From: Critical Labour Studies <[log in to unmask]> On Behalf Of Dave Spooner
Sent: 02 January 2019 13:56
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Question: WFTU and the postwar ILO

Dear colleagues

A very happy new year to you all. I have a question for any adepts of postwar international labour history.

As I expect many of you know, the development of ILO's conventions on freedom of association (C87 1948) and collective bargaining rights (C98 1949) was prompted by a request from the (then newly-formed) World Federation of Trade Unions to the (also then newly-formed) Economic and Social Council of the UN (ECOSOC). WFTU wanted ECOSOC to make a declaration about FoA and organizing rights and to establish a permanent Committee on Trade Union Rights. Under pressure from the AFL in particular, ECOSOC forwarded the request to ILO, which in turn prompted the development of the work programme that led to conventions 87 and 98 (plus a series of others of less consequence).

What I'm interested in is understanding why WFTU went in the first instance to ECOSOC rather than ILO. Without any evidence to support this theory I think it is likely to have been because WFTU did not believe that the ILO would be able  adequately to deal with the issue because of the presence of employers in its governance structure. But, as I said, this is wholly speculative as I have been unable to find any discussion of the issue online.

So my question is whether anyone knows of sources, whether primary or secondary, that might be evidence on the question one way or the other. I'd be very grateful for anyone's help.

thanks

best

Conor