22 May, 2024The right to strike is under attack in many countries around the world. For the last 10 years it has also been under attack from the employers at the International Labour Organization (ILO), which sets global standards on labour rights.
Since 2015, the ILO employers’ groups and certain governments have challenged ILO Convention 87 on Freedom of Association, which is ratified by 153 countries, and up-holds the right to strike. The right to strike is an essential part of freedom of association; withholding labour is a crucial negotiating tool during the bargaining process.
IndustriALL, together with the ITUC and other global unions, have strongly pushed back against the view from the employers’ group on the right to strike. Late last year the question was referred by the ILO Governing Body to the International Court of Justice.
The International Labour Conference, the annual meeting of ILO member states, starts early June. Together, let’s remind delegates of their duty to support the right to strike and democracy at work.
Sign and share the ITUC petition, which will be delivered to delegates in Geneva in June.
Says IndustriALL general secretary Atle Høie:
“Striking is a last resort but sometimes the only tool workers have to protect themselves. IndustriALL will never silently watch that fundamental right be attacked. Our affiliates represent 50 million workers around the world – let’s raise our voices and push back.”
Photo: Ringo Chiu - People holding signs take part in a protest at the University of California Los Angeles campus Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022 in Los Angeles.