ILO & International Labour — Set 5

Correct Answer: C. New Delhi

The ILO Country Office for India is located in New Delhi. The ILO has maintained a presence in India for many decades, supporting the implementation of labour standards and providing technical assistance for labour policy development. The ILO Decent Work Country Programme for India outlines the priorities for ILO cooperation with India. The New Delhi office works closely with India's Ministry of Labour and Employment, employers' organisations, and trade unions.

Correct Answer: B. Conventions are legally binding treaties, Recommendations provide non-binding guidelines

ILO Conventions are international treaties that create legally binding obligations for member states that ratify them, requiring them to give effect to the convention's provisions. Recommendations, on the other hand, are non-binding instruments that provide guidance on policy, legislation, and practice, often supplementing conventions. Recommendations do not require ratification. When a convention is adopted, a supplementary recommendation is often also adopted to provide more detailed guidance on how to give effect to the convention. This two-tier system allows the ILO to set minimum binding standards while also offering detailed guidance.

Correct Answer: C. 4

The ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work (1998) covers four categories of fundamental rights: freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining, elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labour, effective abolition of child labour, and elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation. These four categories correspond to the eight fundamental conventions of the ILO. The declaration obligates all ILO member states to respect and promote these principles regardless of whether they have ratified the relevant conventions.

Correct Answer: A. ILO's legal database of international labour standards

ILOLEX is the ILO's database of international labour standards, containing the texts of ILO conventions, recommendations, and other instruments, as well as information on their ratification and implementation. It also includes information on comments made by the ILO's supervisory bodies regarding the implementation of conventions by member states. ILOLEX has been largely integrated into NORMLEX, the ILO's more comprehensive information system on international labour standards. These databases are essential resources for governments, employers, workers, and researchers working on labour law and policy.

Correct Answer: B. Integrated approach covering employment, social protection, rights at work, social dialogue

The ILO Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP) for India takes an integrated approach covering all four pillars of the Decent Work Agenda: employment creation, social protection, rights at work, and social dialogue. DWCPs are the main vehicle for ILO technical cooperation at the country level, designed to support national development plans and the UN Development Assistance Framework. For India, the programme addresses priority areas such as formalization of the informal economy, skills development, social security extension, and elimination of child and forced labour. The DWCP is developed in consultation with government, employer, and worker representatives.

Correct Answer: B. Directorate General Factory Advice Service and Labour Institutes

DGFASLI stands for the Directorate General Factory Advice Service and Labour Institutes, which functions under the Ministry of Labour and Employment in India. It serves as a technical arm of the Ministry for enforcement of the Factories Act, 1948 and allied rules. DGFASLI provides technical advice to state governments and interacts with the ILO on matters related to occupational safety and health. It works closely with ILO programmes on occupational safety and health in India.

Correct Answer: A. Collecting and publishing labour statistics

The Labour Bureau, under the Ministry of Labour and Employment in India, is responsible for collecting, compiling, and disseminating statistical data related to labour and employment. It conducts various surveys and studies including the Annual Survey of Industries, Consumer Price Index for industrial workers and agricultural labourers, and various employment-unemployment surveys. The Labour Bureau is India's counterpart to the ILO's ILOSTAT database and contributes data to international labour statistics. It publishes important reports like the Indian Labour Journal and the Pocket Book of Labour Statistics.

Correct Answer: A. Labour Inspection in Agriculture

ILO Convention No. 129, adopted in 1969, deals with Labour Inspection in Agriculture. It requires member states that ratify it to maintain or extend a system of labour inspection to workplaces in the agricultural sector. The convention is one of the four Priority Governance Conventions of the ILO. Agricultural workers are often among the most vulnerable, and labour inspection in the agricultural sector is crucial for ensuring their rights and safety. The convention supplements Convention No. 81 which covers labour inspection in industry and commerce.

Correct Answer: B. Juan Somavia

The concept of 'Decent Work' was first articulated by Juan Somavia of Chile, who served as ILO Director-General from 1999 to 2012. He introduced the concept in his first report to the International Labour Conference in 1999, titled 'Decent Work'. The Decent Work Agenda became the overarching framework for the ILO's activities, integrating employment, social protection, rights at work, and social dialogue. Somavia's articulation of this concept transformed how labour and development were understood globally, eventually leading to its inclusion in the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Correct Answer: B. It uses committees of experts and tripartite bodies to review compliance

The ILO's supervisory system relies on committees of experts and tripartite bodies to review the compliance of member states with ratified conventions. The Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations (CEACR) reviews reports submitted by governments and comments made by employers' and workers' organisations. The tripartite Committee on the Application of Standards of the International Labour Conference examines the most serious cases. The ILO does not have enforcement powers to impose penalties or take legal action, but relies on dialogue, technical assistance, and moral pressure.