ILO & International Labour — Set 7

Correct Answer: B. Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations

The Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations (CEACR) is the ILO's main body for reviewing the implementation of conventions by member states. It is composed of 20 independent legal experts appointed by the Governing Body. The CEACR examines annual reports submitted by governments on their implementation of ratified conventions, along with observations from employers' and workers' organisations. It issues 'observations' and 'direct requests' to governments to improve compliance with ratified conventions.

Correct Answer: B. Ensure basic social security guarantees for all

The ILO's Social Protection Floor initiative, endorsed by ILO member states through Recommendation No. 202 (2012), aims to ensure that all people have access to essential health care and basic income security throughout their lives. The social protection floor includes access to basic health care and income security for children, working-age persons unable to earn sufficient income, and older persons. This initiative is closely linked to the ILO's Decent Work Agenda and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. It recognises social protection as both a human right and a social and economic necessity.

Correct Answer: B. Occupational Safety and Health

ILO Convention No. 155, the Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 1981, requires member states to formulate, implement, and periodically review a coherent national policy on occupational safety and health. It aims to prevent accidents and injury to health arising out of, linked with, or occurring in the course of work, by minimising the causes of hazards inherent in the working environment. The convention covers most sectors of economic activity and requires employers to provide safe workplaces and workers' representatives to be involved in safety matters. India ratified Convention No. 155 in 1984.

Correct Answer: C. 2006

The Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) was adopted by the ILO in 2006 and came into force in 2013. It is often called the 'seafarers' bill of rights' as it consolidates and updates more than 65 ILO instruments on maritime labour. The MLC sets out minimum working and living standards for seafarers and covers areas such as minimum age, employment agreements, hours of work and rest, wages, paid leave, repatriation, medical care, accommodation, and social security. India ratified the MLC in 2015.

Correct Answer: C. Youth employment

The ILO distinguishes between 'child labour' which is harmful and should be abolished, and 'youth employment' which is legal work by young people above the minimum working age. Child labour refers to work that deprives children of their childhood, potential, and dignity, and is harmful to physical and mental development. Youth employment refers to legal, safe work by persons above the minimum working age (generally 15 years or the age of completion of compulsory schooling). The ILO promotes policies that protect children from harmful child labour while supporting safe and legal opportunities for young workers.

Correct Answer: B. Ensuring fairness for workers in the shift to a greener economy

The 'just transition' concept promoted by the ILO refers to ensuring a fair and inclusive pathway for workers and communities as economies shift towards more environmentally sustainable models. A just transition aims to create decent green jobs, provide skills training for workers in fossil fuel industries, support affected communities, and ensure that the costs and benefits of environmental action are equitably shared. The ILO adopted the Guidelines for a Just Transition towards Environmentally Sustainable Economies and Societies for All in 2015. This concept is increasingly important in the context of climate change and the Paris Agreement.

Correct Answer: C. ILO Centenary Declaration

The ILO Centenary Declaration for the Future of Work, adopted in 2019 during the ILO's 100th anniversary, reaffirmed and endorsed a human-centred approach to the future of work. This declaration emphasised that the future of work should put people and their needs at the centre, ensuring that technological change, globalisation, and demographic shifts create opportunities rather than deepen inequalities. The Centenary Declaration called for renewed commitments to social justice, universal access to education and skills training, and strengthened social protection. It built on the ILO's century of experience promoting decent work for all.

Correct Answer: B. 1954

India ratified ILO Convention No. 29 on Forced Labour in 1954. This convention requires the suppression of all forms of forced or compulsory labour. India's ratification of this fundamental convention aligns with the constitutional provisions in Articles 23 and 24 that prohibit forced labour and child labour respectively. India has also enacted domestic legislation to give effect to the convention's principles, including the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976. Despite ratification, implementation challenges remain in certain sectors.

Correct Answer: C. 2008

The ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalisation was adopted in 2008 at the International Labour Conference. It represents the third major statement of principles and policies adopted by the ILC, after the Philadelphia Declaration (1944) and the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work (1998). The 2008 Declaration reaffirmed that globalisation should be managed to promote decent work and social justice for all. It placed the Decent Work Agenda at the centre of ILO's policies and underscored the importance of tripartism and social dialogue.

Correct Answer: B. Promote the transition from informal to formal economy

The ILO's work on the informal economy aims to facilitate the transition of workers and enterprises from informal to formal employment. The ILO recognises that the informal economy encompasses a huge portion of work in developing countries, particularly in Asia and Africa. ILO Recommendation No. 204 (2015) on the Transition from the Informal to the Formal Economy provides guidance for policy approaches to facilitate this transition. The ILO promotes formalisation as a means of extending labour rights, social protection, and economic opportunities to informal workers.