Proposition 54K3404

Projet de loi portant assentiment au Protocole relatif à la Convention sur le travail forcé de 1930, adopté à Genève le 11 juin 2014 par la conférence générale de l'Organisation internationale du Travail lors de sa 103ème session.

General information ¶

Submitted by

MR Swedish coalition

Submission date

Nov. 28, 2018

Official page

Visit

Status

Adopted

Requirement

Simple

Subjects

International Labour Organisation labour law international agreement slavery

Voting ¶

Voted to adopt

Groen CD&V Vooruit Ecolo LE PS | SP DéFI ∉ Open Vld N-VA MR PVDA | PTB PP VB

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Discussion ¶

Jan. 31, 2019 | Plenary session (Chamber of representatives)

Full source

From reporters are mevrouw Van Hoof in Mr. Miller. Would you like to intervene as such, Mr. Miller?

I am referring to the written report, but I intend to intervene on my behalf.

You have the floor, Mr Miller.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker.

I think it is important to emphasize two points during the consideration of this bill. The first concerns the content of the project and the second concerns the ILO (International Labour Organization) in general.

First of all, as the Minister recalled in a committee, States that have ratified the Protocol must report every three years on the state of progress in its implementation. Our current Belgian legislative arsenal already meets the obligations imposed by the Protocol. We can legitimately rejoice. States that have not ratified it must each year respond to the questions addressed to them by the ILO.

One of these issues is the development of a national action plan. As our excellent colleague, Jean-Jacques Flahaux, underlined in the committee – he intervened and made the comment – we can therefore hope in the long run for a overall positive evolution, especially with regard to the effective abolition of forced labour. We congratulate ourselves.

The second point of my brief speech concerns the importance of the International Labour Organization and what it accomplishes. The ILO celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, since it was established in Geneva in 1919 and has since 1946 become a special agency of the UN. As you know, this organization is derived from the Versailles peace negotiations because "a universal and lasting peace can only be founded on the basis of social justice, that is, it is impossible without a decent treatment of workers." This is a phrase that interpels us all because it is this phrase that presided over the establishment of the ILO.

I will also quote U.S. President Roosevelt who declared in 1941: "At the time, the ILO was still a dream. Who then had heard of governments that would come together to strengthen labor standards internationally? The idea of a consultation of the stakeholders – workers and employers from different countries – with governments to determine these working standards was even more bold.”

At the time of the end of World War I, the ILO did not arouse much enthusiasm among employers. Some, however, believed that the new tripartite arrangement bringing together government, employers and workers could promote useful cooperation with unions in situations where both sides felt that interventionist attempts – we were at the time of Bolshevik Russia – had to be contained. Not all trade unions were also convinced of the usefulness of the ILO. There was a poor collaboration between the classes.

Nevertheless, in a hundred years, the ILO has found its place, its pace of cruise. It has implemented a set of international standards on the different dimensions of work and the different social aspects grouped into four groups of fundamental conventions. Convention on freedom of association for workers and employers and on the right to negotiate; the elimination of all forms of forced labour; the elimination of child labour; the fourth group deals with the fight against all forms of discrimination. All member states of the European Union have ratified all fundamental conventions. I congratulate myself. The next task will be to implement these conventions, continue the codification of new rights and make universal the pacification of labor relationships.

A hundred years ago, ILO was a pioneer. Today, she must maintain that momentum in order to grasp new forms of work and careers. The world of work must remain focused on human work. Lifelong learning, assisting workers in managing transitions to work, gender equality, rural and informal workers, investments in care and infrastructure, climate adaptation and social protection in the wider sense. The ILO must also be a guarantor – and we have often discussed it with Ms. Grovonius in the Committee on Foreign Relations – of the sound functioning of trade unions and society when international trade agreements are negotiated and adopted.

We can be proud that in Belgium, every government has made sure to contribute to this work. I thank you for your attention. I think it was an element that should be recalled, not dislike some colleagues of the PS who do not seem to appreciate it.