27 May, 2025The 187 member states of the International Labour Organization meet every year in June at the International Labour Conference (ILC) in Geneva, Switzerland. This year’s ILC starts on 2 June and will address possible new international standards on the protection of workers against biological hazards in the working environment and decent work in the platform economy.
Every ILO member state can send a delegation to the ILC consisting of two government delegates, one worker delegate and one employer delegate. Each delegate has one vote in the Conference plenary. Delegations also include advisers but they do not have voting rights. International organizations, like IndustriALL Global Union, attend as observers.
Why is the ILC important for trade unions?
The International Labour Conference brings together workers, governments and employer representatives on an equal platform. Through the workers group, national and global trade unions can influence government and employers’ policies, for example in the drafting of Conventions, and also in the monitoring of their implementation in member states.
The Conference is also important to trade unions because:
- It is a chance to hold governments to account for labour abuses in their countries.
- It gives cases of labour rights abuses an international platform.
- It can help to resolve violations by making recommendations for action to governments and through sanctioning technical assistance to member states.
IndustriALL is participating in this year’s discussion on possible international standards on the protection of workers against biological hazards, as well as the discussions on promoting the transition to formality for decent work. IndustriALL will also be part of the workers’ group led by the ITUC at the Standard-Setting Committee on Decent Work in the Platform Economy.
ILO urged to enforce Article 33 on Myanmar
Earlier this year, the ILO Governing Body drafted a decision on the restoration of democracy and respect for fundamental rights in Myanmar, recommending the ILC consider measures under article 33 of the ILO Constitution to secure compliance by Myanmar with the commission report. The grounds are the military junta’s failure to carry out the recommendations given after an ILO Commission of Inquiry found serious violations of Forced Labour and Freedom of Association protocols.
Invoking Article 33 has only happened twice before in the history of the ILO, the last time was over Belarus in 2023, underscoring the severity of Belarus's violations of workers' rights. Belarus has become one of the worst countries in the world for workers, where independent trade unions have been dismantled, labour rights criminalized and freedom of association completely suppressed, prompting urgent calls for international action and ILO intervention.
What is the Conference Committee on the Application of Standards (CAS)?
The CAS is an essential part of the ILO’s supervisory system in that it checks how ILO standards are being applied by member states. There is preliminary list of 40 cases, out of those cases, 24 will be selected for the CAS discussion. In addition there will be a special sitting by the CAS on Belarus on 7 June.
Together with affiliated unions present in Geneva during ILC, as well as other activists, the global unions are planning a number of demonstrations at the Broken Chair in front of the Palais des Nations. The Broken Chair symbolizes resistance to violence and serves as a meeting point for demonstrations in support of human and labour rights.
- 3 June – rally for Myanmar
- 4 June – rally for platform workers
- 5 June – rally for Belarus
- 9 June – rally for Ukraine