Ship Recycling Transfer of
Knowledge and Technology
Transfer Workshop
Izmir, 14-16 July 2010
By Ingrid Christensen
ILO Decent Work Team for South Asia
For distribution at workshop
Decent Work for All
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Decent Work for All
Ship Recycling from an ILO perspective
• Ship recycling provides employment to a large number
of workers (direct and indirect employment) – many
from poor regions of the countries;
• … provides business opportunities
• … provides steel, goods & tax revenues to the country;
• Disposal of ships – recycling, a sound principle
•“ But…
• A hazardous industry
• Other Decent Work deficits
• …. Though scope exists for a decent and greener
industry
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Decent Work for All
ILO and the other UN agencies
• ILO is pleased to collaborate with Secretariat of the
Basel Convention and the International Maritime
Organization in advancing a safe and environmentally
sound ship recycling.
• Within the Decent Work Agenda, ILO can and will
“ contribute to achieving the principles and standards as
enshrined in the Basel Convention and the Hong Kong
Convention.
• … But what does the concept of Decent Work entailɁ
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Decent Work for All
ILO and the Decent Work Agenda
• The International Labour Organization (ILO) is the
tripartite UN agency that brings together governments,
employers and workers of its member states in
common action to:
• …advance opportunities for women and men to obtain
decent and productive work in conditions of freedom,
“ equity, security and human dignity,
• ... through promoting rights at work, encouraging
decent employment opportunities, enhancing social
protection and strengthening dialogue in handling
work-related issues.
• Established in 1919
www.ilo.org
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Decent Work for All
ILO and the Decent Work Agenda
• Promoting Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work
– Freedom of Association, right to organize and to collective
bargaining
– Abolition of forced labour
– Non-discrimination (gender, race, ethnicity, religion etc.)
– Eradication of Child Labour
“
• The Core Conventions covering above issues – the
backdrop for all employment
– Pakistan and Turkey – like majority of member States - have
ratified all 8 Core Conventions; hence the principles binding on
the countries
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ILO and the Decent Work Agenda
• Encouraging decent, productive and gainful
employment
“
– National Employment Framework – in some countries with
focus on job rich growth or labour intensive, in other countries
a more technology-based is the better option
– Business development from nano-, micro- and upwards for
growth, productivity and competitiveness
– Skills development for enhanced employability
– Employment for the vulnerable
…and jobs should be green to reduce impact on climate
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Decent Work for All
ILO and the Decent Work Agenda
• Enhancing social protection
“
– Decent working and employment conditions (employment
contracts, working hours and days, wages and payment)
– Safety and health at work – prevent accidents and diseases,
and promote healthy workplaces addressing issues of
HIV/AIDS, TB etc.
– Social security to protect when work is not possible
(accidents, sickness, old age)
– Protection of vulnerable e.g. migrant workers
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Decent Work for All
ILO and the Decent Work Agenda
• Strengthening social dialogue
“
– Promote tripartite dialogue at international, national, regional
or sectoral level (Government and Employers´ & Workers´
organizations) to discuss work related issues
– Promote dialogue at workplaces - employer-worker, but also
involving (labour) contractors and others
– Strengthen labour administration (legislation and standards,
labour inspection, the social partners – alone or together)
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Decent Work for All
ILO and the Decent Work Agenda
• Issues (on previous slides) are all elements that
contributes to the achieving the goal of Decent Work
• They are interlinked – but the exact "mix" varies from
country to country over time
• A sectoral approach – the approach by the ILO to Ship
“ Recycling
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Decent Work for All
ILO and the Decent Work Agenda
• A set of priority areas in Asia (with majority of ship
recycling) have been developed in consultation with
ILO partners (See next slide)
• How can ship recycling be involved in/benefit from the
activities of these areasɁ
“
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Decent Work for All
Asia-Pacific Priorities include
• Increasing productivity, competitiveness and jobs;
– Job creation, skills development, green jobs within framework
of decent work – Crisis response
• Improved labour market governance;
– Social dialogue, strengthening of partners, labour
administration and inspection
• Expanded social protection;
– Different transfer schemes, social protection (security) floor,
“ OSH/CoW, HIV/AIDS
• Eliminating child labour, creating opportunities for
young people;
– Child labour, youth employment
• Improved management of labour migration;
– Labour migration frameworks
• Gender as cross-cutting theme
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Asia-Pacific Priorities
• ILO will also continue promoting its
Conventions and other standards and the
principles enshrined in them - both the Core
Conventions, the Governance Conventions, e.g.
regarding tripartite collaboration, and the other
technical Conventions (e.g. the Occupational
Safety and Health Convention, No 155, 1981.
“
• Remain in force and relevant, irrespective of
Basel, Hong Kong and other Conventions
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Decent Work Deficits in Ship Recycling
Some issues and challenges
• Unsafe and unhealthy working and living conditions
• Yes, but there are more…
“
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Decent Work for All
Decent Work Deficits in Ship Recycling
Some issues and challenges
• A mainly unskilled and (semi)/illiterate workforce
• Lack of recognition of the industry
• A considerable amount migrant workers, uprooted from their
families
• No employment contracts
• No protection in case of sickness, accidents
• Long working hours, sometimes shiftwork
•“ Workers not allowed to form or associate themselves with trade
unions
• Child labourɁ
• Lack of dialogue among partners – and what about coordinationɁ
• No/limited inspection …… and where are the women Ɂ
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Towards Decent Work
in Sustainable Ship Recycling
• Contribute to achieve the goals of the Basel
Convention, the Hong Kong Convention etc.
• In addition, we can contribute towards e.g.
“
– a better skilled labour force in ship recycling for higher
productivity and quality of e.g. scrap steel, a workforce that
could work in other industries with similar work functions and a
workforce that can contribute to the development of the society
(large skill development initiatives on/going in Pakistan)
– an industry that is recognised and sustainable with potential
for growth, high productivity, better outcome and/or
diversifying its activities
– an industry that has a "green or greener footprint"
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Towards Decent Work
in Sustainable Ship Recycling
• In addition, we can contribute towards e.g. (cont´d)
“
– development of a preventative safety and health culture and
more healthy workplaces, leading to a more healthy workforce
and less accidents and diseases (also better business)
– development and introduction of proper and transparent
employment contracts outlining at least basic conditions for the
employment relationship
– provision of a (minimum) social security floor
– development of harmonious industrial relations, based on
dialogue so as to avoid or minimise situations like the recent
strikes in Pakistan and earlier this year in Bangladesh
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Decent Work for All
Towards Decent Work
in Sustainable Ship Recycling
• In addition, we can contribute towards e.g. (cont´d)
“
– a sound and constructive tripartite or bipartite dialogue
between government, employers and workers, recalling the
overarching principle of worker involvement and the need to
involve the other partners and stakeholders
– strengthened labour administration and social partners
– observing the principles of the Core Conventions
• Dialogue, coordination and collaboration among all
partners - a prerequisite for success
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ILO recent and current activities
on Ship Recycling e.g.
• Development of Safety and Health in Shipbreaking.
Guidelines for Asia and Turkey (see later slides)
• Implementation of the Safe and Environment Friendly
Ship-Recyling Project in Bangladesh
• Promotional activities in all five countries
• A member of Joint Working Group (IMO, SBC and ILO)
•“ Contribution/technical advice to the development of
the Hong Kong and Basel Convention and the
subsidiary standards (e.g. MEPC)
• Contribution to the implementation of above and to
programmes, projects and materials by other partners
• Study on Labour Conditions within framework of
Better Work (IFC/ILO)
* Built on knowledge and
experience of the 1990’s
decade and up to 2002.
* Meeting of Experts meeting
convened in Bangkok
October 2003 and adopted
2004 by Governing Body
* Translated into at least
Turkish, Urdu, Hindi, Bangla
and Chinese
*Still relevant –
complements materials of
other organizations
*http://www.ilo.org/public/libd
oc/ilo/2004/104B09_279_en
gl.pdf
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Safety and Health in Shipbreaking –
Content
• Background, glossary,
• General provisions and industry characteristics
• Part I: National Framework (responsibilities, legal
framework, OSH management, reporting of accidents
and diseases, OHS)
• Part II: Safe Shipbreaking Operations (technical
“ prevention, training, contingency and emergency
preparedness, PPE, social protection, welfare)
• Bibliography and annexes
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“
Thank you
and wishing you all a successful workshop