The Governing Body of the International Labour Organization has approved a set of guidelines on general principles of labour inspection.
The guidelines relate to the organization, structure, competences and operation of labour inspectorates and are an important milestone for the improvement of labour inspections. This in turn will have a positive impact on the application of International Labour Standards.
They complement and aim to assist ILO Member States implement the provisions of the Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (No. 81), and the Labour Inspection (Agriculture) Convention, 1969 (No. 129,) with the end goal of progressively advancing respect for labour rights in the context of the contemporary world of work.
The decision to approve the guidelines follows discussions at a tripartite meeting of experts held from 13 to 16 December 2021.
It is the first international non-binding instrument of this nature, validated by governments, employers and workers.