Congress International Officer David Joyce has called on the Irish Government to utilise its new position on the governing body of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) 'to promote decent work, engage in social dialogue" and to ratify outstanding ILO conventions and protocols that Ireland has yet to sign up to.
Speaking at the ILO, Mr Joyce welcomed Ireland's election to the governing body and said:
"We welcome their participation and urge them to make full use of this opportunity to fulfil the ILO aims and objectives at home and abroad. As we approach the ILO centenary in 2019 we hope they will play a constructive role in the many initiatives being prepared. In that regard we commend them on the recent Future of Work conference in Dublin to kick off a national dialogue between government, workers and employers in order to better meet the world of work challenges of the next century.
"While Ireland has ratified 73 of the 189 ILO Conventions, a significant number of up to date conventions and protocols remain to be ratified. These include the 2014 Protocol to Convention 29 on Forced Labour and we urge them to join those 13 Governments who have ratified this and so help to restore hope and freedom to the millions of people trapped in modern slavery around the world. This would also be a useful instrument in implementing our national Second National Action Plan to Prevent & Combat Human Trafficking in Ireland.
"We also urge the Irish Government to engage in a process of social dialogue with trade unions and employers to identify other relevant ILO standards for Ireland's workplaces in the 21st Century," Mr Joyce said.
