ILO Mongolia Seminar Launches Asia Campaign for Ratification of Mine Safety Convention 176

The first of four regional tripartite seminars to promote the formal ratification of ILO Convention 176, the Health and Safety in Mines Convention, was held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, 16-17 April. The seminar was attended by trade unions, employers, and governments from Indonesia, Philippines, India, China, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Mongolia.

The seminars, organized and funded by the ILO, were proposed by the ICEM in March 2008, and will occur in 2010 and 2011 in Eastern Europe, Africa, and Latin America.

The ICEM has been lobbying the ILO to dramatically increase its efforts to promote ratification of the convention to improve health and safety laws in many countries. The seminars are an essential part of an expanding ICEM campaign on Convention 176.

According to Joe Drexler, ICEM Director of Industry and Corporate Affairs, the seminar in Mongolia was the first regional meeting held by the ILO to promote ratification in over a decade and demonstrates the ILO’s commitment to become more actively engaged in a campaign. The ILO held a separate all-day meeting the day before the regional seminar that focused solely on pursuing ratification in Mongolia. Mining is the chief driver of the export economy in the country.

Tugsjargal Gandhi, Minister for Social Welfare and Labour of Mongolia, opened the seminar and said that Mongolia would work toward ratification. The employers’ representative reported that Mongolian employers were in favor of ratification.

Ganbold Sukhbaatar, President of the Mongolian Energy, Geology, and Mining Trade Union, emphasized that ratification of the convention would receive the highest priority by the union. This support was also echoed by S Ganbaatar, President of the Confederation of Mongolian Trade Unions.

The participation of China was especially important and included Xu Enyi, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese Energy and Chemical Workers’ Union, who committed to working toward ratification.

N.C. Jena of the Indian National Mineworkers' Federation (INMF) reported that mining trade unions in India had already completed a comprehensive review of existing legislation to determine where improvements are needed to comply with the ILO convention. Originally, the first regional seminar was to be held in India, but was scuttled due to reported opposition by some employers. No government or employer representatives from India attended last week’s meeting. The ICEM is now working with the ILO to hold a separate seminar solely for India.

Rolando Librojo who represented the National Mine and Allied Workers’ Union of the Philippines reported on how trade unions in his country led the fight in 1997 to secure ratification of ILO 176. “Mining trade unions everywhere are in support of ILO 176,” said Librojo, “but the ILO needs to make stronger and more persuasive arguments as to why governments and employers should support it.” The Philippines is the only country in Asia which has ratified the convention.

Both mining trade unions from Indonesia also participated and were represented by Bambang Surjono, General Secretary of the Mining, Chemical, Energy and Gas Union (FSP KEP) and Saut Pangaribuan, Vice President of Mining and Energy Federation (SBSI).

The Miners International Federation, the predecessor organization to the ICEM, played the key role in the construction and adoption of the convention. An ICEM campaign that began in 1996 was a major factor that led to the formal adoption of the convention by 23 countries. The ICEM hopes to add significantly to this number with a new campaign.

A resolution, unanimously endorsed by all employer, government, and trade union representatives at the meeting, “Calls on member states to seriously consider ratification and implementation of the Safety and Health in Mines Convention … and calls upon the ILO to continue to promote ratification.”