Commission recommends adoption of homeworking Convention

In May 1998, the European Commission called on all EU Member States to ratify the ILO Convention on homeworking, in order to improve the working conditions of these workers.

On 27 May 1998, the European Commission launched a Recommendation calling upon all 15 Member States to ratify the International Labour Organisation (ILO) [Convention No. 177 concerning home work](http://ilolex.ilo.ch:1567/public/50normes/ilolex/pdconv.pl?host=status01&textbase=iloeng&document=180&chapter=1&query=(C177). The Convention was adopted by the ILO Conference on 20 June 1996, and has been signed by all the European Union Member States except Germany and the United Kingdom.

According to 1992 figures from Eurostat, 6.9 million people or 4.9% of the EU working population could be classified as homeworkers. Homeworking covers a diverse range of occupational sectors ranging from traditional craft-based industries to modern information technology-based sectors. However, the Commission states that a common theme generally typifying homeworking is the poor conditions of work and low levels of social protection. This has implications for equal opportunities, as women are disproportionately represented in this category of workers, having chosen homeworking as part of a strategy to reconcile work and family life.

The ILO Convention aims to improve the application of existing international labour standards (Conventions and Recommendations) to homeworkers, and to supplement them by standards which take into account the special characteristics of homeworking. The Convention specifies in Article 3 that each ratifying ILO member country "shall adopt, implement and periodically review a national policy on home work aimed at improving the situation of home - workers, in consultation with the most representative organisations of employers and workers."

Central to the Convention is the principle of equal treatment between homeworkers and other workers, as Article 4 specifies that equality of treatment shall be promoted in relation to discrimination in employment or occupation, occupational health and safety, remuneration, statutory social security protection, access to training and the right to establish or join organisations of their own choosing. Article 9 makes provision for a system of inspection that is consistent with national law to ensure compliance with the laws and regulations applicable to homeworking.

The Convention is not yet in force, but will become operational 12 months after ratification by two ILO member countries.

The Commission Communication seeks the ratification of the Convention across the whole of the EU, as it believes that this will assist in furthering the effective enforcement of equal opportunities for men and women. The Commissioner responsible for social affairs, Pádraig Flynn, underlined the significance of the Convention for the EU, stating that "in view of the large number of homeworkers in the EU, and especially the high proportion of women working from home, the application of the Convention in all Member States would be a significant step towards an effective protection of workers and would constitute a real promotion of equal opportunities."

The Commission argues that the high level of protection given by the Convention reduces the need for an EU standard in this area. Also, by ratifying the Convention, one of the priorities of the Social Action Programme 1995-7, which focused on the improvement of conditions for homeworkers, can be served. The Convention is also seen as consistent with the present emphasis on equal opportunities embodied in the European employment strategy, and with the plan in theSocial Action Programme 1998-2000 to consult with the social partners on the need for EU action to protect teleworkers (EU9805104F).

The Recommendation asks each Member State to informs the Commission within 18 months of the steps they have taken in this area; this information will be used to monitor developments.