The International Labour Organization (ILO) has released a major new report on the future of work which, while containing a number of important and positive principles, also contains controversial new measures met with scepticism by employer representative bodies.
Prepared by the ILO’s Global Commission on the Future of Work, the report makes 10 recommendations grouped into three themes focusing on a) increasing investment in people’s capabilities; b) institutions of work; and c) “decent and sustainable work”.
The first and third of these themes, while ambiguous in parts, contain recommendations that could be broadly supported by all parties to the employment compact:
- “Investing in people’s capabilities” includes recommendations such as a universal entitlement to lifelong learning, investing in policies and strategies to support people through future of work transitions, and a transformative and measurable agenda for gender equality.
- The “decent and sustainable work” theme contains recommendations to promote investment is “key areas that promote decent and sustainable work” and shift incentives towards “a human-centred business and economic model”.
The second theme however, “institutions of work”, contains recommendations that have proven controversial with the employer community, including:
- A “Universal Labour Guarantee” encompassing “fundamental workers’ rights”, an “adequate living wage”, limits on hours of work and ensuring safe and healthy workplaces”. This appears to be the “big ticket” recommendation from the Global Commission and would include reviewing and changing the scope of employment laws.
- Expanding (workers’) ‘time sovereignty’, by way of “measures that create working time autonomy that meets the needs of both workers and enterprises.” This could potentially include regulating working time beyond the traditional employment relationship.
- Further promoting collective representation and social dialogue, including for gig economy workers and those not actually employed. Other ideas in the paper include work councils, consultation and information arrangements and mandating worker representatives on boards.
- Using technology for decent work predicated on a “human-in-command” approach to technology. This could be assumed as implying tacit resistance to full automation.
Highlighting the controversial nature of this report, the employer representative body to the ILO, the International Organisation of Employers immediately issued a statement welcoming the recommendations on learning and skills, but distancing employers from various other recommendations.
“I would like to distance myself from (the) recommendations on establishing a “Universal Labour Guarantee” and on the “expansion of time sovereignty”, because of the unfeasibility of such proposals and their lack of clarity in terms of possible means of financing,” said Mr Mthunzi Mdwaba, the Employers’ Vice-Chairperson to the ILO Governing Body.
“Likewise, the recommendation on ‘setting an international governance system for digital labour platforms that sets and requires platforms and their clients to respect certain minimum rights and protection’ is highly challenging.
“With regards to the recommendation on reshaping business incentive structures for the implementation of the human-centred agenda, there is no accompanying proposal for establishing incentives for businesses to thrive in the future and invest in technology.
“Moreover, there is no acknowledgement of the positive role of the private sector for the future of work.”
Locally, the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) issued a press statement taking up various recommendations of the report and linked them to its “change the rules” campaign themes.
“The report calls for all workers to be protected by a Universal Labour Guarantee which guarantees organising, collective bargaining and other fundamental workers’ rights along with health and safety at work, an adequate living wage and limits on working hours,” the ACTU said.
“The report recognises that globalisation left behind the majority of working people and that this cannot be repeated as we navigate automation.”
What’s next for the ILO?
The recommendations will be considered by the ILO at its Centenary International Labour Conference (ILC) in Geneva in June, which will:
- Turn the report into an agenda or business plan for the ILO’s policy work across the next five to 10 years (via an ILO Declaration on the Future of Work).
- Influence ILO priorities and how it interacts with Australia.
- Determine how the ILO can be used by Australian unions and governments in particular to expand workplace regulation, including priorities for new binding treaties (ILO Conventions) that could be ratified by Australia in the future.
The Australian Chamber network, which includes AMMA and by extension its members, is represented by the International Organisation of Employers at the global level on employment and work matters.
This network intends to take a leading and engaged role in the ILO discussions in June to influence what is included / prioritised in any ILO Declaration on the future of work, and to in turn seek to limit downstream risks and detriment for doing business and employing in Australia in the future.
To learn more about the Australian Chamber Network’s role in influencing these global debates, and how AMMA members can contribute to the strategy and policy positions, email [email protected].
The ILO report comes just weeks after AMMA released its own vision for future of work regulation. Read it here: A New Horizon – Guiding Principles for the Future of Work.
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