This memorandum, which has been prepared by the I. L. 0. in response to a request from the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe, contains information on the activities of the Organisation in relation to Europe during the period August, 1954—July, 1955. It is the fifth memorandum presented by the I. L. 0. to the Council of Europe since 1951Note.
The memorandum deals mainly with those activities which it is felt will be of direct interest to the Council of Europe; a general survey of the world-wide activities of the International Labour Organisation is to be found in the annual report of the I. L. 0. to the United NationsNote. In particular, an account is given here of the first European Regional Conference of the I. L. 0., held in Goneva in January-February, 1955, and of the effect being given to the resolutions and other conclusions adopted by that Conference. At the same time, some information will be found on such activities of the I. L. 0. as are of a general character and applicable to all _ the States Members of the I. L. 0. but which may, nevertheless, be of interest to the member States of the Council of Europe.
It will be recalled that in the previous memorandum presented by the I. L. 0. to the Council of EuropeNotean indication was given of the various- matters to be considered at the first European Regional Conference of the I. L. 0. This Conference was held in Geneva from 24th January-5th February, 1955, and was attended by tripartite delegations from 25 European States Members of the I. L. O.Note. The Conference was also attended by representatives from other intergovernmental organisations, including the Council of Europe, which was represented by its Secretary- General, M. Léon Marchal.
There were four items on the agenda. The first was consideration of the Report of the Director-General, which dealt, in particular, with the following questions: conditions affecting economic and social progress in Europe; the problems of differences in labour standards in Europe; manpower problems; housing; industrial relations; and, finally, the I. L. 0. and Europe. The three technical items included: (a) the role of employers and workers in programmes designed to raise productivity in Europe; (b) methods of financing social security benefits; and (c) the age of retirement. A summary of the main conclusions reached by the Conference is given below.
At the close of its discussions the Conference adopted a resolution concerning the role of employers and workers in programmes designed to raise productivity; a resolution on an international comparison of the cost of social security and other social advantages; a set of conclusions concerning the financing of social security; a resolution concerning the ago of rcl.irement; and a resolution concerning housing construction.
The resolution which the Conference adopted on the role of employers and workers in programmes to raise productivity in Europe points out in its preamble that a substantial increase in standards of living in Europe depends to a large extent upon the achievement of higher productivity and an equitable distribution of the benefits resulting therefrom and of the total national income.
After describing in general terms the goals of higher productivity and certain of the conditions for achieving it, including the need for Governments to create favourable conditions, the resolution goes on to define the role of employers and their organisations. It points out that primary responsibility for action to raise productivity in individual undertakings rests with management, which, in discharging this responsibility, must take into account problems of human relations and personnel policy, problems of a predominantly technical character and problems of organisation in which both human and technical factors are involved. Reference is also made to the need for effective two-way channels of communication within any undertaking and for the full participation of workers' representatives and their trade unions in the planning and application of measures to raise productivity. The resolution emphasises the responsibility of management for looking ahead and taking all possible measures within the undertaking to ensure thai, higher productivity does not lead to unemployment, and for working out arrangements, in co-operation with workers' representatives, to provide reasonable safeguards for the interests of workers affected by technological improvements. It refers to the need for a thorough training of personnel at all levels, and to the importance of such factors as relations between the worker and his supervisor, recognition of the effort made by workers, social relationships within the working group, the nature of the work itself and the satisfaction that the worker gets from it. The special attention of management is drawn to certain technical methods of increasing productivity, e. g. by concentrating production on a narrower range of styles or models, by improving plant lay-out, physical working conditions and the arrangement of work posts, and, in many plants, by increasing the degree of mechanisation, especially of materials-handling operations. The resolution recommends that everything possible should be done to spread knowledge of industrial engineering techniques, costing and budgetary control and production planning; it nevertheless urges that these techniques should be applied with due regard to human factors.
The resolution also deals with the role of trade unions and workers. It states that the participation of trade unions in schemes to achieve higher productivity will be influenced by the acceptance by managements of the principle that the techniques of modern management methods and industrial engineering are part and parcel of industrial negotiation. It goes on to enumerate various ways in which the trade unions can make a contribution to increased productivity: by co-operating in working out procedures to safeguard the workers' interests ; by convincing their members that technological improvements, provided they are accompanied by reasonable safeguards, are to be welcomed ; by encouraging their members to participate fully in works committees or other joint machinery; by providing, or participating in organising, training facilities for workers, shop stewards and trade union officials in business economics and in techniques of work study and industrial engineering. The resolution emphasises, however, that the equitable sharing of the results of higher productivity is of vital interest to trade unions and workers, and workers cannot be expected to co-operate in measures for increasing productivity without the prospect of sharing, through an immediate improvement in their remuneration or conditions of work, the fruits of productivity increases.
The final part of the resolution suggests some of the ways in which the I. L. 0, can contribute to the growth of productivity. Its tripartite structure should enable it to define and extend the area of agreement between Governments and the representatives of employers and workers, and it could also provide a forum for the exchange of views and experience. The resolution urges that the Organisation should continue to expand its research work and technical assistance, and that it should devote special attention to the preparation of comparable statistics of employment, productivity and wages for all countries, the techniques of industrial engineering, the adaptation of vocational training in the light of the progress of productivity, the special problems of raising productivity in small undertakings, the relationship between the growth of productivity and workers' earnings, the methods used to give workers a psychological and financial interest in the progress of productivity, the relationship between productivity and security of employment, the promotion of constructive industrial relations and the measures taken in various countries to promote the geographical and occupational mobility of the working population.
The European Regional Conference adopted this resolution by 47 votes to 37, with four abstentions. After the vote, a spokesman of the Employers' group at the Conference stated that many employers had been unable to support the resolution, first because they had not taken part in the preparation of the text at the committee stage, and, secondly because the main amendments they had submitted at the plenary sitting had not met with the approval of the Conference. He emphasised, however, that the Employers fully recognised the constructive intention behind the resolution, some parts of which, in its final version, could have met with their support.
In the resolution adopted by the Conference concerning an international comparison of the cost of social security and other social advantagesNotethe Governing Body of the I. L. 0. is invited to request the Director-' General to expand the efforts of the Office to assemble basic statistical data, to study the evolution of systems of financing social security and to compare the methods of financing social security and other social advantages granted either to the workers or to the population as a whole. The resolution also suggests expanding the inquiries relating to the economic and social incidence of resources allocated to social security and other social advantages, both at the national and the international levels, in order to obtain an objective and complete international comparison. It urges that the results of this work, including absolute basic figures, should be published regularly, and that the conclusions resulting from the study undertaken by the Office should be submitted for consideration to the next session of the European Regional Conference.
Attached to the resolution is a series of conclusions concerning the financing of social securityNote. These conclusions begin by emphasising that the progress of social security in European countries during the post-war period makes it necessary to concentrate attention on methods of financing. They point out that, when the various methods are examined, it should be borne in mind that the effect of social security is a redistribution of the national income. In most European countries the income of social security comes from three sources : the contributions of insured persons, the contributions of employers, and the participation of the public authorities out of fiscal revenue. The importance of each of these three sources varies considerably from one country to another. In a number of countries, moreover, social security is financed entirely by the State. In determining the financial resources of social security the most important elements are the kind of benefits, the scope of protection, the economic and social factors and the traditions and customs of each country. The participation of the public authorities in the financing of social security means, in certain countries, that the resources of social security come from taxes and duties. In other countries social security is financed by the State from other sources, such as profits of undertakings, and not from taxes. According to the conclusions of the Conference some financial participation by the public authorities would be particularly recommended for preventive medical care, curative medical care in cases of so-called social diseases, a part of the effective cost of hospitalisation, maternity and unemployment benefits, family allowances, old-age, invalidity and survivors' pensions in so far as they tend to guarantee reasonable means of subsistence, and the cost of adjusting pensions to a rise in the cost of living. After indicating the reasons held in many countries to justify the participation of employers in the financing of social security, the conclusions point out that the rights of workers to social security benefits and their right to participate in the management of social security institutions derive from their work and not from their contributions.
The Conference took the view, further, that, although the differences in the relative importance of the resources, according to their origin in the different countries, cannot be considered as an insuperable obstacle to efforts to establish closer economic co-operation among European countries, it appears desirable that future developments should tend to reconcile the present differences, which are too pronounced. The conclusions outline'the comparative advantages of contributions related to' the amount of wages or income and of contributions fixed independently of this amount; they mention the merits of a unified financing of several branches of the general system of social security, as compared with those of separate financing for each branch. They point out that the financial equilibrium of the responsible organs and a sufficiency of liquid assets are essential conditions for the smooth functioning of social security, and suggest some of the main elements governing such equilibrium. Finally, after stating that increased expenditure on social security is. in all circumstances justified when it is more or less parallel to the national product as a whole, the conclusions recognise that it is highly desirable that the situation should be actuarially analysed regularly, and as thoroughly as possible, particularly when important changes in legislation are contemplated.
The resolution adopted by the European Regional Conference on the age of retirement suggests a number of principles for the guidance of the countries concernedNote. It begins by stating that legislation should provide for every worker who has completed a full working life to be able to retire with an adequate pension. The minimum pensionable age should be fixed, as a general rule, within the range of 60 to 65 years for men, and should be five years lower for women. In addition, pensions at lower ages should be provided for arduous . or unhealthy occupations. Workers who have reached the minimum pensionable age, but who are willing to continue at work and can render effective service, should be given the opportunity to continue at work of some kind if suitable employment is available for them without prejudice to the interests of workers below the minimum pensionable age. The resolution also states the principle that the amount of the pensions in payment should follow the same trend as the general level of the cost of living. It further recognises that economic and demographic circumstances may justify a variation in the conditions of a pension scheme, but states that such variations should . always take due account of the rights acquired or being acquired.
A resolution concerning housing construction was adopted by the Conference by 80 votes to 0, with 6 abstentions.
The resolution notes that in some European countries there are " considerable numbers of people who either do not yet have any dwelling of their own at all, or have to live in most primitive and unhealthy accommodation "; it should consequently be an objective of national policy to ensure the provision of minimum requirements for the accommodation j of the people, taking account of the size of families; in each country there should be one central body with responsibility for formulating and developing long-term and short-term national housing programmes; representatives of employers' and workers' organisations should be consulted in the preparation of such programmes; Governments should especially endeavour to promote the construction of low-cost housing at reasonable rents for the broad masses of the people; and in order to encourage housing construction, appropriate measures should be taken to stimulate increased investment in housing by private capital, in addition to financing by public funds.
With regard to financing, the resolution states that, in the long run and as a consequence of higher productivity, the relationship between wages, including family allowances, and rents should be such as to enable workers to rent modern, healthy dwellings out of their own income, without public subsidies. The resolution refers to the need for public loans to finance housing construction and for housing subsidies, especially for the lower-income groups of the population. Among measures to reduce housing costs, mention is made of improved planning and organisation of work at the site, greater standardisation and unification of methods, and the application of modern research. The need for good labour-management relations in the industry is also stressed. It is pointed out that the development of long-term housing programmes should substantially contribute to the maintenance of building activity by reducing seasonal unemployment, increasing productivity and reducing costs. Finally, reference is made to the need for ensuring that land required for housing development is available at reasonable prices.
The discussion of the Director-General's report centred round the principal bpro-lems that would have to be faced and overcome in the process' of strengthening economic co-operation between the European countries •—in particular manpower problems, labour-management relations, , differences in labour standards and in social chargés as between one European country and another, and finally on the situation of the I. L. O. vis-à-vis the other international organisations in Europe. There was general support for the claim of the workers' representatives that any progress in the direction'of closer .European economic cooperation must lead to higher levels of living and must not be allowed to involve a lowering of labour standards,. but, on the contrary, should raise them. Reference was also made to the general need for improving productivity by all appropriate measures and for ensuring a fair distribution of the'' benefits resulting from any improvement. It was pointed out that mutual confidence between employers and workers was an essential pre-requisite for higher productivity
The manpower problems of Europe, in particular those having a bearing on closer economic co-operation, were discussed at some length. Several speakers mentioned the need for sound employment policies in each country and for some measure of agreement on common employment policies for the region as a whole. Closer co-operation between employment services in different countries was therefore desirable. Reference was made in this connection to the common employment market established between the northern countries of Europe. In practically all countries there was an unsatisfied demand for skilled labour, and a consequent need for developing vocational training programmes and measures for the readaptation of workers to new skill requirements resulting from technological progress. Special attention was drawn by many delegates to the fact that economic integration would inevitably mean that some industries or undertakings in certain countries would no longer be able to compete successfully, while in other countries some industries or undertakings would expand. In order to meet this situation and to avoid undue hardship to individual workers there would be a need not only for re-training workers to fit them for other employment but also for greater mobility of labour both within countries and from country to country. It was realised that there were certain difficulties in the way of such mobility : there was often resistance from workers to the introduction of foreign labour, due to apprehensions regarding the possible consequences for their own security and terms of employment. There was the serious strain on the worker and his family of adjusting themselves to strange living and working conditions; the possible need for re-training; the need for reciprocity in social insurance; the difficulty of providing suitable accommodation for the workers transferred from one area to another.
The topic of labour-management relations was also frequently mentioned, with special reference to their importance as a factor in promoting closer economic co-operation in Europe. It was pointed out that paternalistic relations between employers and workers were out of date and that the workers and their unions should be associated from the outset in the discussion of plans for changes in the social and economic structure of Europe. The need for mutual confidence and for education both for managements and for workers was also brought out, and repeated references were made to the importance of the human factor in labour-management relations.
Particular attention was paid to the difficult and delicate question of differences in labour standards and in social charges as between one European country and another. The existence of these divergences was considered by some delegates to l)e a serious obstacle to any attempt at closer economic co-operation. It would be necessary at least to bring all European countries up to the standards laid down in international labour Conventions, and to achieve some degree of equivalence in social charges before seeking to remove all protectionist barriers between European markets. Other delegates held that to consider these differences as an obstacle to co-operation was to ignore the existence of other factors of equal or even greater importance in determining the competitive ability of countries in a free market —for example, differences in national resources and in the acquired skills of labour and management. Government, employers' and workers' delegates were agreed that much more factual information was needed, and that it must be provided on a basis that would permit useful comparisons. This led to the concrete proposal that the I. L. 0. should, in collaboration with the Governments and the employers' and workers' organisations concerned, assemble data on differences in the general level of labour costs, including social charges. . A panel of experts might be convened to study the question and report to the Governing Body. These experts should also be asked to explore the problems of social policy that might be brought about by changes in the pattern of production and employment in each country as a result of closer co-operation. In addition, they should be asked to consider how a further extension of the application of existing international labour Conventions and Recommendations and the adoption of new international standards would help to soften the effect of the social changes caused by closer economic co-operation.
The discussion finally turned to the situation of the I. L. 0. vis-à-vis the other international organisations in Europe. It was generally recognised that the complex relationship between political, economic and social problems in the world today made it impracticable to isolate entirely the objectives of the various international bodies and to achieve complete specialisation. Nevertheless, many speakers emphasised the central role that the I. L. 0. was entitled to play in the social field by virtue of its universality, its specific competence in social questions, its long experience and its unique tripartite structure.
The efforts already made by the I. L. 0. to co-ordinate action in the social field through bilateral agreements or practical working arrangements were generally noted with satisfaction.
The Director-General of the International Labour Office, in his reply to the discussion, stated that it was precisely while the political and economic reorganisation of Europe was in progress that it was necessary to focus the attention of the continent upon the social issues involved. That had been the great opportunity and the main achievement of the Conference.
On the question of mobility of labour the Director-General noted with special interest the statement of the Deputy Secretary-General of the 0. E. E. C. that prevailing economic conditions in Europe could scarcely be more favourable to a more liberal policy in the matter of the movement of workers from countries with a manpower surplus to those with a shortage of labour. The problems raised by the readjustment of the workers concerned •—migration, vocational training, workers' housing, and reciprocity in social insurance—were problems that the I. L. 0. had been studying for many years and in which it had already rendered services to many European countries. The I. L. 0. would continue to fulfil its proper responsibilities in these fields, but there was a clear need for it to intensify its research and practical activities in them as a contribution to closer economic co-operation in Europe. With regard to labour-management relations, also, the I. L. 0. appreciated the need for a new emphasis in its work.
All were agreed that the ultimate goal of economic co-operation was to raise levels of living through a general increase in production. This purpose could not be achieved without proper social policies. Plans for the unification of Europe must gain popular support; in particular, labour must participate fully in efforts to arrive at closer co-operation. Thus, it was for the I. L. 0. to assist countries in planning the social policies without which economic changes would not attain their purpose. The most obvious examples of the need for co-ordination between economic and social policies were problems of transition to a new and more efficient pattern of employment following the establishment of common markets. When such markets were established some industries in some countries would expand, others would have to contract. There was also the problem of ensuring that after a more integrated economic system had been established the more vigorous competition in such a system would not stand in the way of further improvement of social standards in the participating countries. It might therefore be necessary for the countries in Europe to shape their social policies with a larger degree of international consultation and co-operation than at present. Another problem of social policy related to freer international movement ot labour in addition to the liberalisation of the international exchange of goods. This idea had often provoked resistance among workers, particularly as a result of fears on account of the possible consequences that such freer movement of labour might have on existing security and terms of employment. Objective investigation of the issue was badly needed. As had been emphasised, comprehensive factual information permitting meaningful international comparisons of labour costs and their components were still scarce and difficult to collect. Even where such information was available it was not always easy to assess its precise significance in terms of the practical problems of competition and economic integration. The Director-General therefore welcomed the proposal for an inquiry into the facts regarding levels of labour costs, including social charges, into the problems of social policy arising from efforts to secure closer economic co-operation and into the jjossibility of obtaining a greater degree of uniformity of social standards through M'ider ratification of Conventions.
The Governing Body of the International Labour Office considered the record of the first European Regional Conference at its 128th Session (March, 1955). Its attention was particularly drawn to the suggestions made in the course of the discussion of the Director-General's report concerning a possible contribution by the I. L. 0. to the solution of the social problems which have arisen or will arise in Europe. Acting on these suggestions, the Governing Body decided to appoint a small group of independent experts of the highest standing to study and report to it on the social aspects of problems of European economic co-operation, and it authorised the Director-General to submit to it at its 129th Session a list of persons with the appropriate qualifications who might be considered suitable to serve as members of the group. This list was duly submitted and was approved by the Governing Body at its 129th Session and the experts are to meet from 15th-21st September, 1955.
At the same time the Governing Body authorised the Director-General to appoint a small group of statistical experts having special knowledge of the subjects of wages and related elements of labour costs in European countries. It decided that the group should be charged with the following responsibilities: (a) to review and advise on the scope of the proposed study on this question and the methods to be followed therein; (b) to advise the Office regarding appropriate sources of information; and (c) to advise the Office regarding the interests of the various countries and international agencies which the proposed study should jointly serve. This group of statistical experts met in Geneva from 23rd-25th May, 1955. If reviewed the major technical considerations regarding the measurement of wages and related elements of labour cost in European industry and considered an outline of a proposed study of the subject to be undertaken by the Office. A set of basic definitions of wages and related elements of labour costs was agreed upon by the group. It was recommended that the Office give first attention to a direct investigation of industrial establishments, and that the investigation should refer to selected industries in manufacturing, transport and mining; it was observed that the collection of data for coal mines and the steel industry would round out the statistics already made available for member countries of the European Coal and Steel Community. The experts expressed the view that the investigation should be carried out principally through the medium of co-operating national statistical services, which would undertake to collect data on the basis of questionnaires patterned on a model to be proposed by the I. L. 0. The experts considered further that, while the establishment study should be given first priority, its value would be enhanced by supplementary analysis of statistics of social security agencies and national accounts. While expressing great interest in the potentialities of the proposed study, the group of experts noted that it could not by itself provide a definite answer to the problem of labour costs as an element in European economic co-operation, and observed that any attempt to expand the study should be approached with caution because of its great complexity. The Office is now proceeding with plans for the establishment study, in which European countries which are Members of the Organisation will be invited to participate.
Reference has already been made to the action taken by the First European Conference of the I. L. 0. in connection with social security questions and, in particular, to the resolution and conclusions on methods of financing social security benefits and the resolution on the age of retirement adopted by the Conference.
It will be recalled that the Office is co-operating with the Council of Europe in the preparation of a European Code of Social Security, and, during the period under review, it drafted new proposals for.standards attainable by the majority of the States concerned. These proposals will be submitted to the next meeting of the Committee of Social Security Experts of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, which is to be held in September, 1955.
The I. L. 0. has continued to prepare, with the High Authority of the European Coal and Steel Community, a draft agreement to give more detailed and comprehensive protection to foreign or migrant workers moving from one country to another within the Community. A second meeting of social security experts of Members of the European Coal and Steel Community, convened jointly by the I. L. 0. and the High Authority, to work out the draft of a multilateral convention on the social security of migrant workers was held from 13th-23rd April, 1955. Agreement was reached on a number of the articles of the proposed Convention, and some or all of the experts arc to meet again to reconsider the points on which agreement has not yet been reached.
The Administrative Centre for the social security of Rhine boatmen has adopted a procedure for the revision of the Agreement concerning the social security of Rhine boatmen, proposed by the Governing Body of the I. L. 0. At the request of the Centre, the Office has drawn up a preparatory document concerning the revision of the Agreement to serve as a working paper at the session of the Centre to be held in November, 1955, and has drafted a questionnaire on the general principles to be observed with a view to the creation of an international sickness fund for Rhine boatmen or of a compensation fund.
In accordance with the authorisation of the Governing Body for the preparation of studies and of a draft instrument concerning the social security of inland transport workers, and the holding of a preparatory meeting to consider a draft instrument, the Office has prepared, for transmission to the European Governments, a draft of a European Convention concerning social security for workers engaged in international transport to serve as a basis of international negotiations among the States Members interested.
The Office has continued to render technical assistance to the Government of Turkey respecting the actuarial basis of social insurance for public servants.
An account has been given earlier in this memorandum of the various aspects of manpower problems in Europe which were discussed at the First European Regional Conference of the I. L. 0. It emerged from that Conference that fuller consideration needed to be given to the possibility of intensifying the assistance in the manpower field provided by the I. L. 0. to European Governments at their request— when appropriate-—in collaboration with the various European regional organisations. The activities described below are indicative of the I. L. O's efforts to achieve this objective.
Particular attention is being given to the various aspects of employment service organisation, since efficient employment services can contribute most effectively not only to the matching of labour supply and demand, but also to the framing of manpower policy by providing the employment information on which such policy should be based. The I. L. 0. has also sought to meet the increasingly felt need for information about available jobs by providing guidance on the method for collecting such information and on its manifold uses.
During 1954 the 1. L. 0. drew up a series of standards of employment service organisation for implementation by the member countries of the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation within a period of live years. A questionnaire was prepared this year by that organisation, after consultation with the I. L. 0., in order to determine the extent to which thse standards are already applied in individual countries.
The I. L. 0. is also co-operating with thé 0. E. E. C. and the European Productivity Agency in carrying out a project concerning the establishment of experimental employment offices in six OEEC member countries (Austria, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Greece, Italy and Norway). The object is to improA'c the efficiency of employment services by using à certain number of them as a testing ground for the solution of problems in the organisation ol' the employment market, and thereby to promote the best possible utilisation of manpower resources.
The I. L. 0. and the E. P. A. arc collaborating in organising a job analysis conference for OEEC member countries, scheduled for November, 1955. It is hoped that as a result of this conference participating countries will hold national job analysis conferences and will encourage the maximum use of job analysis techniques and data within industrial production establishments.
During the period under review the Social Committee of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe requested the International Labour Oflice to prepare a report on the implementation, by the Member States of the Council, of the international labour Recommendation No. 88 concerning the vocational training of adults. The report has shown that progress in many of the countries concerned has been clearly influenced by the principles laid down in the Recommendation, and there is no evidence that any step taken has been in conflict with any of its terms. The report has also revealed that since about 1950 there have been interesting new trends in the field of supervisory training. Preliminary or partial reports on research, begun practically simultaneously in the United Kingdom, the Federal Republic of Germany, Sweden and France, have recently been published and have shown the need for further study on the status and functions of supervisors.
The I. L. 0. and the E. P. A. arc collaborating in two projects in the vocational training field. The first aims at surveying present practices in the selection and training of instructors lor vocational training and in the selection of candidates for training. Two experts have visited Austria, Belgium, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway and the United Kingdom, and have examined the methods and techniques in use in these countries. A report has been prepared and transmitted to Governments for consideration with a view to a full discussion at a conference of experts to be held in Geneva in March, 1956.
The second project undertaken in collaboration with the E. P. A. aims at surveying the techniques of supervisory training employed in various European countries. Two experts have prepared a questionnaire designed to gather information about existing programmes and plans, and during visits to the countries concerned they will discuss the possibilities of promoting co-operative action as regards research, training of staff for supervisory training institutions, the exchange of teachers, and the development of programmes and aids.
In Italy a six-weeks' exploratory mission was carried out in the summer of 1955 with a view to determining the most effective general development of vocational training in the country. It is.hoped that in consequence the work begun in Genoa and Naples for the training of instructors and workers in the metal and building trades may be extended and developed in the months to come. . It is also hoped that the I. L. 0. will be able to provide assistance in training the first nucleus of vocational training inspectors and in organising a centre for studies to produce model training syllabuses and text-books.
In Yugoslavia a ' centre for management and supervisory training is being opened in Zagreb in September, 1955. The object of the centre is to combine the training of supervisory staff with the training of management to ensure full understanding on the part of management of the new methods and procedures taught to supervisors. Five ILO experts have been selected and are being sent to Yugoslavia, including specialists in works management and supervision, in such fields as industrial engineering, personnel administration, plant training and human relations.
A joint technical assistance project has been undertaken by the I. L. 0. and UNESCO in Turkey. Six experts are being-sent to Turkey in 1955 and a further three are expected to follow in 1956 to give assistance in the organisation of schools, including curricula and timetables, in the co-ordination of instruction in technology and drawing, with practical workshop courses, and in the training of teachers. More specialised assistance is to be given in the reorganisation of certain sections of vocational and technical schools, such as electricity, foundry work, domestic economy, etc.
The principal feature of the past year's activities in this branch of manpower work was the unanimous adoption by the 38th Session of the International Labour Conference of the Vocational Rehabilitation (Disabled) Recommendation ; further particulars are given below on this Recommendation in the section on the 38th Session of the International Labour Conference.
To build on the principles embodied in the Recommendation, the Office is now going ahead with preparations for the prodxiction of a study and report on the Selective Placement of the Disabled. Such a publication should not only prove useful to those countries whose vocational rehabilitation services are sufficiently advanced to warrant the development of special selective placement techniques, but it will also serve as useful background reference material for experts making short-term surveys or setting up vocational rehabilitation services in less developed countries.
At the same time the I. L. 0. has been active in assisting Governments to implement the principles laid down in the Recommendation. In Northern and Western Europe, where vocational rehabilitation programmes are under way in most countries, the I. L. O.'s main activities have been devoted to improving and increasing the scope of existing national sys terns.
Together with the United Nations, the World Veterans' Federation and the Swedish Government, the I. L. 0. organised a Seminar on Selective Placement of the Handicapped, which was held in Stockholm from 2nd to 4th May, 1955 and was attended by 47 participants from 12 European countries, and it has assisted in the preparation of the programme for a study group on rehabilitation which is to be held in Austria in October, 1955.
The I. JJ. 0. is also providing assistance by means of short-term advisory missions to countries which request such help. In 1955 such missions were arranged for Austria, Greece and Yugoslavia, in each case to give advice on the development of vocational rehabilitation services connected Avitli existing rehabilitation projects created in the last few years by other international agencies but which, for financial or other reasons, had not previously received assistance from the I.L.O. In Austria and Greece, advice was given on the development of vocational training, guidance and placement facilities in rehabilitation centres for crippled children set up by W. H. 0. and equipped by U. N. I. C. E. F. ; in Yugoslavia, advice was provided on the development of vocational training, guidance and placement services in the Belgrade Rehabilitation Centre, which was established by the United Nations in 1953.
An expert from the Office was sent on an advisory mission to Turkey late in 1954 to investigate the employment prospects for disabled persons and to suggest means of organising the appropriate services of vocational rehabilitation. As a result of his recommendations, a vocational rehabilitation expert is to go to Turkey for 12 months to advise on the development of service for placing disabled persons in employment, as well as on the co-ordination of existing vocational training services for the blind, the deaf and the tubercular, and on the establishment of a National Rehabilitation Council.
Much has been achieved during the past 12 months in respect of the I L 0 foreman and worker trainee programme. The success of the programme for Yugoslavia has led other Governments to request the I. L. 0. to organise similar programmes for their countries.
During the first seven months of 1955, 215 trainees from Yugoslavia were placed in plants in different European countries, which brought the total of trainees placed since the programme began to nearly 600.
The Turkish programme lias also continued to develop. The plan evolved last year foresaw the placement abroad of 60 engineers and foremen for a period of two months. The men were placed in groups of five in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Austria and the Federal Republic of Germany. A further phase of the programme has now been launched, and 16 similar teams of five men each will be placed abroad.
A programme for Greece was started in June, 1955.
Recently the High Authority requested the I. L. 0. to co-operate in an inquiry into the obstacles to the mobility (national and international) of workers in the States Members of the Community, particularly in the coal and steel industries. In the first place, the I. L. 0. prepared bibliographies covering the existing studies relating to migration and obstacles to the mobility and readjustment of workers. In the second place, and in order to supplement the information provided in these bibliographies, the I. L. 0. took part in an inquiry designed to ascertain the attitude of international trade union organisations in regard to the mobility of workers, the resultant social problems of readjustment and the means of overcoming the obstacles to mobility. For this purpose representatives of the I.C.F.T.U., the I.F.C.T.U. and international occupational organisations of mine workers and metal workers were interviewed in Brussels, Luxembourg and London, and the findings of these interviews were incorporated in a final report presented to the High Authority.
It may be of interest to note that a General Survey of International Migration since 1945 is being prepared by the International Labour Office. The Survey will aim, first, at identifying the movements of manpower within the framework of migratory movements since 1945. It will review such international manpower movements as fully as possible, drawing attention to the economic factors which have determined them and describing the objects and forms of national and international action in the migration field. It will attempt to evaluate such national and international action in the light of the results obtained. At the request of the United Nations the Survey will also take into account the demographic aspects of migration and will consider the consequences of international migration on the demographic situation of emigrant and immigrant countries. The co-operation of all interested international organisations is being sought in the preparation of the Survey, which is expected to he ready l'or publication in 1956.
The 38th Session of the International Labour Conference was held in Geneva in June, 1955.
The technical items on its agenda included: (a) vocational rehabilitation of the disabled; (b) migrant workers (under-developed countries) ; (c) penal sanctions for breaches of contract of employment; (d) vocational training in agriculture; and (e) welfare facilities for workers.
The Conference adopted one Convention and two Recommendations, bringing the total number of Conventions and Recommendations adopted since 1919 to 104 and '100 respectively. It also adopted a number of resolutions.
The Convention adopted by the Conference relates to penal sanctions for breaches of contract of employment by indigenous workers. It states that the maintenance of such penal sanctions is contrary to modern conceptions of the contractual relations between employers and workers and to the personal dignity and rights of man. It specifies that such sanctions should be abolished by means of some appropriate measure of immediate application. "When this is not possible, they should be abolished as soon as possible, and in any event not later than one year from the date of ratification of the Convention.
The Conference adopted a Recommendation on the protection of migrant workers in under-developed countries and territories which deals, in the first place, with the provision of protection to migrant workers and their families during their outward and return journeys and prior to the period of their employment. Secondly, it provides measures to discourage migratory movements considered undesirable. The text sets out, in particular, standards of protection for migrant workers during their employment. These relate to housing; wages; admission to skilled jobs; trade union activities; supply of consumer goods; social security; industrial safety and hygiene; and general welfare. Measures are also provided for the stabilisation of migrant workers.
A Recommendation was adopted on vocational rehabilitation of the disabled. This Recommendation lays down principles and methods of vocational guidance, vocational training and placement of disabled persons. It specified methods of enabling the disabled to make use of vocational rehabilitation services as well as of widening employment opportunities for them. It makes spécial provisions for disabled children and young persons. A resolution, adopted separately, invites Governments to carry out the principles of the Recommendation with a view to assisting war-disabled persons to return to a normal occupation,
After having approved the conclusions of its Committee on Agriculture, the Conference decided to place the question of vocational training in agriculture on the agenda of its next session for a second discussion, with a view to adopting a Recommendation on this subject. The conclusions adopted deal with objectives of training, its nature and scope, with special reference to the needs of underdeveloped regions, and methods of training (for instance, apprenticeship, agricultural instruction in secondary schools, short courses, training on the farm, extension services) trainihg for teachers and for rural leaders, teaching aids and materials, and international exchanges)
The Conference adopted, conclusions on the question of welfare facilities for workers arid decided to place this question also on the agenda of its next general session for a second discussion, with a view to the adoption of a Recommendation. It requested the Governing Body to deal, in the near future, with the question of welfare facilities for workers engaged in agriculture. The conclusions approved by the Conference cover the provision of,: (i), feeding facilities (canteens, buffets and trolleys,, messrooms, mobile canteens, etc.); (ii) rest facilities (seats and rest rooms) and recreation facilities ; and (iii) transport facilities where workers experience special difficulties ,in travelling to their work and returning home, owing to the inadequacy or impracticability of public transport services.
Apart from its decisions based on questions on its agenda the Conference also adopted a number of resolutions calling for action in connection with (i) the employment of. women, in particular part-time and older women workers, and women workers with dependent children; (ii) the protection of trade union rights; (iii) the peaceful uses of atomic energy (this resolution requests the Governing Body to consider what part the I. L. 0. can play.in promoting (a) the development of the use .of atomic energy for peaceful industrial purposes, and (b) the highest possible standards of health, safety and welfare among workers in atomic plants and in other undertakings affected by the development of the industrial uses of atomic energy) ; (iv) labour-manage ment relations; and (v); the. improvement of the protection of labour and safeguards for industrial safety.
Since the previous memorandum on the activities of the I. L. 0. in relation to Europe was drawn up, 61 ratifications of international labour Conventions have been registered. Of these, 26 were ratifications by Members of the Council of Europe. This is exactly double the number of ratifications registered by Council of Europe Member States during the 12-months period covered by the previous memorandum. In this respect it should be remembered that the Consultative Assembly adopted, in 1953, a resolution in which it recalled that it had always stressed the view that ratification of international labour Conventions was a useful means of harmonising national action in the social field.
Among the Conventions which the Council of Europe invited its Member Governments to ratify as being important, in this connection, during the period under review the Labour Inspection Convention has been ratified by the Federal Republic of Germany and by Greece; the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention has been ratified by Ireland, and submitted for approval to the competent authorities of the Federal Republic of Germany; the Employment Service Convention has been ratified by Greece; the Labour Clauses (Public Contracts) Convention has been approved by the competent authorities of Denmark; the Migration for Employment Convention (Revised)— lias been ratified by Norway; the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention has been ratified by Ireland and by Norway, has been approved by the competent authorities of Denmark, and has been submitted for approval to the competent authorities of the Federal Republic of Germany; the Social Security (Minimum Standards) Convention has been ratified by Greece, Norway and Denmark, and has been submitted for approval to the competent authorities of the Federal Republic of Germany and of Italy. In addition, three other Conventions have been ratified by Belgium, two by Denmark, one by France, six by Germany, one by Greece, two by the Netherlands, and two by Norway; one other Convention has been approved by the competent authorities of Denmark; two others have been submitted for approval to the competent authorities of the Federal Republic of Germany, and two to the competent authorities of Italy.
Problems of labour-management relations, social security, productivity and safety were prominent features in the discussions of I L 0 industrial committees meeting in the period covered by the memorandum.
During that period, sessions of the IL 0' Iron and Steel, Metal Trades and Chemical Industries Committees were held. In addition to the general reports submitted to each of them, the Iron and Steel Committee and the Metal Trades Committee both had before them reports on labour-management relations ; the Iron and Steel Committee considered the general problem of human relations in the industry while the Metal Trades Committee was concerned with practical methods of labour-management co-operation in metal-working plants and adopted a memorandum on this question.
Also at its fifth session, the Iron and Steel Committee had before it a report on supplementary pension schemes in the iron and steel industry and their relation with general pension schemes. The Committee came to the conclusion that the provision of supplementary pensions was desirable but that regard must be had to the arrangements of general schemes, to the prevailing economic and social conditions of each country and to the financial state of the industry.
The Metal Trades Committee paid special attention to the question of the régularisation of production and employment at a high level in the metal trades and made a number of suggestions for consideration by the Governing Body in this connection. The Committee also adopted a resolution concerning hours of work in the metal trades.
Factors affecting productivity were considered by the Chemical Industries Committee, with special reference to work study and systems of wage payment, and the Committee adopted a resolution concerning productivity in the chemical industries. The Committee also had before it a report on problems of safety and hygiene in the chemical industries, and particularly the classification and labelling of dangerous substances. It adopted a resolution concerning the classification of dangerous substances as well as a resolution concerning symbols for the labelling of dangerous substances. The Committee also adopted a resolution concerning vocational training in the chemical industries.
The agenda of the Textiles Committee,' which is to meet for its Fifth Session in September- October this year, includes both the question of labour-management relations and of productivity in the textile industry. The Building, Civil Engineering and Public Works Committee and the Coal Mines Committee, both of which are scheduled to meet in 1956 will consider problems of safety.
The I L 0 operational programme under the United Nations Expanded Programme of Technical Assistance has continued at an increased tempo during the year .1.954-55. Details of some of the projects undertaken by the I. L. 0. have been given in earlier sections of this memorandum.
Up to 31st July, 1955 a total of 209 European expertsNotehad been sent to advise and assist the Governments of under-developed countries in the development of their plans to bring improved living and working conditions to their peoples. The work of these experts has ranged over all the fields of activity with which the I. L. 0. is primarily concerned, which may be broadly summarised as : manpower organisation and vocational training; productivity and wage payment systems; co-operative organisation and handicrafts training; social security; and labour conditions and administration. In addition to the provision of expert assistance, a large number of fellowships have been awarded and, to date, 252 of these have enabled nationals of the under-developed countries to undertake courses of training in selected fields in the member countries of the Council of EuropeNote.
The worker-trainee programme operated by the I L 0, which brings skilled and semi-skilled workers from the under-developed countries to the more highly industrialised countries of the world to improve their techniques, has also continued to expand. So far 680 of these trainees have been placed in European countriesNote. Of this number, 577 came from European countries i. e. Yugoslavia, Greece and Turkey, whilst the remaining 103 came from Iran, Israel and Colombia.
Apart from the assistance given to the member countries of the Council of Europe mentioned above, through the worker-trainee programme, certain of them have also received expert assistance in the fields of vocational training, employment service organisation, labour administration, and social security. For example, in Istanbul, a Regional Labour Institute has been established by the I. L. 0., with a staff of five international experts, which has provided training courses in labour inspection and labour administration. These have been attended by Turkish trainees, and by trainees from countries of the Near and Middle Eastern region.
Details of a number of specific instances of I L 0 collaboration with European intergovernmental organisations have been given above. During the period covered by the memorandum close co-operation with regard to problems of social security has been maintained with the Council of Europe and the High Authority of the European Coal and Steel Community. In the manpower field the I. L. 0. has continued to work closely with the Organisation for European Economic Cooperation and the European Productivity Agency-—particularly as regards problems of employment organisation and raising productivity— and it has responded to requests of the Council of Europe for information in connection with vocational training and the protection of migrants; it has continued to assist the High Authority of the European Coal and Steel Community in dealing with problems of labour mobility.
The First European Regional Conference of the I. L. 0. gave an opportunity for examining the arrangements made for collaboration and co-ordination of activities between the I L 0 and European regional organisations and a useful exchange of views in this resj>cct took place at that meeting.
Moreover, it will be recalled that in its memorandum to the Council of Europe last yearNote, the International Labour Organisation drew attention to the question of relations between the I. L. 0. and regional organisations in general—a matter which, in view of the growing number of regional organisations whose activities fall in part into the social field, requires frequent consideration— and of relations between the I. L. 0. and the Council of Europe in particular. By the fact of setting forth the principles by wihch the I. L. 0. is guided in this respect, it was hoped to ensure that the best possible use would be made of the available resources of all the organisations concerned and that overlapping and duplication of effort would be avoided. This intention has been reciprocated by the Council of Europe; in the resolutionNotewhich the Consultative Assembly adopted in reply to the I L 0 memorandum it has drawn Lhe attention of the Governing Body of the I. L. 0. to certain principles which it considers both the I. L. 0. and the Council should respect " if they are to achieve that complete co-operation in their search for a solution to the various European social problems which they both wish to see established and which they are by way of achieving ". These principles will be brought to the attention of the Governing Body of the I. L. 0. at its 130th Session (November, 1955).