Building material workers secure victories for decent work and just transition at ILO meeting


(Photo: ILO HQ, 24.09.2024. Workers' delegates, BWI, IndustriALL Global Union, ITUC workers' group secretaries, EFBWW, and IndustriALL Europe representatives.)


Upon the initiative of the Building and Wood Workers' International (BWI) and IndustriALL Global Union, the International Labour Organization (ILO) held a Tripartite Technical Meeting on the Promotion of Decent Work and a Just Transition in the Building Materials Industry, including Cement. This meeting took place at the ILO headquarters in Geneva from 23 to 27 September 2024.


This was the first meeting of its kind for the building materials sector in the ILO's history, bringing together governments, employers, and unions to discuss challenges and opportunities in the industry. The goal was to adopt conclusions and recommendations for future action.


The workers’ group delegation, chaired by Pierre Cuppens, general secretary of ACV CSC BIE in Belgium and BWI Deputy President, were national union leaders and experts from GBH Austria, ACV CSC BIE and ABVV-FGTB Belgium, Quimicos ABC and Union of Workers of the Civil Construction Industry of the North Central Fluminense, Brazil, Teamsters, Canada, IGBCE, Germany, GCFITU, Georgia, TU of Workers in the Cement Industry Hondureña S.A., Honduras, INCWF, India, FSP ISSI, Indonesia, GFBCTU, Lebanon, CMWEU, Mauritius, NUM, South Africa, CLAWUZ, Zimbabwe, Unite, UK and USW, US. They were supported by the BWI, IndustriALL Global Union, the International Confederation of Trade Unions (ITUC) and other sister organisations.


On the last day of the meeting, negotiations concluded with an agreement on the Promotion of Decent Work and a Just Transition in the Building Materials Industry, including Cement. The agreement, available in English, French, and Spanish, is seen as a significant milestone in establishing the foundation for decent work and a just transition for workers.


The workers' group delegation secured commitments on several key issues:


  • Agreement that social dialogue, at all levels, based on respect for freedom of association and the recognition of collective bargaining rights, is crucial for shaping and effectively implementing policies that promote decent work and a just transition, ensuring no one is left behind.

  • Employers and trade unions should collaborate to develop and implement just transition plans at the sectoral and enterprise levels through collective bargaining and workplace cooperation, in line with national legislation and ILO guidelines.

  • Governments should enforce measures to ensure that all enterprises, including multinationals, in the building materials industry respect human and labor rights.  

  • Governments should ensure that public procurement rules foster strict adherence to labor rights, including occupational safety and health (OSH), and support effective labor protection for workers in the industry.

  • Governments, in cooperation with employers' and workers' organizations, should promote equality of opportunity for all workers, ensure equal pay for work of equal value, and support work–life balance.

  • Skills development and lifelong learning strategies, including quality apprenticeships developed by governments, employers, and workers' organizations, are key to helping enterprises and workers respond to evolving industry requirements.

  • Universal access to comprehensive, adequate, and sustainable social protection systems must be strengthened to support all workers, including migrant workers and those vulnerable to the effects of climate change and the ongoing transition to greener economies.

  • OSH risks and hazards in the industry, including exposure to hazardous substances and manual handling injuries, need to be addressed.

The meeting also tasked the ILO with:


  • Developing guidelines and tools for the promotion of decent work and just transition in the industry, including subcontracting;

  • Undertaking industry-specific labor market assessments, including normative gap analysis and research on the impacts of transformations towards environmentally sustainable building materials for enterprises and workers;

  • Strengthening the capacity of constituents to engage in effective social dialogue to promote decent work and ensure a just transition, in collaboration with the ILO International Training Centre;

  • Assisting in identifying and monitoring occupational diseases caused by new building materials and production processes used in the industry, in collaboration with relevant UN agencies, and providing guidance to constituents regarding appropriate risk elimination measures;

  • Designing and implementing development cooperation projects and organizing regional meetings and workshops on labor issues in the building materials industry.

The meeting recognized an extensive list of international labor standards and a non-exhaustive list of ILO declarations, instruments, guidance, and other international instruments relevant to the sector, including those relating to fundamental labor rights, OSH, and procurement with social clauses.


Cuppens, who is also the chair of BWI’s Global Cement Network, emphasized the network's goal of developing tools to promote decent work and a just transition in the cement and building materials sector, taking into account subcontracting and the entire value chain. "This was a week full of tough negotiations and frank dialogue. We are proud of what we have achieved. Through collaboration with workers' representatives, this agreement includes social dialogue at all levels, addresses health and safety risks, supports just transition plans, develops skills strategies, and ensures sustainable social protection systems for all.”


BWI thanked its partners in the workers’ delegation, as well as participants from the government and employer delegations. The global union said that it looks forward to the implementation of the recommendations and urge employers and governments to collaborate on advancing decent work and a just transition for workers in the building materials industry, including cement. "We are pleased with the engagement of the government representatives who recognized the importance of ensuring decent work in the building materials sector, including in the supply chains. We also recognize the participation of a well-represented group of employers, including major companies from the building materials industry,” BWI General Secretary Ambet Yuson said.