11.
avoided
(b) The World Employment Conference itself - on which the US had expressed profound misgivings in advance open confrontation with the developing world and reached generally acceptable conclusions. The employers and workers resolutely resisted a last minute manoeuvre to weaken the agreed report.
(c) In the 1976 International Labour Conference a trouble- some attempt by the WFTU to float a number of resolutions in breach of a previous understanding was successfully neutralised.
At the subsequent Governing Body meetings in November 1075 and February/March 1977 the United States showed particular interest in three areas.
5.
+
(a) Israel. The first interest is the suspension of any further attempt to implement the resolution adopted by the 1974 conference which, without use of the constitutional investigation procedures, condemned Israel for alleged breaches of labour standards in the Occupied Territories. The Governing Body, on a majority vote in secret ballot, agreed that the Director-General should take no further action.
(b) Sifting out vexatious resolutions. This is a US proposal with the object of preventing situations arising such as that in (a), by subjecting resolutions to a sifting procedure before they are cleared for distribution.
If a resolution
1
is critical or condemnatory' of a member state then the sift would allow it through only if its subject matter is within the scope of ILO instruments and (when a breach of ILO standards is alleged) the established ILO procedures for examining such allegations have been gone through. The Governing Body by a majority vote and in the face of opposition by the Eastern Bloc countries referred to the 1977 International Labour Conference a draft amendment on these lines to Article 17 of the conference standing orders.
S
(c) Structure (ie constitution) of the ILO. The United States is opposed to any further work by the joint Governing Body Conference working party which has been examining the struc- ture of the ILO and which is at present deadlocked over possible changes in the make-up of the Governing Body. The United States is understood to wish all further structure consideration to be deferred until next Autumn and then resumed only in the context of a wider discussion of the ILO's future activities and responsibilities. The Governing Body has approved the temporary suspension of working party meetings.
On all three points the UK and other friendly governments have been able to support the US position though the implications of the structure issue for the UK are discussed below in paragraphs 8 and 9. All three points will, however, be open for further
2.
/discussion