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International Labor Organization

International Labor Organization

3.5
An organization that helps countries protect workers' rights and improve working conditions worldwide
  • proper noun
  • /ˌɪntəˈnæʃənl ˈleɪbər ˌɔrgənaɪˈzeɪʃən/
  • US
translation icon : Organización Internacional del Trabajo
  • In 2005, according to the International Labor Organization, only about half of Greeks in their late 50s were economically active; in 2004, less than one Austrian in eight worked into his or her 60s.
  • International Labor Organization (ILO)
  • International Labor Organization's labor standards

Examples

  • According to the International Labor Organization, many workers still lack basic rights and protections in their workplaces.

  • Consider the International Labor Organization's core labor standard that recognizes freedom of association.

    Academic text (2001)

  • The Burmese government then signed a new agreement with the International Labor Organization, which it had been threatening to throw out of the country.

    Academic text (2008)

  • The implementation of the International Labor Organization (ILO) labor standards in Southern countries would improve the working conditions in many factories.

    Academic text (2008)

  • We can strengthen the International Labor Organization in order to enforce labor standards, just as we strengthened the World Trade Organization to enforce trade agreements.

    Academic text (2007)

  • As the above has played out, the situation has been bad enough that the International Labor Organization (ILO) has described this crisis as a global job crisis.

    Blog text (25)

  • The report from the International Labor Organization highlighted the need for better labor rights around the world.

  • The International Labor Organization plays a crucial role in establishing fair working conditions and labor standards globally.

Synonyms

ILO
vsInternational Labor Organization
1 4.2

A United Nations group that sets rules to protect workers' rights

is the full official name rather than the shortened form

Surface Forms

International Labor Organization main

Morphology

international + labor + organization

The phrase is compositionally built from 'international' (involving multiple countries) + 'labor' (workers/working conditions) + 'organization' (a collective), so a B1 learner who knows the constituents can infer it denotes an organization that deals with labor issues across countries. The exact institutional status (that it is a UN agency) is specific factual knowledge but does not prevent learners from understanding the basic, compositional meaning.

Etymology

International Labor Organization was created after World War I as a place where countries, employers and workers could meet to agree on fair rules for 'work'. The name joins International (between countries), Labor ('work') and Organization (a group), so it still means a global group that works to improve working conditions today.