In 1998, the ILO adopted the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work (FPRW) that commits Member States to respect and promote: a) freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining; (b) the elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labour; (c) the effective abolition of child labour; and

(d) the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation, as these are enshrined in eight ILO conventions (and in the Protocol of 2014 to the Forced Labour Convention of 1930).In June 2022, the International Labour Conference added a safe and healthy working environment as a fifth category.

The Declaration makes it clear that these rights are universal, and that all ILO member States, irrespective of their level of economic development, or indeed whether they have ratified the detailed fundamental ILO Conventions, have the obligation, due to their membership of the ILO, to respect and promote this set of principles and rights

at work.

While there remains a strong international commitment to address violations of these fundamental human rights, decent work is not yet a reality for many people in the world. The ILO estimates that globally 138 million children are engaged in child labour; 54 million of them are performing hazardous work, and 50 million people are victims of forced labour and other forms of modern slavery, while hundreds of millions of people suffer from discrimination at work. Many workers are not covered by collective bargaining and the rights to organize is often not efficiently protected and, in some cases, even prohibited.

Through this three (3) week e-learning course participants will deepen their understanding of how to prevent, identify and act upon violations of FPRW in the workplace. It will also provide them with tools to work around these key issues with more confidence, higher proactivity and efficiency.

WHAT TOPICS DOES THIS COURSE COVER?

Some of the topics that will be covered by this e-learning are as follows:

Introduction

ILO Declaration on the Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work (FPRW) and the fundamental Conventions

Overview of the key provisions of ILO Conventions, Recommendations and Protocols:

a) freedom of association and freedom of trade union organisation and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining;

b) the elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labour;

c) the effective abolition of child labour;

d) the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation; and

e) the right to a safe and healthy working environment

In each category of rights:

a) Definitions and terminology (as well as indicators, where applicable); global trends; main causes of vulnerabilities and groups requiring special protection; international legal framework: Conventions, Recommendations and Protocols and their incorporation into national legislation; and key aspects to consider;

b) The role of institutions responsible for ensuring and guaranteeing compliance with the fundamental rights of workers; how to strengthen and improve their operational mechanisms, with emphasis on prevention, identification and investigation of violations, ensuring a comprehensive approach to the protection of labour rights;

c) Strategies, operational tools and measures to strengthen the implementation and enforcement of labour legislation, including the establishment of strategic alliances, institutional cooperation and collaboration with other stakeholders (trade unions, associations, civil society, private sector, etc.). Country-specific good practices and peer-to-peer exchanges will also be promoted to improve effectiveness in the protection of fundamental rights at work.

Who attends this training?

• Labour inspectorate staff – labour inspectors: general, specialised and management level;
• Labour administration staff;
• Representatives from trade unions and employers’ organizations, private sector and other actors and key parties supporting the promotion and realization of fundamental principles and rights at work through compliance;
• Compliance and sustainability officers from enterprises and private sector entities.