cscott@worldbank.org and Dr Elisabeth Gruber Minstry of Finance International Financial Institutions (III/3) Johannesgasse 5 A-1010 Wien Ihr Zeichen Unser Zeichen Bearbeiter/in Tel 501 65 Fax Datum EU-GSt/De/Do Eva Dessewffy DW 2711 DW 42711 19.12.2014 Review and Update of the World Bank´s Environmental and Social Safeguard Policies Phase 2 (ESS 2) Dear Sir, dear Madame, we thank the representatives of the World Bank (WB) and the Austrian Federal Ministry of Finance for the invitation on 5th of December and the opportunity to participate in the discussions around the proposal of the World Bank´s new environmental and social safeguard policies. Please find a summary of our comments bellow: One of the major weaknesses in World Bank´s draft of labour standards safeguard is seen by the Federal Chamber of Labour (BAK) in the narrow application of labour standards. While we welcome the reference of the protection of workers, and the avoidance of forced and child labour, the proposed labour standard ESS 2 fails to fulfill the ILO Core Labour Standards that represent internationally recognized minimum labour standards. All ILO-Member states are obliged to ratify, implement and effectively apply them. In particular, ESS 2 doesn´t guarantee the basic rights to collective bargaining and freedom of association. Additionally it is so narrowly drawn by excluding third party contractors, that it will apply to only a fraction of workers. The World Bank is requested to correct these problems with ESS 2, in line with the standard set on application to public sector projects by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the African Development Bank (AfDB). Issues in detail: The absence of a labour standards safeguard at the World Bank has meant that borrowers from the World Bank’s public sector divisions, International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and International Development Association (IDA), funded by those divisions have not been required to comply with the basic labour standards adopted at other multilateral development banks (MDBs). MDBs that have adopted labour standards requirements include the World Bank’s private sector division, International
cscott@worldbank.org and Dr Elisabeth Gruber Minstry of Finance International Financial Institutions (III/3) Johannesgasse 5 A-1010 Wien Ihr Zeichen Unser Zeichen Bearbeiter/in Tel 501 65 Fax Datum EU-GSt/De/Do Eva Dessewffy DW 2711 DW 42711 19.12.2014 Review and Update of the World Bank´s Environmental and Social Safeguard Policies Phase 2 (ESS 2) Dear Sir, dear Madame, we thank the representatives of the World Bank (WB) and the Austrian Federal Ministry of Finance for the invitation on 5th of December and the opportunity to participate in the discussions around the proposal of the World Bank´s new environmental and social safeguard policies. Please find a summary of our comments bellow: One of the major weaknesses in World Bank´s draft of labour standards safeguard is seen by the Federal Chamber of Labour (BAK) in the narrow application of labour standards. While we welcome the reference of the protection of workers, and the avoidance of forced and child labour, the proposed labour standard ESS 2 fails to fulfill the ILO Core Labour Standards that represent internationally recognized minimum labour standards. All ILO-Member states are obliged to ratify, implement and effectively apply them. In particular, ESS 2 doesn´t guarantee the basic rights to collective bargaining and freedom of association. Additionally it is so narrowly drawn by excluding third party contractors, that it will apply to only a fraction of workers. The World Bank is requested to correct these problems with ESS 2, in line with the standard set on application to public sector projects by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the African Development Bank (AfDB). Issues in detail: The absence of a labour standards safeguard at the World Bank has meant that borrowers from the World Bank’s public sector divisions, International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and International Development Association (IDA), funded by those divisions have not been required to comply with the basic labour standards adopted at other multilateral development banks (MDBs). MDBs that have adopted labour standards requirements include the World Bank’s private sector division, International
de_wb_ess_2_stn_20141212_0.docx