Introduction

The Practical Guide to Trade Union Action at the International Labour Organization contains clear information on the institutional and operational bodies of the International Labour Organization (ILO) for practical use by trade unionists.

THE GUIDE INCLUDES SEVEN UNITS:

Unit 1

Introduction to the ILO, opportunities for trade union engagement, and some key elements to be considered when using ILO instruments.

The structure of the ILO and how trade unions participate in the bodies that make up the ILO's tripartite structure: the Governing Body and the International Labour Conference.

Unit 2 Unit 3

The International Labour Office and how it can be useful to trade unions.

The ILO's standards system and how trade unions intervene in it. Practical questions and answers about the elaboration and adoption of new international labor standards, procedures for their submission and ratification, and their revision and withdrawal.

The ILO supervisory system and how trade unions can intervene. Practical questions and answers about the procedures of regular control of ratified Conventions, non-ratified Conventions and Recommendations, the procedures of special control, specifically the procedures for the examination of complaints (Article 26 of the ILO Constitution), and of

Unit 4

Unit 5

complaints before the Committee on Freedom of Association.

Legal considerations relevant to the nature of ILO standards and the legal value of the pronouncements of its supervisory bodies.

How to use the international instruments of the ILO and the pronouncements of its supervisory bodies specifically for the elaboration and design of strategies and public policy proposals, to promote labor reforms and to support cases before national and international judicial bodies.

Some of the publications used to develop this Guide. This Guide is intended to be used by unions, union leaders, and union advisors. Care has been taken to explain the various ILO tools in a clear and practical way, with the aim of facilitating their understanding and the identification of relevant elements for their effective use. For this purpose, boxes, diagrams, concrete examples of trade union use of ILO tools and explanations of procedures through questions and answers have been used, with emphasis on the information that can be most useful and necessary for trade union action and advocacy in the ILO.

This Guide includes explanations of some of the many ILO tools. Knowledge and use of these tools contribute to the important work of trade unions in defending the rights of workers, which is the main reason for the ILO to exist.