A complaint can be lodged by any ILO constituent – a government, employers’ or workers’ organizations – against a government, whether or not the country concerned has ratified the relevant Conventions.
The Office informs the government against whom the allegations are made and asks for its observations.
Recourse to preliminary contacts, direct contacts or tripartite missions may be had.
The CFA considers the allegations and reaches conclusions and recommendations on the basis of consensus.
The Governing Body receives and normally approves the CFA report with conclusions and recommendations, sending the matter on for follow-up as appropriate.
Complainants can ask that a case be treated urgently. This must be justified by information given in the complaint. Matters involving human life or personal freedom, or new or changing conditions affecting the freedom of action of a trade union movement as a whole, cases arising out of a continuing state of emergency and cases involving the dissolution of an organization, are treated as cases of urgency.
In serious and urgent cases, preliminary contacts may be established to collect preliminary information in respect of the allegations that have given rise to the complaints or to draw the attention of the authorities to ILO principles and procedures concerning freedom of association. See step “3. On-the-spot missions are possible”.