Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2023, published 112nd ILC session (2024)

Tripartite Consultation (International Labour Standards) Convention, 1976 (No. 144) - United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (Ratification: 1977)

Previous comment

The Committee notes the observations of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), received on 31 August 2022. The Committee requests the Government to provide its comments in this regard.

Article 5(1) of the Convention. Effective tripartite consultations. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that it has continued to work closely with the TUC and the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) on matters pertaining to the ILO. The Government further indicates that regular tripartite meetings are held throughout the year, mainly to exchange views in advance of, and sometimes following, the sessions of the Governing Body and the International Labour Conference (ILC), but also occasionally on other ILO meetings. Thus, between 1 June 2017 and 31 May 2022, tripartite consultations were held on the reports to be submitted to the ILO under article 19 and article 22 of the ILO Constitution, the Government’s response to the questionnaire concerning standard-setting at the ILC on apprenticeships, and the possibility of ratifying the Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 1981 (No. 155). Moreover, the Committee notes with interest the ratification of the Work in Fishing Convention, 2007 (No. 188) on 11 January 2019, and the Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (No. 190) on 7 March 2022, following tripartite consultations. In reply to the previous observations made by the TUC in 2017, the Government indicates that it regularly consults a wide range of stakeholders when developing new areas of policy and practice, such as on the development of measures to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Committee further notes that, in its newly submitted observations, the TUC points out that the Government’s team dedicated to managing tripartism and engagement with the ILO continues to be supportive and open to engaging with the social partners. The TUC argues, nonetheless, that the Government consistently fails to consult with it, as the most representative workers’ organization, on policy issues connected to ILO Conventions that explicitly require it. When the Government does consult, it is usually part of a general, open consultation in which the voices of the social partners are easily lost, rather than formal consultation with the most representative social partners. The TUC further indicates that, where a statute or precedent requires them to appoint workers’ representatives in national committees, although there has been some progress, practical challenges remain as demonstrated by the delays in the appointment of worker representatives in the Health and Safety Executive Board. Recalling that the principal commitment under the Convention is to ensure that effective consultations take place with the most representative organizations of employers and workers on the list of issues listed by Article 5(1) of the Convention, the Committee requests the Government to provide updated detailed information on the consultations held on each of the items listed by the above provision, including on questions arising out of reports to be made on ratified Conventions.