International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant,

Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers Associations

8 Rampe du Pont Rouge, Petit Lancy, CH-1213 Geneva, Switzerland
Tel: +41 22 793 22 33 ; Fax: +41 22 793 22 38; e-mail: iuf@iuf.org; www.iuf.org

URGENT: E-MAIL CIRCULAR

Geneva, July 15, 2014
To: All affiliates in the AWTG
(Circular only to EC for information)
Concerns: ILO General Survey on Conventions 11 & 141 deadline for
responses July 31, 2014.
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
The ILO is undertaking a general survey on the application of Convention 11 on the
Right of Association (Agriculture), 1921 and Convention 141 on Rural Workers
Organisations, 1975 and the Rural Workers Organisations Recommendation (149),
1975.
All governments are supposed to reply to the ILO survey even if they have not ratified
C11 and/or C141. Initial consultations with some affiliates have indicated that
governments have not (adequately) consulted agricultural workers trade unions
before submitting their reply to the ILO. The IUF is therefore advising affiliates to
complete the questionnaire themselves as a matter of urgency and return to:
The International Labour Standards Department
International Labour Office
Facsimile: + 41 22 799 67 71
E-mail: normes@ilo.org attn. CEACR
BEFORE JULY 31, 2014.
Please copy your the reply to Sue Longley (sue.longley@iuf.org or by fax to
+41 22 793 2238). If your government has not consulted you please include this
in the reply to the ILO (in answer to question IV (4).
Convention 141 requires that governments facilitate the establishment and growth,
on a voluntary basis, of strong and independent organisations of rural workers but
our experience shows that in fact governments (often in collusion with employers) do
the opposite and restrict the establishment and growth of rural trade unions. We have
to make this point strongly in the answers to the survey
In addition, we can use the survey to highlight related issues such as the lack of
collective bargaining rights for rural workers; the lack of labour inspection in rural
areas and the need to ratify and implement C184 on safety and health in agriculture.
Since Conventions 11 and 141 were adopted, the rural workforce has changed
considerably. Alongside seasonal work, forced and bonded labour, there is now
widespread use of out-sourced and agency labour, with many countries increasingly
dependent on migrant workers for the harvesting of crops. There is clear evidence
that vulnerable migrant workers often end up in force labour situations. We should

highlight how precarious work is used to undermine trade union organization and
collective bargaining thus denying workers access to their fundamental rights.
To assist you with the response please find attached a blank copy of the survey for
your answers and copy of the survey with guidance from the secretariat.
Some of the questions are quite technical and aimed more at governments than
trade unions and you can leave these blank and concentrate on the questions
relating to your unions experience. It is very important that affiliates give specific and
concrete examples from their own experience and activities.
The final section (V) of the survey covers possible future action by the ILO on
standards and technical co-operation on freedom of association for rural and
agricultural workers. We have supplied detailed guidance which we hope affiliates
will use so that we can ensure the ILO gets a strong, consistent message from trade
unions that will be reflected in the report of the survey findings.
The ILO will consolidate the replies into a report to its Committee of Experts on the
Application on Standards and Recommendations (CEACR). The CEACR will
consider the report and make its own observations and recommendations in a
second report that will be presented to a future International Labour Conference as
part of the reporting on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.
Please make every effort to complete the questionnaire and to return it to the
ILO by July 31, 2014.
Thanks in anticipation, yours in solidarity

Sue Longley
International officer
agriculture & plantations

Ron Oswald
General Secretary

ro/sl/034- 2014

Attachments: Survey form

Survey guidance note
C 11, C141 and Recommendation 149
Lists of ratification of C 11 and C 141