

12 Sep 2022 - 11:13PMvideocam

A UN report released on Monday said that nearly one out of every 150 people in the world are caught up in modern forms of slavery. Photo: Shutterstock

Women and gender

Opinion | Don’t leave women and girls behind in pandemic recovery

During the pandemic, many countries have gone backwards on gender parity. Fewer women are regaining employment, and millions of girls may drop out of school. But, as countries rebuild economies, there is no better time to implement inclusive policies, with women’s needs and concerns at the forefront.

10 Sep 2022 - 9:15AMvideocam

Women sit by a roadside in the morning in anticipation of daily-wage jobs in Kochi, in the southern Indian state of Kerala, on August 10. Even as the pandemic gradually abates, allowing room for a return to some form of business as usual, the pace of recovery has been slower for women. Photo: AP

China economy

Zero-Covid creating ‘universal’ unemployment among China’s young graduates

Youth unemployment rate rose from 15.3 per cent in January to 19.9 per cent in July as record 10 million university graduates entered the job market.

31 Aug 2022 - 9:12AMvideocam

Jobs

Opinion | Labour rights vital as digital economy and new tech leave workers exposed

Tech giants are among major employers under scrutiny as workers remain at risk of exploitation in unfair and dangerous conditions. As work traditions change, labour laws and enforcement must evolve.

1 May 2022 - 9:15AMvideocam

China-EU relations

Opinion | Beijing’s Russia stance and its Taiwan threats hurt goodwill in Europe

Beijing has worked hard to build a consensus in many European quarters but an anti-China front is now building in the EU that could bury its 16+1 initiative.

29 Apr 2022 - 2:30AMvideocam

China’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Zhang Jun, speaks during a Security Council briefing on Ukraine at the UN headquarters in New York on April 5. Photo: Xinhua

Human rights in China

UN team in China ahead of likely Xinjiang visit by human rights chief

China’s strict anti-pandemic rules spark doubts about how freely the team can move around the country and Bachelet’s visit itself.

25 Apr 2022 - 10:00PMvideocam

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet had been negotiating with Beijing since 2018 about a visit to Xinjiang. Photo: Reuters

Human rights in China

China ratifies forced labour conventions ahead of UN rights chief’s visit

China continues to deny accusations of labour abuses in Xinjiang.

21 Apr 2022 - 12:05AMvideocam

China-EU relations

Editorial | Better China-EU ties far from a done deal

Beijing is set to ratify UN conventions on forced labour next week and while this is a welcome step, the devil’s in the detail when it comes to sealing landmark economic pact.

15 Apr 2022 - 7:30AMvideocam

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