What We Do / Campaigns
Building on the ILO Convention
In 1996, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) adopted the Convention on Home Work. This was the result of a long campaign, led by SEWA (Self Employed Women's Association) of India and coordinated by HomeNet with the support of many trade unions and some governments.
The adoption of the Convention on Home Work was important because it gave international recognition to homeworkers as part of the workforce. The key demand and clause in the Convention is that homeworkers have equal treatment with other workers.
Ratification
The adoption of the Convention by the ILO was only the first step. It still has to be ratified by each government in order for it to have effect in different countries. Up to the present only five countries have taken this step: Ireland, Finland, the Netherlands, Albania and Argentina.
Homeworker organisations and their supporters are campaigning for their governments to ratify the Convention and translate its provisions into national law and practice.
Two approaches
In some countries, the demand is for full ratification for the Convention, or at the minimum for the government to adopt a national policy on homeworking. Such a policy would enable different bodies to come together, including representatives of homeworker organisations, to propose and implement laws, policy and programmes to support homeworkers.
An alternative approach is for organisations to identify particular issues which they see as of key importance for homeworkers, rather than work immediately for full ratification.
For example, in Turkey, homeworker organisations are campaigning for minimum wages.