In Macau, new staff is trained on ILS immediately

In Macau, when a new colleague comes into the team that has responsibilities for ILS, he or she is trained immediately on ILS reporting, especially reporting procedures and the Conventions which are binding on the Special Administrative Region.

In Panama, ILS-responsible management promote training in ILS for other officials.

It has been reported that in Panama ILS-responsible managers promote the training of government officials outside the scope of their immediate management responsibility with a view to improving inter-departmental and inter-ministerial understanding.

In Macau, substitute staff is trained in anticipation maternity leave being taken.

In Macau, when a ILS-responsible person is going to be on maternity leave, staff charged with taking up her takes in substitution during the leave are trained. This is to make sure that the staff can properly do the work of the colleague on maternity leave.

In Macau, staffers are kept aware of new additions to the ILO’s website.

In Macau, the head of the ILS-responsible Department systematically lets staff know of new information placed on the ILO’s website (www.ilo.org). This has good results for strengthening knowledge of ILS developments within the ILO. It also makes it possible to keep up on training offerings that might be beneficial to ILS-responsible colleagues.

In Tajikistan, an assistant supports report preparation.

In Tajikistan, an assistant supports the preparation of reports, in addition to 1 person working full time on ILS matters when reports are due.

Associating an assistant in the preparation of reports may be both a simple and effective method for expediting reporting processes and spreading knowledge of those processes. Although responsibility for the report-making may rest in one official, having another official – perhaps newer to the relevant department or maybe in a clerical position – work in the process strengthens the ability of the overall service to meet reporting obligations even as available human resources may change.

In Bahrain, yearly individual training plans are established.

In Bahrain, it is reported that every year a training plan for each person is made and a training budget allocated for each employee. Line managers may be keen to send staff on training requested, and managers responsible for human resources may need to rationalize requests – the possibility for training is nevertheless seen as beneficial.

The planning aspect of this example is noteworthy. Even though it might not be possible to meet all requests, a starting allocation and individualized plan makes it possible for all concerned to constructively consider possibilities as they become available.

In Chad, it is reported that the service responsible for international labour standards has established and maintains a library with documents relevant to ILS, including government reports. The library can be consulted by labour inspectors who take note of ILS provisions in the questions they deal with in their work.

“I learned ILO based on reading materials about the ILO so I was able to know that the Philippines is a member of the ILO and as a member it has several obligations like we have to report on certain conventions that we have ratified and there is a period of reporting and also on ratified conventions and also submission of international labour standards that are being adopted by the Conference to the competent authorities.”

[Man’s voice in background] “That was very pretty!”

I came from the private sector before I entered here in the department. So I don’t have any background on the ILO, what it’s working on, how it is working, so through my own readings. When I’m given a task, I have to read what I am going to do, and then through my colleagues, they are also guiding us on how to make things. Our former chief here in the Division here in the Division has also undergone training on international labour standards and so she is the one who guides us on the ILO structure, its supervisory mechanism and so she emphasizes to us that if we are not going to submit our reports on time then we will be subjected to a certain ‘ILO-gram’, ILO reminding us of the submission of our reports. So, that is to supplement my reading.”

In 2010, Ms. Abayao was able to complement her on the job training with ITC/ILO training on ILS.

Special thanks got to the Honorable Secretary of Labor and Employment of the Philippines, and the Director and staff of the International Labor Affairs Bureau of the Department of Labor of the Philippines for their generous cooperation in the production of this video.

“In previous years in the history of the ILAB, the office used to be ILAD, there were lawyers who were part of the personnel handling the division, the division handling the ILS. But they have left, they are gone now and we cannot anymore hire lawyers. So what do we do? With the limited resources, with the limited personnel that we have, we engage lawyers from all the other bureaus and so they provide a substantial… the substance to the report. We have lawyers from the Bureau of Labor relations, from the Bureau of Working Conditions, from the PRC for instance and the POEA. They are the ones handling the substantive reporting. I cannot really say do I need a lawyer, but a lawyer would be good, a lawyer would be helpful to do this ILS work here in this division, but if there is none, then we can accept the services of lawyers within the Department also, who provide the input to the report that we submit. I think the very controversial part of the report pertains to freedom of association and collective bargaining, I think for those areas we need a lawyer and then for that the Bureau of Labor relations provide that kind of inputs.”

Special thanks go to the Honorable Secretary of Labor and Employment of the Philippines, and the Director and staff of the International Labor Affairs Bureau of the Department of Labor of the Philippines for their generous cooperation in the production of this video.