The International Labour Organization and promotion of global labor rights

International Labor Organization: History And Feasibility of Standards

When it comes to the promotion of social justice and the enhancement of labor rights, the relevance of the International Labor Organization (ILO) cannot be overstated.

This text will concern itself with the history of this crucial organization and the feasibility of international labor standards. Further, the paper will address not only the advantages but also the disadvantages of standards.

The ILO describes itself as "the international organization responsible for drawing up and overseeing international labor standards" (ILO, 2012). On its Website, the ILO clearly defines its history from the time it was formed/created to its earlier days and recent times. Formed in 1919, the ILO was originally "part of the Treaty of Versailles that ended World War 1" (ILO, 2012). According to the organization, a number of considerations at the time led to its formation. These considerations were largely of a humanitarian, security as well as economic and political nature. It is instructive to note that at the time, the population of international industrial workers was growing steadily. Thus there was a need to have in place an organization or body whose key mandate included the regulation of labor standards. Further, given the volatile nature of the post-war period, there was a need to have in place a formation that would contribute towards the preservation of peace.

The very first International Labor Conference according to the organization took place during the last quarter of 1919 (ILO, 2012). It is during this conference that half a dozen labor conventions were adopted. These conventions according to ILO (2012) mainly concerned themselves "with hours of work in industry, unemployment, maternity protection, night work for women, minimum age and night work for young persons in industry." According to the organization, its Geneva office was set up during the 1920 summer and 14 years later, the U.S. became ILO's newest member (ILO, 2012). At the time, the organization's Director of the International Labor Office was Harold Butler (Britain). He had taken over from Albert Thomas (France). In recent times, the organization has sought to reach out to developing nations in an attempt to further enhance rights at work.

In my opinion, the International Labor Standards are not feasible. This is more so the case given the challenges associated with their implementation and enforceability. As McElrath (2003) notes, "the creation and enforcement of labor rights have always been difficult at the national level, to say nothing of the problems encountered in the international context." The lack of well-defined implementation mechanisms is one of the main issues that could affect the feasibility of the standards. Although I do not regard them feasible in the long-term based on the reasons I have already highlighted, labor standards do have a number of distinct advantages. Some of these benefits are highlighted by the ILO on its Website. One of these benefits is the creation of a level playing field. In regard to international trade, standards seek to ensure that no government or employer attains a greater comparative advantage over another by lowering labor standards. Further, according to ILO, studies conducted in the past have demonstrated that embracing international labor standards does have a positive impact on both economic performance and productivity. The reasoning here is that better working terms, i.e. higher wages, do play a key role when it comes to the reduction of staff turnover amongst other things. Standards can also be seen as a poverty reduction strategy. In this case, it is believed that labor standards do contribute positively towards the enhancement of the efficiency of markets thus benefiting everyone.