Joshua Apebo, Secretary-General of Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), in this interview with SYLVESTER ENOGHASE, speaks on why Governments and institutions are requested to include International Labour Organization (ILO) standards in bilateral and multilateral agreements. Excerpts:..READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
Please, tell us your take home, especially the activities during the 351st Session of the Governing Body of the International Labour Organization (ILO) at the 112th International Labour Conference (ILC), you attended in Geneva, Switzerland?
My take home from the 112th Session of the International Labour Conference (ILC) is the adoption in June 2019 ILO Convention No. 190 (C190) as the first international treaty to recognise the right of everyone to a world of work free from violence and harassment, including gender-based violence and harassment.
Also during its 112th Session the ILC elected the members of the Governing Body who will serve for the period June 2024-June 2027.
The Governing Body is composed of 56 titular members (28 Governments, 14 Employers and 14 Workers) and 66 deputy members (28 Governments, 19 Employers and 19 Workers).
The ILO Governing Body takes decisions on ILO policy, decides the agenda of the ILC, adopts the Organization’s draft Programme and Budget for submission to the ILC, and elects the Director-General.
It meets three times a year, in March, June and November. Its next meeting is expected to open on 28 October 2024.
The Governing Body of the International Labour Organization (ILO) held its 351st Session on Saturday 15 June and elected its Officers for the period 2024-2025.
H.E. Mr. Seong Deok Yun, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea was elected as Chairperson, while Catelene Passchier of the Netherlands and Renate Hornung-Draus of Germany were re-elected as Worker Vice-Chairperson and Employer Vice-Chairperson respectively.
During the meeting the Governing Body discussed questions arising from the 112th International Labour Conference (ILC), which took place 3-14 June, and adopted the Report of the Committee of Freedom of Association.
It also received an update on compliance by Guatemala of Conventions Nos. 87 and 98.
The Governing Body reiterated its most profound concern at the continuing aggression by the Russian Federation, aided by the Belarusian Government, against Ukraine and the impact it is having on the tripartite constituents in Ukraine and the world of work beyond Ukraine.
It again urged the Russian Federation to immediately and unconditionally cease its aggression and requested the Director-General to continue to monitor the situation and report to the Governing Body at its 352nd Session in November 2024.
The Governing Body also repeated its call for the prompt release of all individuals detained for exercising civil liberties and conducting legitimate trade union activities in Myanmar and expressed grave concern over the lack of progress in implementing the recommendations of the 2023 Commission of Inquiry report.
What is your take on plan by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to face world of work challenges resulting from crisis, labour migration and green transition?
Well, this year’s International Labour Conference (ILC) had deliberations on key world of work issues, including the promotion of peace and stability in countries emerging from conflict, strengthening labour migration governance and greening the economy.
Key issues adopted at the ILC were, a new landmark standard, the Employment and Decent Work for Peace and Resilience Recommendation, 2017 (No. 205) , which updates the guidance of an earlier ILO Recommendation adopted in 1944 to provide responses to contemporary crisis situations arising from conflicts and disasters.
It also widens the focus of the standard on reconstruction and recovery to include prevention and preparedness.
The new standard provides a unique normative framework focusing on world of work related measures to prevent and respond to the devastating effects of conflicts and disasters on economies and societies, paying special attention to vulnerable population groups, such as children, young people, women and displaced people.
The Conference also adopted a Resolution which requests the ILO Director-General to take a lead in strengthening partnerships at the international level to promote the new standard.
The adoption of a new Recommendation on Employment and Decent Work for Peace and Resilience is very significant at several levels
Sir, are you saying that the world of work Summit on Women at Work would stop violence and harassment as a barrier to decent work for women?
I am of the view that with gender gaps remaining one of the most pressing challenges facing labour markets, the World of Work Summit was this year dedicated to discussing how to shape a better future for women at work.
The World of Work Summit had opened earlier in the day with an interactive High-Level Panel which discussed the main challenges women face in obtaining decent work, and what is needed to overcome the obstacles.
The panelists discussed such issues as the work-family balance, the care economy, violence and harassment as a barrier to decent work for women, and the gender pay gap.
How do you assess the conclusions in the report of the Committee on labour migration governance?
The discussion resulted in a quite balanced text which also highlighted the opportunities migration provides.
The recognition and compliance of migrants’ rights without distinction and not only for the “migrants of our choice” is a key issue here. Regulation of migration is possible because “illegal migration” could put pressure on wages and workers’ rights – while ILO conventions should always be respected.
The Employers and some governments launched an attack on ILO Conventions 97 and 143 on migration saying that they were outdated but this was not the view of the majority.
We should focus on guidelines for fair recruitment because of the bad practice of some employment agencies.
The 2014 Protocol to ILO Convention 29 on forced labour and modern slavery is an important tool here. Governments and institutions are requested to include ILO standards in bilateral and multilateral agreements.
Back home here in Nigeria, could you please, throw more lights on why yours association recently canvassed for an upward review of the retirement age for employees in the core civil service, arguing that that the 60 years retirement age is no longer in vogue?
Our Association has been canvassing for an upward review of the retirement age for employees in the core civil service since 2015.
We have presented a memorandum to the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council, JNPSNC, the organ that is responsible for negotiation of terms and conditions of service of workers in the Public Service, and demanded for the increase in retirement age in the Core Civil Service from 60 years of age or 35 years of service whichever is earlier to 65 years of age or 40 years of service whichever comes first.
Our argument then which is still valid today is that due to improvement in health care delivery, people are now stronger, healthier, and more articulate between the ages of 40 years and 70 years.
We also emphasised then that most of the organizations attached to the United Nations and a good number of countries have increased the retirement age to 65 years.
We also pointed out that International Organisations such as the International Labour Organisation, ILO, the World Health Organisation, WHO, the European Patent Office, EPO, the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development, OECD, Bank for International Settlements, have also increased retirement age to 65 years while retirement age in NATO is 67 years.
The retirement age in Germany, Macedonia, Kenya is 65 years while over 95 percent of countries of the world have a retirement age of well above 60 years.
We also argued that in South Africa, for instance, there is no single compulsory retirement age, except that there is a minimum retirement age of 65 years, but a public servant can continue to work subject to suitability and health requirement.
In fact, when the Federal Government approved 65 years of age or 40 years of service for teachers, the Association intensified its campaign that Education Officers in the Federal Ministry of Education including those in Federal Government Colleges should be integrated into the new retirement age and the Government approved the demand.
We made it clear that since Judicial Officers, Universities Lectures, Teachers, are now enjoying the new retirement age regime, it is only fair that the new retirement age of 65 years or 40 years of service whichever comes first should also apply to core civil servants.
There are concerns by analysts that trade unionism is fast losing its steam. As a labour leaders, what do you think should be done to strengthen unionism in Nigeria?
Trade unionism is not fast losing its steam as far as I am concerned.
This is because the employers of labour in the country are beginning to see unions as partners in progress.
No sane organization can operate without the worker, so you cannot see worker as a community you use and dump.
So, unionism has come to stay in Nigeria, it’s a global best practice, which is why we are a member of International Labour Organization with global spread.
Trade Unionism is waxing stronger and for the first time Africa has a director in ILO and you know the benefits that would accrue therefrom, so it waxing strong, it will strengthen the collective bargaining strategy and also build a very strong and viable labour administration , that helps promotes justice and equity and workers welfare in the world.
