Proliferation of transnational labour standards: The role of the ILO

Abstract

The article examines the institutional history of the ILO in the aftermath of the Cold War, and in particular how the ILO has transformed itself into a global actor in terms of labour governance through coining the normative concept of fundamental labour rights in the 1990s, as well as the ongoing struggle in which the ILO has engaged to promote greater coherence of labour standards in the post-national era. The proliferation of transnational labour standards and decentralized standard-setting is a recognizable trend in international labour protection today. International regulation of labour has become a crowded field, as labour standards are increasingly set and enforced outside the ILO framework. The mushrooming of transnational labour standards also leads to fragmentation, conflicts and competition between norms, values and visions. In the face of proliferating labour standards, the ILO has to endeavour to reinstate itself as the central institution for innovative economic and social theories as well as for labour standards. The ILO needs to exercise its leadership not just in defending normative coherence but also in advancing a humanitarian vision of the economy and society.