Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949


The Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention is an International Labour Organization Convention. It is one of eight ILO fundamental conventions.
Its counterpart on the general principle of freedom of association is the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention No 87.

Content

The Preamble of Convention 98 notes its adoption on July 1, 1949. After this the Convention covers, first, the rights of union members to organise independently, without interference by employers in article 1 to 3. Second, articles 4 to 6 require the positive creation of rights to collective bargaining, and that each member state's law promotes it.

Rights to organise

Article 1 states that workers must be protected against discrimination for joining a union, particularly conditions of employers to not join a union, dismissal or any other prejudice for having union membership or engaging in union activities. Article 2 requires that both workers and employers' organisations should not be interfered in their own establishment, functioning or administration. Article 2 prohibits, in particular, unions being dominated by employers through "financial or other means". Article 3 requires each ILO member give effect to articles 1 and 2 through appropriate machinery, such as a government watchdog.

Rights to collective bargaining

Article 4 goes on to collective bargaining. It requires that the law promotes "the full development and utilisation of machinery for voluntary negotiation" between worker organisations and employer groups to regulation employment "by means of collective agreements." Article 5 states that national law can provide different laws for the police and armed forces, and the Convention does not affect laws that existed when an ILO member ratifies the Convention. Article 6 further gives an exemption for "the position of public servants engaged in the administration of the State".

Administrative provisions

Article 7 says ratifications should be communicated to the ILO Director General. Article 8 says the Convention is only binding on those who have ratified it, although the 1998 Declaration means that this is no longer entirely true: the Convention is binding as a fact of membership in the ILO. Articles 9 and 10 deal with specific territories where the Convention may be applied or modified. Article 11 concerns denunciation of the Convention, although again, because of the 1998 Declaration, it is no longer possible for an ILO member to profess they are not bound by the Convention: it is an essential principle of international law. Article 12 states the Director General shall keep all members notified of which countries have adhered to the Conventions. Article 13 states this shall be communicated to the United Nations. Article 14 states the ILO Governing Body shall produce reports on the working of the Convention. Article 15 deals with revisions to the Convention, and article 16 states that the English and French versions are equally authoritative.

Ratifications

The following countries have ratified ILO Convention 98:
CountryDateNotes
June 3, 1957-
November 19, 1962-
June 4, 1976-
February 2, 1983-
September 24, 1956-
November 12, 2003-
February 28, 1973-
November 10, 1951-
May 19, 1992-
May 25, 1976-
June 22, 1972-
May 8, 1967-
November 6, 1956ratified as the Byelorussian SSR
December 10, 1953-
December 15, 1983-
May 16, 1968-
November 15, 1973-
June 2, 1993-
December 22, 1997-
November 18, 1952-
June 8, 1959-
April 16, 1962-
October 10, 1997-
April 3, 1979-
August 23, 1999-
September 3, 1962-
June 14, 2017In force starting June 14, 2018
June 9, 1964-
June 8, 1961-
February 1, 1999-
November 16, 1976-
October 23, 1978-
November 26, 1999-
June 16, 1969-
June 2, 1960-
May 5, 1961-
October 8, 1991-
April 29, 1952-
May 24, 1966-
January 1, 1993-
August 15, 1955-
August 3, 1978-
February 28, 1983-
September 22, 1953-
May 28, 1959-
July 3, 1954-
August 13, 2001-
February 22, 2000-
March 22, 1994-
June 4, 1963-
April 19, 1974-
December 22, 1951-
October 26, 1951-
May 29, 1951-
September 4, 2000-
June 22, 1993-
June 8, 1956-
July 2, 1959-
March 30, 1962-
July 9, 1979-
February 13, 1952-
February 21, 1977-
March 26, 1959-
June 8, 1966-
April 12, 1957-
June 27, 1956-
June 6, 1957-
July 15, 1952-
July 15, 1957-
November 27, 1962-
June 4, 1955-
January 28, 1957-
May 13, 1958-
December 26, 1962-
October 20, 1953-
December 12, 1968-
May 18, 2001-
January 13, 1964-
February 3, 2000-
August 9, 2007-
March 31, 1992-
January 27, 1992-
June 1, 1977-
October 31, 1966-
May 25, 1962-
June 20, 1962-
September 26, 1994-
March 3, 1958-
November 17, 1991-
June 3, 1998-
March 22, 1965-
June 5, 1961-
January 4, 2013-
March 2, 1964-
January 4, 1965-
December 3, 2001-
December 2, 1969-
August 12, 1996-
June 3, 1969-
June 3, 2006-
May 20, 1957-
December 23, 1996-
January 3, 1995-
November 11, 1996-
December 22, 1993Ratification excludes Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten and the Caribbean Netherlands.
June 9, 2003-
October 31, 1967-
March 23, 1962-
October 17, 1960-
February 17, 1955-
May 26, 1952-
May 16, 1966-
May 1, 1976-
March 21, 1966-
March 13, 1964-
December 12, 1953-
February 25, 1957-
July 1, 1964-
November 26, 1958-
August 10, 1956ratified as the Soviet Union
August 11, 1988-
September 4, 2000-
May 14, 1980-
October 21, 1998-
June 30, 2008-
December 19, 1986-
June 17, 1992-
July 28, 1961-
November 24, 2000ratified as Serbia and Montenegro
October 4, 1999-
June 13, 1961-
October 25, 1965-
January 1, 1993-
May 29, 1992-
April 13, 2012-
March 22, 2014-
February 19, 1996-
April 29, 2012-
April 20, 1977-
December 13, 1972-
June 18, 1957-
June 5, 1996-
April 26, 1978-
July 18, 1950-
August 17, 1999-
June 7, 1957-
November 26, 1993-
January 30, 1962ratified as Tanganyika
June 16, 2009-
November 8, 1983-
May 24, 1963-
May 15, 1957-
January 23, 1952-
May 15, 1997-
June 4, 1963-
September 14, 1956ratified as the Ukrainian SSR
June 30, 1950-
March 18, 1954-
July 13, 1992-
August 28, 2006-
December 19, 1968-
April 14, 1969ratified as South Yemen
September 2, 1996-
August 27, 1998-