Caste discrimination and the ILO

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) is the tripartite UN agency that brings together governments, employers and workers of its member states in common action to promote decent work throughout the world. The ILO Constitution establishes the role and functions of the secretariat, the International Labour Conference and the Governing Body, as well as the procedure for adopting conventions and resolutions under the ILO system.

The principle of non-discrimination is a core labour standard which is established in ILO Convention 111 on Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) from 1958.

The definition of discrimination, which is defined in article 1.1, includes "any distinction, exclusion or preference made on the basis of race, colour, sex, religion, political opinion, national extraction or social origin, which has the effect of nullifying or impairing equality of opportunity or treatment in employment or occupation."

Previous cases and communications in the ILO system have illustrated that the ILO regards caste-based discrimination as falling under the category "social origin".

In 1998 Member States signed a Declaration on the Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work which recalled the four core labour standards:

(a) freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining;
(b) the elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labour;
(c) the effective abolition of child labour; and
(d) the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation. It further established that to give full effect to the Declaration a promotional follow-up should be implemented, including the drafting of annual global reports on one of the four categories of fundamental principles and rights in turn.

	Summary_ILO_Dalit_Employment_Guide.pdf ILO FORTHCOMING PUBLICATION: ILO Asia Pacific Employment Working Papers - Dalits and Employment in the Private Sector in India.
	2005_ILO_Forced_labour.pdf A GLOBAL ALLIANCE AGAINST FORCED LABOUR - Global Report under the Follow-up to the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and rights at Work 2005. ILO, 2005.