Steps to Compliance with International Labour Standards: The International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Abolition of Forced Labour

381 Pages·2012·1.91 MB·English

by  Lars Thomann (auth.)

Lars Thomann
Steps to Compliance with International Labour Standards
VS RESEARCH
Lars Thomann
Steps to Compliance
with International
Labour Standards
The International Labour
Organization (ILO) and
the Abolition of Forced Labour
VS RESEARCH
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detailed bibliographic data are available in the Internet at http://dnb.d-nb.de.
Bremen International Graduate School of Social Sciences, 2008
1st Edition 2011
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Acknowledgements

Many people have helped me in writing this book. Although I cannot mention all of
them, I would like to point out and thank the following.
First and foremost I would like to convey my gratitude to my supervisors,
Prof. Peter Mayer and Prof. Michael Zürn for their continuous support and assis-
tance throughout the writing process: their comments, suggestions and criticisms
have been extremely helpful, and without these I would have been lost.
I have greatly enjoyed my time at the Bremen International Graduate School
of Social Sciences (BIGSSS). Here I would like to thank Werner Dressel for his
encouraging support, as well as Dawid Friedrich, Thomas Richter and Andreas
Obermayer for being great fellow graduate students who made studying at the
BIGSSS fun.
At the ILO in Geneva I would like to especially thank the staff members of
the Special Action Program to Combat Forced Labour, and in particular Beate
Andrees. Much of the information provided for in this study is based on their help,
assistance, and numerous interviews. The same holds true for other ILO depart-
ments as well. I would like to thank the staff of the ILO’s regional offices in Brasi-
lia, Buenos Aires and Lima, who willingly provided me with access to experts,
documents and information. In Lima I would like to thank Sanna Sarto, and Patrizia
Audi in Brazil: both have provided me with valuable inside information into the
functioning of the national projects against forced labour in Peru and Brazil.
At the Mannheim Centre for European Social Research (MZES) I would like
to thank the following former colleagues: Böni Miller, Monika Mischke, Michaela
Pfeiffer, Christina Altides, Dirk De Bièvre and Reinhart Schneider.
I would especially like to thank my parents for their year-long support and
their patience. Equally supportive and understanding has been my wife Eloisa,
without whose love and understanding I would not have had the strength to finish
this work.
Finally, I would like to dedicate this book to the smallest and most important
person in my life: my daughter Felipa. Thank you for being there.

Rome, July 2011
Lars Thomann
Table of contents

1 Introduction.......................................................................................................................11

2 Compliance........................................................................................................................21

2.1 Procedural compliance..........................................................................................25

2.2 Substantive compliance.........................................................................................26

2.3 Rational institutionalism........................................................................................28

2.3.1 The source of compliance.............................................................................................28

2.3.2 Mechanisms......................................................................................................................29

2.3.3 Actors................................................................................................................................32

2.4 Legitimacy school..................................................................................................32

2.4.1 The source of compliance.............................................................................................32

2.4.2 Mechanisms......................................................................................................................33

2.4.3 Actors................................................................................................................................35

2.5 Management school...............................................................................................36

2.5.1 The source of compliance.............................................................................................36

2.5.2 Mechanisms......................................................................................................................37

2.5.3 Actors................................................................................................................................38

2.6 Legalization school................................................................................................39

2.6.1 The source of compliance.............................................................................................39

2.6.2 Mechanisms......................................................................................................................39

2.6.3 Actors................................................................................................................................41

2.7 Summary................................................................................................................42

3 The ILO and international labour standards....................................................................45

3.1 Mandate and structure of the ILO.........................................................................47

3.2 Norm setting activities...........................................................................................51

3.3 Norm supervision and implementation.................................................................58

3.4 Technical cooperation...........................................................................................61

3.5 Summary................................................................................................................62

4 The ILO and compliance..................................................................................................65

4.1 Rational institutionalism........................................................................................66

4.1.1 Monitoring........................................................................................................................67

4.1.1.1 Regular reporting on ratified Conventions under Article 22.............................67

4.1.1.2 Reporting on unratified Conventions and Recommendations..........................73

4.1.1.3 Submission of instruments to the competent authorities...................................75

4.1.1.4 Monitoring and reporting under the 1998 Declaration......................................77

4.1.1.5 Summary.....................................................................................................................80

4.1.2 Sanctioning.......................................................................................................................81

4.1.2.1 The sanctioning procedure under Article 33........................................................82

4.1.2.2 The Conference Committee and the special paragraph......................................91

4.1.2.3 Loss of membership rights due to arrears in budgetary contributions..........101

4.1.3 Summary.........................................................................................................................102

4.2 Legalization.........................................................................................................103

4.2.1 The regular supervisory procedure under Article 22 – the CEACR....................104

4.2.2 The Article 24 representation procedure..................................................................117

4.2.3 The Article 26 complaint procedure..........................................................................121

4.2.4 The Freedom of Association procedures..................................................................124

4.2.5 Summary.........................................................................................................................132

4.3 Management........................................................................................................134

4.3.1 Capacity building and technical cooperation............................................................135
8 Table of contents

4.3.2 Reflexivity and flexibility..............................................................................................140

4.3.2.1 Adoption of flexible standards..............................................................................140

4.3.2.2 Adaptation to changing circumstances................................................................143

4.3.2.3 Discussions in the Conference Committee........................................................144

4.3.2.4 Direct contacts.........................................................................................................151

4.3.3 Summary.........................................................................................................................154

4.4 Legitimacy...........................................................................................................156

4.4.1 Input legitimacy.............................................................................................................157

4.4.1.1 Tripartism.................................................................................................................157

4.4.1.2 The inclusion of other non-governmental actors..............................................159

4.4.2 Output legitimacy..........................................................................................................163

4.4.3 Summary.........................................................................................................................171

4.5 Steps to compliance with international labour standards....................................172

5 The Abolition of forced and compulsory labour.............................................................185

5.1 Abolishing forced labour in international law.....................................................187

5.2 The Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29)....................................................191

5.3 The Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957 (No. 105)..............................195

5.4 Other international instruments..........................................................................200

5.5 Contemporary practices of forced labour.............................................................205

5.5.1 Forced labour imposed by the state...........................................................................210

5.5.2 Forced labour imposed by private agents.................................................................217

5.5.2.1 Slavery and abductions...........................................................................................217

5.5.2.2 Debt bondage and coercive recruitment systems..............................................221

5.5.3 Forced labour, migration and trafficking..................................................................228

5.6 Summary..............................................................................................................238

6 The ILO and forced labour in Latin America.................................................................243

6.1 Peru......................................................................................................................246

6.1.1 Peru and the ILO..........................................................................................................251

6.1.2 Procedural compliance.................................................................................................253

6.1.2.1 Submission of instruments to the competent authorities.................................253

6.1.2.2 Reporting obligations under Article 22 on ratified Conventions....................254

6.1.2.3 Reporting obligations under Article 19 regarding unratified Conventions...258

6.1.2.4 Reporting obligations under the 1998 Declaration...........................................258

6.1.3 Substantive compliance................................................................................................259

6.1.3.1 Comments of the supervisory bodies in general................................................259

6.1.3.2 Compliance with forced labour instruments......................................................262

6.1.4 Summary.........................................................................................................................285

6.2 Brazil....................................................................................................................292

6.2.1 Brazil and the ILO........................................................................................................297

6.2.2 Procedural compliance.................................................................................................299

6.2.2.1 Submission to the competent authorities............................................................299

6.2.2.2 Reporting obligations under Article 22 on ratified Conventions....................300

6.2.2.3 Reporting obligations under Article 19 on unratified Conventions...............302

6.2.2.4 Reporting obligations under the 1998 Declaration...........................................302

6.2.3 Substantive compliance................................................................................................303

6.2.3.1 Comments of the ILO supervisory bodies in general.......................................303

6.2.3.2 Compliance with forced labour instruments......................................................306

6.2.4 Summary.........................................................................................................................329

6.3 Forced labour, the ILO and compliance.............................................................335

7 Conclusions.....................................................................................................................339

Bibliography...............................................................................................................................363
List of figures
Figure 1 - Compliance, implementation and effectiveness.................................................................................24
Figure 2 – ILO membership 1919 – 2011 (as of 31 May 2011)........................................................................51
Figure 3 - Double-discussion procedure for adopting ILS................................................................................53
Figure 4 - Adoption of ILO Conventions and Recommendations 1919 - 2010 (by decade).......................54
Figure 5 - Ratification of ILO Conventions 1919 – 2010 (as of 31 December 2010)...................................57
Figure 6 - Reporting on ratified Conventions (1957 - 2010)..............................................................................69
Figure 7 - Comparative reporting CEACR and ILC (1957 - 2010)..................................................................72
Figure 8 - Comparative reporting CEACR and ILC (1957 - 2010)..................................................................74
Figure 9 - Submission of instruments to the competent authorities 1967 – 2007 (as of December 2009)76
Figure 10 - Reporting under the 1998 Declaration (2000 - 2009).....................................................................79
Figure 11 - Special paragraph: Cases under 'Application of Ratified Conventions' (1957-2007).................95
Figure 12 - Regional distribution of special paragraph for failure of application (1975 – 2007).................96
Figure 13 - Special paragraph: automatic cases I (1957 - 2010).........................................................................99
Figure 14 - Special paragraph: automatic cases II (1957 - 2010).....................................................................100
Figure 15 - Number of observations, direct requests and ratifications (1975-2010)....................................106
Figure 16 - Comments of the CEACR as ratio of total ratifications (1975-2010)........................................107
Figure 17 - Observations received by workers' and employers' organizations (1963-2007).......................112
Figure 18 - Failure of ILO members to reply to comments of the CEACR (1974-2007)..........................115
Figure 19 - Allegations examined by the CFA by type of restriction (1995-2003).......................................129
Figure 20 - CFA cases by decade (1950-2007)...................................................................................................130
Figure 21 - Failure to participate in the discussions of the Conference Committee (1975-2007).............146
Figure 22 - Discussion of individual cases in the Conference Committee by region (1987-2007)............148
Figure 23 - Number of occasions countries discussed in the Conference Committee (1987-2007).........151
Figure 24 - Ratification of ILO Conventions adopted since 1980 by subject area (as of 2007)................165
Figure 25 - Ratification of fundamental Conventions 1920-2011 (as of 30 March 2011)...........................166
Figure 26 - Ratifications of fundamental Conventions before and after the 1998 Declaration.................167
Figure 27 - Ratifications of ILO Conventions by Peru (1945-2011)..............................................................252
Figure 28 - Reporting compliance on ratified Conventions for Peru (1958-2011)......................................255
Figure 29 - Comparative reporting compliance of Peru (1975-2007).............................................................257
Figure 30 - CEACR observations and direct requests for Peru (1975-2007)................................................259
Figure 31 - CEACR observations and direct requests for Peru as ratio of ratifications (1976 - 2007).....260
Figure 32 - Cases of progress: notes with interest and satisfaction for Peru 1987 – 2007..........................262
Figure 33 - Ratifications of ILO Conventions by Brazil (1934-2011)............................................................298
Figure 34 - Reporting compliance on ratified Conventions for Brazil (1961-2011)....................................300
Figure 35 - Comparative reporting compliance Brazil (1975-2007)................................................................301
Figure 36 - CEACR observations and direct requests for Brazil (1975-2011)..............................................303
Figure 37 - CEACR observations and direct requests for Brazil as ratio of ratifications (1976-2007).....304
Figure 38 - Cases of progress: notes with interest and satisfaction for Brazil 1987 – 2007........................305

List of tables
Table 1 - Two dimensions of compliance.............................................................................................................27
Table 2 - Average number of cases of progress as ratio of CEACR observations received (1987-2007)117
Table 3 - ILO members discussed ten or more times in the Conference Committee (1987-2007)..........149
Table 4- Ratification of fundamental Conventions by region (as of May 2011)...........................................170
Table 5 - Compliance mechanisms in the ILO..................................................................................................183
Table 6 - Victims of forced labour by region (as of March 2005)...................................................................208
Table 7 - Victims of trafficking by region (as of March 2005)........................................................................209
Table 8 - Operations of the Special Mobile Inspection Unit (1995 - 2006)..................................................319
1 Introduction

Labour is not a commodity. This statement is the guiding principles of the International
Labour Organization (ILO) founded in 1919 as part of the League of Nations. The
founding members of the ILO were driven by both moral and less altruistic eco-
nomic concerns when they gave it the mandate to level the playing field for labour
standards worldwide. In fulfilling its mandate the ILO adopts international labour
standards addressing all aspects of labour and employment in the form of legally
binding Conventions and non-binding Recommendations. This code of interna-
tional labour standards now comprises 189 Conventions and 201 Recommenda-
tions and covers such diverse areas as the right to freedom of association, the elimi-
nation of child and forced labour and discrimination, working time regulations,
social security, migrant workers and occupational safety and health. The ILO pro-
vides for a wide range of mechanisms aimed at ensuring that member states comply
with this international labour code. Examining these steps to compliance with in-
ternational labour standards is the objective of this study. Indeed, the ILO is not
only engaged in standard-setting activities, but has a range of mechanisms of norm
supervision and implementation at hand. But how exactly these mechanisms and
activities applied interact in improving compliance has so far not been studied in
depth. Examining the conditions and perspectives of compliance with international
labour standards first of all involves identifying the different mechanisms that po-
tentially influence state behaviour. The second step is to analyse the explanatory
power of the different theoretical concepts of compliance. The mechanisms avail-
able to and applied by the ILO will be evaluated in terms of their effectiveness in
inducing any behavioural changes on the part of member states. Whereas the main
part of this study deals with compliance with international labour standards in gen-
eral, a closer analysis of one particular fundamental labour right will be carried out:
the abolition of forced and compulsory labour.
Chapter 2 deals with the issue of compliance, a topic which has in recent years
attracted the attention of scholars of international law and political science
(Keohane 1997; Raustiala and Slaughter 2002). The subject of this research agenda
is to analyse the extent to which international rules and regulations are complied
with and to identify the reasons for compliance or non-compliance with interna-
tional law in general. Compliance can be understood as the fulfilment of obligations
arising out of an international instrument through whatever implementation meas-
ures on the domestic level.
L. Thomann, Steps to Compliance with International Labour Standards,
DOI 10.1007/978-3-531-93124-1_1,
© VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften | Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden GmbH 2011