News

July 2012

  1. A green initiative brightens Bangladesh

    02 July 2012

    70% of all families living in Bangladesh’s countryside are not connected to the national electricity grid; the power lines either haven’t reached their villages or the cost of connection is too high for them. But now, with help from the ILO and Australia, and encouraged by the central government some villagers can get low cost solar power as an alternative energy source. And new skills are required to bring solar power to Bangladesh’s villages, which is creating the demand for “green jobs” to get the job done.

June 2012

  1. Mexico: A labour market overview

    29 June 2012

    As Mexicans go to the polls on Sunday to choose a new president and legislature, the ILO presents a snapshot of the employment situation based on the May edition of "The Labour Situation in Latin America"*.

  2. Bangladesh: Lighting the Way to a Greener World of Work

    22 June 2012

    Solar home systems can be an alternative source of energy in developing countries like Bangladesh, where half of the population, or about 85 million people, lack access to grid-based electricity. Solar panels bring clean energy and green jobs to rural areas, an issue that is high on the Rio+20 agenda. Allan Dow reports.

  3. A green plumber for a greener economy

    21 June 2012

    The transition towards a greener economy is expected to affect about half of the global labour force or roughly 1.5 billion people. This means changes in terms of job types and workers’ skills – a topic that is high on the Rio+20 agenda.

  4. Green jobs: a chance for youth - UNEP and ILO

    19 June 2012

    In the run up to the high level discussions of Rio+20 on 20-22 June, UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) and the ILO (International Labour Organizations) organized a joint Rio +20 side event.

  5. Green and fair: Cooperatives in Ethiopia

    19 June 2012

    By their very nature, cooperatives can balance economic, environmental, and social needs. The ILO will be showcasing some of its successful experiences in this field at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20). One of them involves more than 200,000 coffee producers and almost 200 cooperatives in Ethiopia.

  6. RIO+20: On the scene with the ILO

    18 June 2012

    An interview with Peter Poschen, Director of the ILO's Job Creation and Enterprise Development Department, and Head of the Green Jobs Programme

  7. The International Labour Conference launches a new Call for Action to tackle the Youth Employment Crisis

    14 June 2012

    The unprecedented youth employment crisis, aggravated by the global financial crisis, has created a renewed sense of urgency for action. The newly adopted resolution by the ILO annual Conference 'The youth employment crisis : A call for action' proposes vigorous action around a menu of policy options to respond to the challenges faced by young people today around the world.
    Watch highlights from the ILC session in which the resolution was adopted and interviews with Emalene Marcus-Burnett (Rapporteur of the 2012 International Labour Conference Committee on Youth Employment) and Azita Berar-Awad (Director of the ILO Employment Policy Department).

  8. Social protection expands despite crisis, ILO-World Bank report says

    07 June 2012

    A new ILO-World Bank report and online data tool shows that social protection systems expanded in many parts of the world between 2008 and 2010.

  9. Swiss labour market recovery boosted by effective social partnership, ILO-World Bank report says

    07 June 2012

    A new ILO-World Bank report and online data tool presented at the 101st International Labour Conference shows that the Swiss labour market – even though it was hit by the crisis – recovered faster than in other countries, partly because of an intensive social dialogue between government, employers and workers.