and impartiality and, at the end of the mission, a report must be submitted to the relevant supervisory body. Direct contacts may be established only at the invitation of the governments concerned or, at least, with their consent. They may be requested directly by the Government or proposed by the monitoring bodies. The representative of the Director-General must be able to meet freely with all the parties concerned in order to be fully and objectively informed of all aspects of the case
or situation in question. The main interlocutors of the mission are normally the Ministry of Labour and the confederations of employers and workers, although on a regular basis, and depending on the nature of the problems raised, the mission may meet with legislative authorities, judicial authorities, or even the Head of State. National employers' and workers' organizations are also involved in these missions by participating in interviews with the mission and in tripartite meetings.
Example of a direct contact mission In May 2019, a direct contact mission was carried out in Honduras, in the framework of the procedures of the ILO supervisory system concerning Convention 87 on freedom of association, in particular the regular control of the ILO Committee of Experts and the Conference Committee on the Application of Standards. Honduras was included in the short list by the latter committee. The result of this direct contact mission was the signing of the "Tripartite Agreement to seek mechanisms for the correct and effective application of the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87)”,23 with the presence of members of the ILO Office, the employer sector and the trade union centers of Honduras.
6.5. Emergency Intervention of the ILO Director-General In the case of serious violations of labor or trade union rights, or legislative reforms with significant consequences for workers that are carried out without proper consultation with trade unions, workers may request an emergency intervention of the Director-General of the Office. This rapid procedure, in which the ILO supervisory bodies do not formally intervene and which is not publicized, requires a letter from the union to the Director-General requesting his/her intervention
in order to prevent a serious and imminent violation of ILO Conventions or principles. In the event of intervention, the Director-General or a senior official of the Office may contact representatives of the government concerned to draw attention to relevant principles, for example the principle of early consultation in the context of legislative reforms, and, where appropriate, suggest measures to reverse the situation.
23. https://www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=NORMLEXPUB:13100:0::NO::P13100_COMMENT_ID:4000073
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PRACTICAL GUIDE TO TRADE UNION ACTION AT THE ILO
