The Benefits of the International Labor Standards - Thesis Example

Human and Labor Rights Human and Labor Rights The ILO is a body of the United Nations which deals with issues regarding labor. The issues of importance are standards of international labor and decent work for all. The United Nations has 193 countries as members out of which 185 are part of the International Labor Organization. Being the only tripartite agency of the United Nation, the ILO is composed of representatives of government, employers and workers. These representatives of the government and the economical social partners are free to discuss and debate about the policies regarding labor standards. The official and permanent headquarter of the ILO is the International Labor Office where all the operations are carried out. However the management and administration take place in regional, area and branch offices which are spread over 40 countries and are headed by a Director General. The Director General is chosen through elections after every five years. The Governing Bodies choose the Director General. The responsibilities of a Director General include overseeing the efficiency in the demeanor of the International Labor Office. Apart from that duties may be given to the Director General. The Director General has to follow the guidelines given by the Governing Body. The complaints regarding employment are studied by the Administrative Tribunal officials of the International Labor Organization. Some other organizations, who have also taken the ILO to be their leader, also are part of the examination of the complaints. As of now, the ILO has given place to over 46,000 servants across the globe, which is providing their valuable service and are part of or have been a part of 60 such enterprises. The ILO has received a Nobel Peace Prize in 1969 as it has played a great role in promoting peace among classes, bringing justice to workers, and helping developing nations by assisting them technically. Throughout the globe, the best and ultimate source for gaining information regarding any aspect of work is the International Labor Organization. Under the ILO are institutions that have been formed specifically to provide specific to work research, training and support for the people signing up for offices and other components of the ILO (Structure, 2013). The ILO is relevant to the discussion of human rights as well. Quite recently, there had been a pressure group amongst the people advocating human rights in the United States of America. As a result of this movement usage of supervisory equipment belonging to the ILO had been promoted so that the basic communal and political autonomy could be promoted and preserved (Forsythe, 2000). These supporters claim the ILO machinery to be efficient in enabling countries like China, who violate the human rights without fail, held responsible and blamed for their actions. Even the States which are not in favor of the rules which assure of political and civil rights can be held responsible in front of a global medium through the International Labor Organization’s Committee on Freedom of Association (Simpson, 1995). ILO in spite of its name is not singularly associated with the promotion of industrial relations of the world. From the day it was commenced in 1919, protection of basic human rights has been one of the International Labor Organization primary intentions. The ILO has advocated a concept ‘freedom of association’ and this has been vital in helping the ILO to reach its mark. Freedom of association primarily focused on the point that laborers are free to be associated with any organization that they want to be associated with. With the passage of time, this concept of freedom of association started to be taken by the final judging bodies of the ILO as only one side of their freedom to form associations. In particular, this notion has been interpreted so that it comprises of: a) right of protection of a person against subjective arrest; b) freedom of speech and thought; c) the right to assemble freely; d) right to outstanding process and unbiased trial by an independent and fair hearing. These public and political freedoms have been taken to be a part of the right of association by the International Labor Organization, and it considers them as a vital portion of the social policy which cannot be separated from the development of economy. In the same fashion as the mechanism which supervises under the Optional Protocol of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, it has been acknowledged by the ILO that if the individuals are given an important role relative to the process of monitoring, then the human right customs can be ensured. However, the way the ILO deals with issues is different from the way they are dealt by Optional Protocol’s individual system of complaints. 1950, the establishment of International Labor Organization’s Governing Body’s special regulations took place which overlooked that the members of ILO stick to the principle of freedom of association, no matter how the conventions had been ratified. An inquiry was conducted when a written complaint supported by proof was received. After carrying out investigation, the committee identifies the violation by an organization of the freedom of association (Governing Body). The ILO is used a means to implement human rights standards but in spite of that there are some major drawbacks regarding the practicality of its applications. The Committee is not authorized with the power to forcefully put their decisions into actions. The ILO is defenseless in front of political activities. The ILO has found its considerations effected by politics to such extent that no effective action could take place. This fact began to seem obvious when the Cold War was going on and the ILO activities were hindered by political activities and the United States felt obligated to leave the ILO till those political problems subsided. The ILO has been trying to cut back this problem since then, as it is a hindrance in the way of taking strong measures against the violators of freedom of association (How the ILO works). In spite of the above mentioned weaknesses and flaws in the International Labor Organization, it has been very successful to make governments answerable for their behavior with the tool of having the permission of publicizing the violations which the government does. The ILO although not symbolic of the accomplishments for the promotion and protection of human and labor rights, has proven to be a good medium through which the non government organizations of the United States can promote their schemes. In spite of the advances made in the field of medicine and sanitary improvements, many countries like India and China still continue to be plagued with poor sanitation, water supply, illiteracy, and poor health. The number of people dying annually from AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria has crossed four million and on an average fifteen million people die from infectious diseases. Developing countries are more threatened by these situations than the developed countries. Apart from the old diseases, new diseases like SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) have come into being, and recombinant strains of flu are constantly forming too. The countries which have been developed have a whole new set of problems. They are diseases caused by the usage of tobacco, diabetes, obesity, and some noncomunicable diseases apart from those. These diseases are quite common in the developed countries. Public health all around the world continues to be demoralized from a number of factors, from environmental, political and economic negativities to food production limitations and violent fights and pollution. The increasing challenges to global health are a cause of great pressure on the governments who are not safeguarding the health of the citizens and on the global institutions whose work is to curb the diseases and prevent them from spreading over to other countries. Actors who are in the field of health awareness are driven by sense of humanity mixed with a wish for development and to improve the security and economy of a country. International Labor Standards are made for the development of people. In 1944 the Declaration of Philadelphia took place in which the ILO acknowledged that labor was not to be considered as an article of trade. It cannot be traded keeping in view where the highest profit is coming from or where it is going for the lowest price. Work is something every person does daily and which dignifies him. It contributes to the well being of a person and enables him to develop efficiently. The development of economy should be composed of the factors of creating job opportunities, creating a work environment which allows people to work freely, safely and in a dignified manner. In other words, commencement of economic development does not take place for the development of economy per say, but for the improvement of the human lives. And the International Labor Standards are present to ensure that economic development remains focused on its goals i.e. improvement of human life and upholding dignity and pride (The text of the Declaration and its follow-up). In order to achieve something in the global economy it is vital that something is first being done on the international level. The contribution of ILO for the legal framework is that it sponsors and provides details of international labor standards which are aiming to ensure that the economy grows along with developing respectable work. The presence of a legal framework recognized around the globe on social standards helps in making sure that the playing field for everyone is level in the economy. The presence of a legal framework reduces the chances that the governments and employees will be tempted to lower the standards of labor in the market, thinking that it would be profitable for them in the international markets. However these beliefs have no ground and such practices have no fruits. If the standards of labor are lowered then a country will cease to produce high skilled workers with stable employments due to the increase in number of workers with low wage and low skills. Simultaneously, the economies of the partners of trade have difficulty in rising. As the standards of labor internationally are the least standards taken up by the governments and social partners, the rules should be applied universally so that the playing field remains level and the efforts of none are demoralized – whether those who applying these standards or those or who are not. The international labor standards are on some occasions identified as necessitating a big amount of money which might encumber the development of the economy. However, researches show that spending on international labor standards results in better productivity and the economic performance is improved. If the wages are higher and the working time is standardized than the workers will be content with what they do and the revenue of staff will decrease. The advantages of having labor standards were taken into immediate notice by foreign investors. According to studies, it can be seen that when they are looking for countries to invest in, low labor costs was ranked below quality of the workforce and political as well as social stability. Also, there was not much evidence available that those countries which are known for not respecting the labor standards can prove to be more competitive within the global economy. In addition to that, even those economies which have a fast growth rate and they are also equipped with workers with very high skills, it can also become the victims of unforeseen and sudden economic downturns (Summers, 2001). Unanticipated turn of events for the bad in the economy can take place even in those economies which are comprised of skilled workers and are growing at a fast pace. In 1997 there was a financial crisis in Asia which was a demonstration o how an economy which took years to build could come down with a simple falling value of the currency and decreasing prices in the market. Many people lost their jobs all around the world as their countries were affected. The negative effects of this event were the worst on the workers as their health insurances and unemployment insurances were wanting. After a thorough examination of the destruction caused by the crisis, the ILO decided to strengthen the social dialogues, freedom of association and social protection systems so that the workers would be safe in case something similar happens again (Social Protection). The development of an economy depends on the rules and their acceptance. The legal components of a good authority are surety of property rights, to oversee that contracts are being enforced, the procedure is being respected and there is protection against criminal activities. Without these elements it is impossible for an economy to function. If a fair set of rules is helping in the governance of a market, then its efficiency will be greater and will benefit everyone. Similar is the case for labor market. If the labor practices are fair and standardized internationally, then the market for labor will be of great advantage for employers as well as the workers (Mosley, L., & Uno, S. 2007). If the economy is still developing and is in its transition state, then it is probable that the majority of the workforce is not active in the formal economy, but the informal one. In addition to that, social justice is rather difficult to provide in countries with situations like these. However, International Labor Standards prove to be of a great use in situations like such as well. The standard set by the ILO are applicable to every worker, those who work for recognized organizations and those who don’t work for them as well. Furthermore, of those standards, some are specific for the workers of the informal economy. By extending the concepts of freedom of association, safety and health relative to the occupation, social protection, and vocational training, the International Labor Standards have managed to reduce poverty and introduce more workers to work in the formal economy strategically. Institutions have been set up which ensure the imposition of the labor rights (Safety and Health at Work). As a result of discussions being carried out between governments, employers and workers while being consulted by international experts, International Labor Standards are set. The International Labor Standards are a representation of how global agreement to a specific labor issue can be come to when the problem is discussed at a global level with expertise from around the globe. If these standards are integrated into their policies and the knowledge is made use of daily, the benefit will be unlimited for the governments and organizations of employers and workers. They legal characters of the standards can be used in administration and legal system on a national level as well as the body of an international law, which enables greater incorporation of the international populace (The benefits of International Labor Standards). REFERNCES Forsythe, D. P. (2000). Human rights in international relations. Cambridge [England: Cambridge University Press. Governing Body. (n.d.). International Labor Organization. Retrieved March 9, 2013, from http://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/how-the-ilo-works/governing-body/lang--en/index.htm How the ILO works . (n.d.). International Labor Organization. Retrieved March 9, 2013, from http://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/how-the-ilo-works/lang--en/index.htm International Labor Office . (n.d.). International Labor Organization . Retrieved March 9, 2013, from http://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/who-we-are/international-labour-office/lang--en/index.htm Mosley, L., & Uno, S. (2007). Racing to the bottom or climbing to the top? Economic globalization and collective labor rights. Comparative Political Studies, 40(8), 923-948. Safety and health at work. (n.d.). International Labor Organization. Retrieved March 9, 2013, from http://www.ilo.org/global/topics/safety-and-health-at-work/lang--en/index.htm Simpson, S. (1995). Enforcement of Human Rights through ILO Machinery. Human rights Brief, Washington College of Law, American University, 3(1). Social protection. (n.d.). International Labor Organization. Retrieved March 9, 2013, from http://www.ilo.org/global/topics/social-security/lang--en/index.htm Structure. (n.d.). International Labor Organization. Retrieved March 7, 2013, from http://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/who-we-are/lang--en/index.htm Summers, C. (2001). Battle in Seattle: Free Trade, Labor Rights, and Societal Values, The. U. Pa. J. Intl Econ. L., 22, 61. The benefits of International Labor Standards. (n.d.). International Labor Organization. Retrieved March 8, 2013, from http://www.ilo.org/global/standards/introduction-to-international-labour-standards/the-benefits-of-international-labour-standards/lang--en/index.htm The text of the Declaration and its follow-up . (n.d.). International Labor Organization. Retrieved March 9, 2013, from http://www.ilo.org/declaration/thedeclaration/textdeclaration/lang-- en/index.htm Read More