ILO
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Conventions on Labor
Below we reprint the Conventions of the International Labor Organization, which along with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights inspired the standards in the Agricultural Justice Project Social Standards for Organic and Sustainable Agriculture. The eight core conventions are: 87) Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize (1948) 98) Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining (1949) 29) Forced Labor (1930) 105) Abolition of Forced Labor (1959) 138) Minimum Age (1973) 182) Worst Forms of Child Labor (1999) 100) Equal Remuneration (1951) 111) Discrimination (1958) The US joined the ILO in 1980, but has been slow to ratify the conventions and make the changes in US law that would be needed to comply. According to the US Council for International Business (2007 analysis), “Of the eight core conventions, the U.S. has ratified two (105 on forced labor and 182 on the worst forms of child labor) and one has been submitted to the Senate for consent (111 on discrimination). The remaining five conventions have not been ratified by the U.S. – for reasons detailed below – and thus the U.S. is not obliged to comply with their technical requirements. Ratification of an ILO convention would necessitate implementing legislation that would incorporate it into domestic law, superseding any prior federal or state statutes that might have conflicting legal requirements. Thus, ratification of any ILO convention that conflicts with U.S. law and practice would mandate changes to U.S. state and federal labor law so that they conform to the ILO standards.” This analysis goes on to detail the changes that would have to be made in state and federal laws. (p. 3)
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