LABOUR WORLD

Evening Star, Issue 23370, 13 September 1939, Page 6

LABOUR WORLD

THE WORK AT CENEVA A GENERAL SURVEY The twenty-fifth session of the International Labour. Conference, which opened on June 8, came to an end on June 28. Its president was Mr Schulthess, former president 6f the Swiss Confederation, The following statement has been issued 1 The authority achieved by the International Labour Organisation during its 20 years of existence was reflected in the membership of the conference, which was as large as ever. Forty-sis States members were represented by 153 delegates of governments, employers. and workers, assisted by numerous technical advisers. It is important to note the large number of complete delegations, especially from extra-European countries, and- the fact that States (United States) which have never belonged to the League of Nations _or which have resigned from it (Chile, Hungary, Peru, and Venezuela) are still members or the. organisation. Recent experience has shown that, despite the difficult times through which we are passing, the development of ratifications of International Labour Conventions has continued. The composition of the conference has reflected the devotion of many nations to the work of the organisation, which is all the more significant at such a time of -acute political tension. This attachment to the organisation was shown again during the debates in the conference and especially in the important general dsicussion or the report of the director of the organisation, Mr Winant. The speakers expressed not only their confidence in the Internatioal Labour Organisation, but also their unanimous approval of the decision of the governing body to. ensure that the organisation should function as completely as possible in the event of an actute international even if, unfortunately, this degenerated into an armed conflict. In -this connection the conference noted the programme of action approved by the governing body. ORGANISATION MUST CONTINUE. This twenty-fifth session has given rise to a firm conviction that the organisation must continue its services to the world, whatever happens, and that its existence is absolutely essential to the solution of the complicated and most difficult problems created by the international crisis. The constitution of the organisation in which Governments, employers, and workers cooperate, which is responsible for its present healthy condition, makes it, at the same time, a necessary instrument for the preservation of peace. “No other international organisation,” said a Government delegate, “ has its roots so firmly and extensively in the ground.” The present international situation was bound to affect the work of the conference, which had to mark time in one sphere. It had to adjourn the examination of two of the questions on its agenda, both of which dealt with hours of work. These were:— (a) Generalisation of the reduction of hours of work in industry, commerce, and offices. . _ (b) Reduction of hours of work in coal mines. Nevertheless, as was indicated clearly during the debates on -these questions, this double adjournment in no way implied the abandonment of the policy of the 40-hour week. The resolution* in favour of adjournment were entirely due to the present political and economic insecurity caused by the armaments race, which prevents States from contracting international undertakings. ... These two questions will come up again when the abnormal conditions which are forcing nations to develop a war economy have disappeared. Many delegates expressed the. opinion that they will then become urgent. It is certain that social problems will call for great attention when, at the end of the crisis, many problems of economic readjustment arise. When rearmament comes to an end, even if this occurs in stages, and the world returns to a peace economy, there is bound to be considerable unemployment which it will be necessary to combat. As Mr Winant , said in his speech, " industrial workers of the

world can look forward to the 40-hour week.” , '

OTHER QUESTIONS

Four other- questions came up for consideration with a view to the adoption of international regulations:— 1. Technical and vocational education and apprenticeship. 2. The regulation of contracts of employment of indigenous workers. 3. Recruiting, placing, and conditions of labour (equality or treatment)of migrant workers. 4. Regulation of hours of work and rest periods of professional _ drivers (and their assistants) of vehicles engaged in road transport. These questions came up for a first discussiqn during the_ lwesty;d ourt k session. This year they gave rise to draft conventions and recommendations.. It is hardly necessary to emphasise the importance of technical and vocational education and apprenticeship, at <a time when, more than ever, the new technical conditions 6f production require the training of skilled workers, of which,. even before the; development of rearmament; there was a dearth in most countries. ■ Two draft recommendatioifs cam* before the conference, one concerning technical and vocational education, indicating the chief methods which experience has shown to be most suitable, and the other dealing with th* organisation of apprenticeship and the position of apprentices.' ' Both of these were adopted.

In regard to the second question on its agenda, the International Labour Organisation continued its fruitful work for the protection of coloured wage-earners in colonial or similar territories, which already had led to the adoption of two conventions on forced labour and recruiting. 1 The twenty-fifth session adopted two. more draft conventions concerning the regulation of written contracts of employment of indigenous workers, and the abolition of penal sanctions for breaches of contracts of employment. These were completed by two recommendations, one setting forth certain general principles for fixing the length, of the contract, and the other inviting Governments to create labour inspectorates in colonial territories.

The third question, recruiting, ...placing, and conditions of labour., of migrant workers, completed the U’ork already accomplished by previous sessions with a view to the protection of migrant workers- and to ensuring for. them equality of treatment with national . workers. The draft. convention adopted was accompanied by two recommendations, one of which sets forth, in greater detail, the principles which States members are asked to bear in mind in executing its provisions and the other dealing with cooperation between Governments. The regulations adopted dealt, to some extent, with the unfortunate problem of political refugees. On the other hand, the question of international regulations in regard to hours of work and rest periods of drivers engaged in road transport was a new one. It was not possible in the early stages of the wofk of the organisation to foresee the tremendous developments that have occurred in this branch of industrial activity, which have necessitated the adoption of international regulations in the interest of safety on the roads and in order to give to the workers engaged in road transport a minimum degre® of social protection. The fixing of hours of work (in principle da per week and eight per day) and daily: and weekly rest periods will increase safety in road transport. The draft convention on this subject was accompanied by four recommendations concerning:— ' (a) Individual control books in road transport. (b) Night work (c) The method, of regulating bourn of work in road transport. (d) Rest periods of professional drivers of private vehicles. In addition to these four draft conventions and 10 recommendations, th® conference adopted several resolutions, of which the most important dealt with:—. ; (1) The study of the conditions of ratifications of conventions by federal States (proposed by the Committee on Road Transport). (2) The methods followed in th® various countries in order to encourage the development of the activities of the organisation (submitted by Messrs Jouhaux and Kupers, workers’ delegates of France and the Netherlands). (3) Women’s work (submitted byth® same workers’ delegates).