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Under the PBRW initiative, USDOL promotes the core labor standards embodied in the
International Labor Organization’s (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and
Rights at Work, specifically working towards strengthening the right to freedom of
association and collective bargaining, eliminating forced or compulsory labor, and removing
discrimination with respect to employment and occupation.
PBRW projects address workers’ rights in many ways, including:
- Seeking to improve industrial relations among employees, businesses
and governments through mediation and arbitration training.
- Assisting foreign governments, to more effectively administer their labor
laws.
- Combatting forced and bonded labor.
- Addressing the inequalities and discrimination associated with women’s
employment.
- Educating workers and employers of their rights and responsibilities
under national labor laws.
Examples of project activities include:
- Industrial Relations: Strengthening industrial relations in Central
America, East Africa, Indonesia, Jordan, Morocco, and the Caribbean to prevent and resolve labor
conflict through peaceful, institutional mechanisms. One example is the project to "Improve the
Working Conditions in the Garment Industry." The garment industry of Cambodia is the fastest
growing sector in the economy and primary provider of new jobs. Working conditions in the
factories, however, have been criticized for being in violation of national labor laws and
inconsistent with internationally recognized core labor standards. In response, ILAB, through
a grant to the ILO, is working with the Cambodian government, garment manufacturers
association, and major trade unions to improve conditions in the sector through labor law
education and improved labor law administration.
- Bonded Labor: Eliminating forced and bonded labor in Brazil through
the development of an integrated database and monitoring system to track forced labor, the
creation and training of a mobile inspection unit to enhance law enforcement, and the design of
action programs to assist rescued workers in finding new ways of income generation.
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