On November 20, during the 322nd session of the ILO Governing Body (GB), agreement was reached on a way to address the ongoing dispute over whether Convention 87 contains a right to strike. Following months of intensive consultations and outreach by the Employers’ Group, its “package approach gained traction during the course of the two week session.
The GB decided to convene a three-day tripartite meeting in February 2015 on the controversial Convention 87 and its relationship with the right to strike, as well as the modalities and practices of strike action at national level.
The February meeting will bring together the three constituencies of the ILO, tasked to produce a report on which the March 2015 session will base a decision on the need for a request to be made to the International Court of Justice for an advisory opinion on the interpretation of a right to strike in Convention 87.
Speaking for the group, employers’ vice chairperson, Jørgen Rønnest said that, even though all parties made important concessions, the decision was “welcomed by the Employers for being constructive, practical and forward-looking.”
“We anticipate making further positive steps next February and March towards an ILO standards supervisory system that is fit for purpose well into the future,” Rønnest said
Read the IOE Report on the 322nd Session of the ILO Governing Body
Staff contact: Ariel Meyerstein
