ILO standards and precarious work: strengths, weakness and potential created by Luc Demaret

Abstract When analysing the relevance of ILO standards in addressing issues related to the protection of workers in precarious situations it maybe useful to recall the legal nature of these standards. International labour standards take the form of Conventions and Recommendations adopted by the International Labour Conference. Conventions are treaties in the sense of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties and, as such, are binding upon ratifying Members of the ILO. It should therefore be stressed that ILO member States are legally bound to implement ratified Conventions and this obligation should be performed in good faith, including the effective implementation in practice of provisions in the instrument. As suggested in this article, a number of ILO standards would prove extremely useful to trade unions to enhance protection for workers in precarious situations. While standards cannot be a substitute for trade union actions and organizing, they can contribute to achieving the objective of decent work for all workers.