International Labour Organisation (ILO)

Abstract

At the end of 1967, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) had 117 members, the same number as the year before. Albania ceased to be a member on 5 August 1967, two years after it had given the prescribed notice of withdrawal. Barbados became a member on 29 April; it stated that it remained bound by 25 international Conventions formerly declared applicable to the territory by the United Kingdom Government. The fifty-first session of the International Labour Conference was held in Geneva, Switzerland, from 7 to 29 June 1967. The Conference adopted six new instruments on international labour standards, as follows: maximum permissible weight to be carried by one worker (Convention and Recommendation) ; old-age, invalidity and survivors' pensions (Convention and Recommendation) ; examination of grievances within the undertaking with a view to their solution (Recommendation) ; and communications between management and workers within the undertaking (Recommendation). It adopted a resolution calling for the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of ILO with appropriate ceremonies throughout 1969. The Conference adopted conclusions to serve as the basis for a Recommendation on improving conditions of life and work of tenants, sharecroppers and similar categories of agricultural workers. Conclusions regarding, first, the industrialization of developing countries and, second, technical co-operation between ILO and developing countries were adopted by the Conference. Also approved were resolutions covering: (1) occupational health, occupational diseases in general and the special measures to be taken for the prevention and control of occupational cancer; (2) international co-operation for economic and social development; (3) the influence of rapid population growth on opportunities for training and employment and on welfare of workers; (4) action by ILO for migrant workers; (5) condemnation of racial discrimination in respect of employment, occupation and freedom of association practised by the illegal régime of Southern Rhodesia; and (6) the international covenants on human rights and the measures which ILO should adopt with regard thereto. The Conference also took note of the third special report presented by the ILO DirectorGeneral on the application of the Declaration adopted by the ILO Conference in 1964 on apartheid in the Republic of South Africa. Since 1919, the Labour Conference has adopted 128 Conventions and 153 Recommendations. The total number of ratifications of Conventions by member States amounted to 3,338 at the end of the year, an increase of 92 from the year before.