International Labor Organization | Rumbling, red pen, choice of direction

Worker in the informal service sector: ILO challenger Yolanda Díaz calls for full labor rights and social protection for care and cleaning workers worldwide. Photo: Daniel Beloumou Olomo/AFP The International Labor Organization (ILO) faces a historic choice of direction as protests stir outside its Geneva headquarters. The 56-member Board of Directors – the highest executive body made up of governments, business associations and unions – will decide on future management next Monday. The candidates are the left-wing socialist Spanish Labor Minister Yolanda Díaz and the non-party acting head of administration Gilbert Houngbo from Togo. The latter is currently leading the UN specialized agency through an unprecedented financial crisis. Because compulsory contributions of over 360 million US dollars from defaulting states - above all the USA - are not made, there are enormous budget gaps.

Because compulsory contributions of over 360 million US dollars from defaulting states - above all the USA - are not made, there are enormous budget gaps.

The deficits are noticeably paralyzing the ILO's day-to-day business: specialist conferences cannot take place, regional projects are coming to an end and development programs are shrinking drastically. In addition, General Director Houngbo is cutting 120 full-time positions in response to the red numbers. Since 2025, a total of around 600 employees have had to leave the organization due to the US financial blockade. Trade unions see the foundation of the ILO threatened because teams that monitor compliance with international labor standards around the world are disappearing. “Protect the people, protect the mandate,” demanded Daniel Bertossa, general secretary of the 30 million-member public service union federation, in a declaration of solidarity with employees this week.

Hundreds of ILO employees protested against the rigid austerity program for the first time in Geneva on Tuesday. Their anger is primarily sparked by the fact that management has so far ignored alternative savings proposals from the unions. The staff association had presented concrete measures to save energy and reduce administrative bureaucracy. Even the canton of Geneva offered financial bridging aid. But Houngbo only sent his office manager to the discussions. "The consultation process here, in an institution that should be a role model worldwide, does not meet the requirements," said the Geneva regional secretary of the Swiss union Unia, Yves Defferrard, criticizing the management's conduct of the negotiations. The ILO did not respond to a request from “nd” before going to press.

For Houngbo, who was the first African to be elected to the top of the ILO in 2022, the revolt in the house so shortly before the new election comes at an inopportune time. He publicly defends his austerity policy as crisis management with no alternative. The former Prime Minister of Togo refers to his positions as an auditor at Pricewaterhouse Coopers as well as management positions at the UN Development Program and the International Fund for Agricultural Development. “Financial administration and crisis management have been my daily bread for many years,” said Houngbo, campaigning for his re-election. With his program, he wants to limit the agency to core tasks in the future, relocate administrative services to a cheaper center outside Geneva and tie labor standards to loans from the International Monetary Fund and development banks.

Meanwhile, Díaz took advantage of the displeasure with Houngbo's crisis management. "I can't understand how an austerity plan could be pushed through without real dialogue," she explained. Instead, Díaz calls for a democratization of leadership structures and additional sources of finance through regional development banks. At the same time, with a new charter of labor rights, it demands living minimum wages as well as binding limits for artificial intelligence and algorithms in the company. The Spaniard also insists on full labor rights and social security for care and domestic workers, millions of whom are still employed informally around the world. “The ILO must make progress with the global care system – this is an epochal challenge,” said Díaz, underlining her decidedly feminist program.

Although Díaz's proposals are closer to many of the union's demands than Houngbo, the hurdles to their success remain enormous. The incumbent ILO chief is also likely to collect right-wing votes, as the Peruvian right-wing candidate Javier González-Olaechea announced his withdrawal at the beginning of November. Previously, the international employers' association and the leadership of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) officially pledged their support to Houngbo. The ITUC justified its move with reference to concrete successes of the incumbent ILO boss despite the financial crisis - such as new standards for platform work and the classification of occupational safety as a fundamental right. In addition, in times of global crises and conflicts, the ILO needs above all stable leadership, explained ITUC Secretary General Luc Triangle.

This step by the ITUC leadership is causing outrage among the unions. While African trade union federations in particular are behind Houngbo, European and Latin American associations accuse Triangle of pushing through the decision without a formal ballot. A nd query to the ITUC remained unanswered at the time of going to press.

Since the 14 union delegates represent their national associations and the vote remains secret, Díaz can hope for dissidents in the voting booth. In order to win, the challenger needs an absolute majority of at least 29 votes in the 56-member committee on Monday. Because the company representatives are allowed to vote for Houngbo, Díaz would need a whopping two-thirds majority from the remaining 42 votes from governments and unions.

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