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ILO Convention
In 1996, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) adopted, by a majority vote, the Convention and Recommendation on Home Work. This marked the successful end of a long struggle for recognition for homeworkers and set minimum standards of their employment.
The ILO is the part of the United Nations that deals specifically with employment issues. Over the years, it has adopted a number of agreements - known as Conventions - which have the same status as an international treaty. The Conventions have to be ‘ratified’ or signed by national governments before they come into force. Up to the present, four governments - Ireland, Netherlands, Finland and Albania - have signed up to the Convention on Home Work.
Hence there is still a long way to go before the statements in the Convention become a reality for the millions of homeworkers in the world. Nevertheless, organisers and campaigners have found the ILO Convention useful as a way of showing that homework is an international issue, not specific to particular communities or areas; and that homeworkers are entitled to equal treatment with other workers.
The Convention spells out a legal framework for the different ways in which homeworkers should be protected. The main clauses cover:
equality of treatment and protection against discrimination;
health and safety protection;
pay and social security; and maternity protection;
access to training;
minimum wage for employment.
In addition, the Convention requires governments to adopt and implement a national policy on home work. If carried out, this would ensure some visibility and recognition for homeworkers in different countries.
The Recommendation, which accompanies the Convention, gives more detailed guidance on how to protect homeworkers. In addition, it contains an important clause on strategies and programmes that could benefit homeworkers.
The struggle for the adoption of the Convention was long and opposed by the employers, who did not want to lose the flexibility of employing homeworkers.
The campaign in support of the Convention involved working with a wide range of bodies in different countries, including trade unions and governments, to inform them of the situation of homeworkers and of the need for new laws and programmes.
For the full text of the Convention and Recommendation, see (download)
For more information on the Convention and the way that it can be used, write to us for a copy of the HomeNet Guide ‘Using the ILO Convention on Home Work’, available in English and Spanish.