ILO Actrav

ILC 2026: Photos from the visit of ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo to the Workers’ Group.
The Director-General welcomed and thanked worker delegates attending the 114th Session of the International Labour Conference.
He reiterated the critical importance of the ILO’s normative mandate and reaffirmed the Organization’s commitment to supporting its constituents worldwide.

The 114th Session of the International Labour Conference has officially opened in Geneva!

Each year, workers, employers and governments from the ILO’s 187 Member States come together to discuss key issues shaping the world of work and advance social justice.

This year’s Conference opens in a context marked by inequality, technological change, democratic shifts, conflict and uncertainty.

For workers and their organizations, the stakes are high. Across the world, trade unions continue to defend rights, protect workers, support their members and keep democracy alive in the workplace and beyond.

Catelene Passchier, Chairperson of the Workers’ Group, stressed that the role of the ILO must be reinforced to protect workers around the world and respond to the challenges ahead.

The Conference will address several issues of major importance for workers, including decent work in the platform economy, artificial intelligence, gender equality, international labour standards, social dialogue and tripartism.

The ILO’s Bureau for Workers’ Activities stands ready to support workers’ organizations in defending workers’ rights and advancing social justice.

Ahead of the 114th Session of the International Labour Conference, the Workers’ Group held its first meeting on 31 May 2026.
Oliver Röpke, Director of the ILO’s Bureau for Workers’ Activities (ACTRAV), reaffirmed the support of the Bureau and the ILO for workers’ organizations worldwide in a turbulent and challenging world of work:

“At a time like this, the role of the ILO is more important than ever. As the only multilateral institution where governments, employers and workers come together on an equal footing, the ILO remains a unique and indispensable platform for dialogue, cooperation and progress.”

Oliver Röpke, Director of the ILO Bureau for Workers’ Activities (ACTRAV)

The Workers’ Group also observed a minute of silence in memory of the workers who lost their lives in the course of their work over the past year.

Photos are available here:
https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCVswG

ACTRAV welcomes Workers’ delegates to the 114th International Labour Conference

On behalf of the Director-General of the International Labour Organization, Oliver Röpke, Director of the ILO Bureau for Workers’ Activities (ACTRAV), warmly welcomes Workers’ delegates to Geneva for the 114th Session of the International Labour Conference.

In his message, he highlights key issues of critical importance for workers and their organizations.

🎥 Watch the video:

ACTRAV welcomes Workers' delegates to the 114th International Labour Conference Oliver Röpke, Director of the ILO’s Bureau for Workers’ Activities,...

El poder de la colectividad frente a los retos globales

En este episodio de Workers’ Voices, conversamos con Enrique Oñate Vera, representante de la Unión Nacional de Trabajadores (UNT) de México y miembro del Grupo de los Trabajadores en el Consejo de Administración de la OIT. Enrique comparte su perspectiva única como piloto y líder sindical sobre la importancia de fortalecer el multilateralismo en tiempos de incertidumbre. Analizamos los desafíos específicos de la defensa de los derechos laborales en el sector de la aviación y el papel fundamental de las normas internacionales del trabajo para garantizar la justicia social.

El poder de la colectividad frente a los retos globales En este episodio de Workers’ Voices, conversamos con Enrique Oñate Vera, representante de la Unión Nacional de Trabajadores (UNT) de México y miembro del Gru...

Why the new ILO Code of Practice on Occupational Safety and Health matters for aquaculture workers

Aquaculture employs more than 20 million people worldwide. Yet many workers face serious occupational safety and health risks ; from hazardous machinery and chemical exposure to extreme weather and wildlife threats.

At the recent International Labour Organization Meeting of Experts, representatives adopted the first-ever Code of Practice on Occupational Safety and Health in Aquaculture, a landmark step to improve working conditions across the sector.

In this video, ILO ACTRAV specialists Ursula Kulke and Victor Hugo Ricco explain the importance of this new standard, with contributions from:

-James Wilson Ritchie, Vice-Chairperson of the Workers’ Group
-Ndaizivei Loveletter Kamoto, Workers Union of Zimbabwe

▶️ Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJGiQUdWd6g

May Day 2026: Standing with Workers Worldwide

In his May Day message, Oliver Röpke, Director of the ILO’s Bureau for Workers’ Activities (ACTRAV), reaffirms the ILO’s commitment to standing with workers and trade unions worldwide.
As workers’ rights, democracy, and decent work face growing challenges, he underscores the urgent need for unity, solidarity, and collective action to uphold social justice and safeguard dignity for all.

International Labour Organization 3 likes. "May Day 2026: Standing with Workers Worldwide"

840,000 Lives Lost: The Hidden Toll of Psychosocial Risks at Work

Every year, over 840,000 workers die from health conditions linked to psychosocial risks at work. On World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2026, the International Labour OrganizationInternational Labour Organization spotlights a defining challenge of our time: protecting workers’ mental and social well‑being.

In this video, specialists from the ILO’s Bureau for Workers’ Activities (ACTRAV) and Rory O’Neill from International Trade Union Confederation - (ITUC) examine how digitalization, remote work, and AI are reshaping work; often increasing stress, anxiety, and burnout.

The evidence is clear: strong trade unions, effective social dialogue and International Labour Standards implemented in law and practice, save lives.

Discover how stronger workers’ voices and international labour standards can protect the hearts and minds of workers worldwide and how ACTRAV supports trade union action to protect workers safety and heath.

▶️ Watch the video:
https://lnkd.in/e4tj37du

📘 Download the new ILO report on psychosocial risks at work (free):
https://lnkd.in/e9GAz7Fa...

This week, the ACTRAV Director held a series of meetings with workers’ organizations, reaffirming the central role of social dialogue in sustainable competitiveness and democratic renewal.

📍 Brussels
Speaking at a panel organized by the Hans-Böckler-Stiftung on “Sustainable competitiveness: Social dialogue in the single market and solidarity along new value chains”, Oliver Röpke emphasized that if Europe wants competitiveness that is truly sustainable, workers’ voices must be strengthened ; not only in the workplace and not only within Europe, but across the entire value chain and across borders.

He highlighted five key propositions:

1- There is no sustainable competitiveness without social dialogue.
2-There is no genuine social dialogue without freedom of association and collective bargaining ; and both are under pressure worldwide.
3- In a turbulent and rapidly changing environment, we need foresight, and social dialogue is the vehicle for that.
4-There is no democratic renewal without democracy in the world of work, globally.
5-International Labour Standards and social dialogue are central to ensuring coherence in an increasingly complex and multi‑layered global labour governance system.

📍 Geneva
The ACTRAV Director also met with a delegation from the Federation of Trade Unions of the Republic of Kazakhstan, led by its Chairman, Satybaldy Dauletalin. He reaffirmed the ILO’s commitment to supporting constituents in Kazakhstan, with a strong focus on:
-capacity building
-institutional strengthening of trade unions
-social dialogue and collective bargaining
-international labour standards

ACTRAV remains committed to working with trade unions to promote decent work across Kazakhstan.