Developments within the International Labour Organisation
21.
The Chairman said that his ministerial duties included the oversight of developments in the ILO. He too was concerned at the possibility that the United States might withdraw from membership of that Organisation when the two years' period of notice expired in November. Recent events in the IIO's Governing Body had been favourable to the United States' cause but the President of the AFL-CIO still seemed to be taking a hard line and the attitude of the American trade union movement would continue to be a major influence on US policy towards the ILO and a major factor in the decision of the US Administration to remain in membership or to withdraw. The approach of President Carter's Administration was broadly similar to that of his predecessor and although the Chairman' personal view was that the Americans were perhaps less keen to withdraw, no clear indication of what their final decision was likely to be could be expected before the end of the International Labour Conference in June. Close contact and consultation would therefore continue to be necessary between Western governments. The British Government also felt concern over some of the matters which had caused the US Administration to give two years' notice of intention to withdraw. The Government were also aware that a change in ILO structure might involve the loss of their non-elective seat in the Governing Body.
22.
In introducing the background paper (OLCC (1977) 3), Mr Forward admitted that it related wholly to developments affecting the United States. Nevertheless, although the US action had created uncertainty, most of the routine activities of the ILO were continuing. Meetings were taking place and a budget for 1978/79 had been approved by the Governing Body although the United States had not taken part in discussions on it. A Working Group, on which the UK had representatives on all three groups, including Mr Coates, had met in recent months with the objective of formulating a state- ment of principles which would be presented to the United Nations Commission on Transnational Corporations as part of the examination relating to multinationals now being conducted in UN agencies.
23.
Mr Forward agreed with the Chairman that an early decision by the United States could not be expected. The US Administration clearly wanted their position to have the maximum impact and wished to establish the extent to which their views on the ILO had the sympathy and support of other Western member governments. This had bean forthcoming to a gratifying extent in recent months and there was little doubt that as a result of the American attitude the major Western members governments were now more attentive to the iasuon at stake and less ready to accept damaging, compromises. The United States tended to regard member states of the ILO as consisting of two categories i.e. those which upheld the principle of tripartitism and the autonomy of the groups, and those like the Soviet bloc and some developing countries where tripartitism was weak and employers' and/or workers' groups did not enjoy full autonomy. The American view seemed to be that the influence of the second category on the activities of the ILO should be contained
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