Capturing the spirit of the international labour organization: attending "the annual world parliament of labour" was both an honour and an eye-opener for one member of the New Zealand delegation.

In gratitude and humility, I dedicate this report to the many brave, committed and truly inspiring trade unionists of the world. Attending the 95th session of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in Geneva last month --described by its Director-General Juan Somavia as "the annual world parliament of labour"--launched me into the global concerns of social justice and internationally recognised human and labour rights.

As the Council of Trade Unions' (CTU) Maori vice president, I was part of the 12-member tripartite New Zealand delegation, headed by Minister of Labour Ruth Dyson. This annual three-week tong conference draws around 4000 delegates, including heads of State, Labour ministers and leaders of workers' and employers' organisations from most of the ILO's 178 member states. This year, work was done through four committees--employment relations, occupational health and safety, technical co-operation and the application of standards. I attended all sessions of technical co-operation and as many sessions of other committees as possible. The committee of technical co-operation is responsible for formulating a review of all aspects of technical co-operation in accordance with the ILO's mandate and its Decent Work Agenda. This was right up my alley, as the discussion was centred around issues of social justice and eradication of poverty. The ILO has a central role in making decent work a reality for all As Juan Somavia said in his report, "development agencies, Labour ministries and social partners alike must be engaged to make decent work a central driver of development and a priority objective of international development".

I was reminded that it is we the trade unionists who, through our work for freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining, the elimination of forced and compulsory labour; the abolition of child labour, and the elimination of discrimination in the workplace, who stand up and fight for the human rights of all peoples from all societies. This reality for the many men and women I met sometimes comes at the ultimate price--their own lives. For New Zealanders, this is hard to believe. My heart dropped as a delegate from Zimbabwe spoke of his union's despair at trying to find ways to accommodate the 700,000 families Left homeless during the winter and the disappearance of many people in this group who suffer HIV/Aids. Attempts to find these people had been fruitless, with a real fear that genocide may have been their fate. A comrade from Afghanistan who spoke up against his Government's regime was told the moment he gets off the plane on his return home he would be in trouble. On Leaving Geneva, I saw my new friend and we said our goodbyes, knowing this might be the last time I might see him. I dread reading about him being tortured and killed because he had the courage to stand up and speak against injustices in his country at the ILO.

Concern for workers of Burma/Myanmar

Through the work of the standards committee, the ILO takes extremely seriously concerns for the workers of Burma and complaints of forced Labour. This year's conference described the situation there as one of "unprecedented gravity" that was "unacceptable to the ILO". The country is ruled by one of the most brutal military dictatorships in the world; a dictatorship charged by the United Nations with crimes against humanity for its systematic abuses of human rights. The conference called for the release of any person who had been imprisoned following contacts with the ILO, a stop to prosecutions currently underway and for the establishment of a credible mechanism for dealing with complaints of forced labour.

Other special concerns were freedom of association in Bangladesh, the application of conventions in Belarus and a decision for the ILO to have a permanent presence in Colombia.

I was particularly honoured to address the convention on behalf of New Zealand workers and to share a little of myself as a Maori woman trade unionist. My message was a simple one, encouraging trade unions' ongoing struggle to achieve sustainability in our societal structures and relationships with one another, and in our use of natural resources. I described work as one of the most important avenues by which we come to know ourselves as people. To have Juan Somavia say in his summary report that my words "captured the spirit that inspires the commitment of delegates to the ILO" was a tribute Maori, trade unionists and all New Zealanders can share. (See www.union.org.nz/about/ maori.html for a copy of the full speech.)

The Director-General also paid tribute to the first woman elected to lead an African country, the President of the Republic of Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. He quoted her words as she looked to the future for her country, still reeling from the legacy of civil conflict. She described a journey which "must be nurtured continuously by our commitment to national renewal, an agenda to reconcile, a vision to rebuild and a determination to study war no more". Peace could only be gained, she said, through poverty alleviation, sustained economic growth and development. "Our national agenda encapsulates a vision deeply rooted in our determination to humanise and restore dignity to the Liberian Labour force.... For us, employment is synonymous with peace." Through her example, we must continue to speak out against injustices, discrimination and racism of all kinds.

New ILO resolutions

The conference adopted a series of standards and measures addressing workers' health and safety and flexible working arrangements. The ILO estimates that some 6000 workers die each day as a result of work-related accidents or illness. The new measures will promote the development of a "preventative safety and health culture" by encouraging member countries to Launch national occupational safety and health programmes. A resolution calling for the elimination of the use of asbestos and other measures to protect workers from asbestos exposure was also adopted. Exposure to asbestos causes some 100,000 deaths worldwide each year. Another recommendation clarifies the employment relationship and distinctions between employed and self-employed workers.

* Additional information by co-editor Anne Manchester.

NZNO policy analyst Maori Sharon Clair