The importance of strong and effective labour administration and labour inspection systems in the context of economic and social development is recognised in the Constitution of the ILO, the Declaration of Philadelphia and the ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization. The same principles have been further developed by numerous ILO Conventions, Recommendations and other instruments. ILO Online spoke with Giuseppe Casale, Director of the ILO’s Labour Administration and Inspection Programme (LAB/ADMIN). Read the rest of this entry »

The Global Union representing workers in the garment industry has today released a damning report on working conditions in Asian sportswear supply chains. Read the rest of this entry »

SINGAPORE Post Centre (SPC), which won the Asean Energy Award 2008, employs a total system approach in retrofitting its central chilled plant room. It adopted a 24-hour Web-based monitoring system enabling better visibility and management of the entire system resulting in optimal availability. Read the rest of this entry »

Reports of sleeping air traffic controllers highlight a long-known and often ignored hazard: Workers on night shifts can have trouble concentrating and even staying awake. Read the rest of this entry »

MANILA, Philippines -  US air traffic controllers falling Read the rest of this entry »

The public’s interest in the health of shift workers has been continually engaged recently, particularly concerning workers in the call center industry. The state of health of this workforce, or occupational health, has been the subject of discussion in various reports that surfaced regarding the alleged health-related consequences of call center work and how factors of the workplace supposedly effect these. However, shift work is not unique to this industry, the same setup being found in health care facilities and manufacturing industries. Public awareness of shift work focuses on the call center industry because of the sheer number of individuals it employs, the encouragement this industry received from the government, and its economic impact as it spurs related businesses to meet the needs of its workforce. Read the rest of this entry »

MANILA, Philippines – Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr. urged the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) yesterday to look into the working conditions of bus drivers, saying their lack of sleep and rest between long trips could be a key factor in the rash of road accidents. Read the rest of this entry »

Every time my wife and I go malling, I always see uniformed salesgirls standing behind counters—on high heels—for eight to nine hours each day. I ask them if they are even given a break. They tell me that sure, they are given a 30-minute break for lunch and an opportunity to go to the comfort room. Read the rest of this entry »