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18 June, 2000Highlights of the ILO annual conference were the passage of revisions in the Maternity Convention, and Resolutions on Burma and HIV/AIDS.
GENEVA: One of the major accomplishments of the ILO's tripartite 88th Session of the International Labour Conference (ILC) was the adoption on June 15 by a large majority of the revised ILO Convention on Maternity Protection. The International Metalworkers' Federation hailed this successful outcome to the strengthening of protection for both women workers and their children.
Included in the improved provisions of the revised Convention are:
- extension of maternity leave, from 12 to 14 weeks;
- guarantee of the right to return to the same job following maternity leave;
- prohibition in general of pregnancy tests for prospective female employees;
- improved breast-feeding provisions;
- broadening of the Convention's scope to give more women protection.
Although the employers' group, with 116 votes, attempted to prevent passage of the revision by abstaining en masse, the Convention got through with 304 votes in favour.
A Recommendation on Maternity Protection was also adopted, by an even larger majority, giving other improved conditions such as the possibility of extending maternity leave to 18 weeks and counting maternity leave as a period of service.
It is interesting to note that the only European government which did not vote in favour of the Convention was the United Kingdom.
Among other major decisions of the ILC was an action to compel the Burmese (Myanmar) government to comply with the ILO Convention No. 29 on Forced Labour (1930), ratified by Burma in 1955, and a Resolution on HIV/AIDS.
Included in the improved provisions of the revised Convention are:
- extension of maternity leave, from 12 to 14 weeks;
- guarantee of the right to return to the same job following maternity leave;
- prohibition in general of pregnancy tests for prospective female employees;
- improved breast-feeding provisions;
- broadening of the Convention's scope to give more women protection.
Although the employers' group, with 116 votes, attempted to prevent passage of the revision by abstaining en masse, the Convention got through with 304 votes in favour.
A Recommendation on Maternity Protection was also adopted, by an even larger majority, giving other improved conditions such as the possibility of extending maternity leave to 18 weeks and counting maternity leave as a period of service.
It is interesting to note that the only European government which did not vote in favour of the Convention was the United Kingdom.
Among other major decisions of the ILC was an action to compel the Burmese (Myanmar) government to comply with the ILO Convention No. 29 on Forced Labour (1930), ratified by Burma in 1955, and a Resolution on HIV/AIDS.