General Survey concerning social security instruments in light of the 2008 Declaration on Social

293 Pages·2011·3.98 MB·English

ILC.100/III/1B

International Labour Conference, 100th Session, 2011
General Survey concerning social security instruments
in light of the 2008 Declaration on Social Justice for a
Fair Globalization

Third item on the agenda:
Information and reports on the application
of Conventions and Recommendations
Report of the Committee of Experts
on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations
(articles 19, 22 and 35 of the Constitution)

Report III (Part 1B)

International Labour Office Geneva
Social security
and
the rule of law
INTERNATIONAL LABOUR OFFICE GENEVA
ISBN 978-92-2-123099-1 (print)
ISBN 978-92-2-123100-4 (Web pdf)
ISSN 0074-6681

First edition 2011

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Outline
Paragraphs
Introduction .................................................................................................................. 1–13
Part I. The right to social security in international law.................................... 14–153
Chapter 1. Ninety years of standard setting in social security ..................................... 14–109
Chapter 2. Maintaining social security rights through effective supervision
(1990–2005) .............................................................................................. 110–153
Part II. Towards a rights-based approach to social security .......................... 154–293
Chapter 1. Social security in the rights-based development framework .................... 154–168
Chapter 2. Taking the fundamental principles and rights at work beyond work ........ 169–233
Chapter 3. Making social security a constitutional right ............................................. 234–293
Part III. Three dimensions of strengthening legality in social security:
Extension, enforcement and due process .......................................... 294–438
Chapter 1. Legal measures to extend social security coverage ................................ 294–329
Chapter 2. Enforcement of social security legislation ................................................ 330–402
Chapter 3. The right of the beneficiary to complain and appeal in social security ..... 403–438
Part IV. Making up the deficit in social security regulation ............................. 439–572
Chapter 1. Strengthening protection of social security funds .................................... 441–495
Chapter 2. The need for effective coordination between social security and
employment policy ................................................................................... 496–534
Chapter 3. Advancing social security through social dialogue .................................. 535–572
Part V. Normative action and technical cooperation ...................................... 573–619
Chapter 1. Policy support and technical cooperation needs in social security .......... 573–596
Chapter 2. Social security standards-related action .................................................. 597–619
Concluding remarks ................................................................................................... 620–634

ILC.100/III/1B v
Contents
Page
Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1
The new format of the Survey ............................................................................................ 2
Information available .......................................................................................................... 2
Structure of the Survey ....................................................................................................... 3
Part I. The right to social security in international law.......................................... 5
Chapter 1. Ninety years of standard setting in social security ........................................... 5
A. The ILO’s mandate and standards in social security ....................................... 6
1. Evolution of the ILO’s mandate in the field of social security ..................... 6
2. Three generations of social security instruments ....................................... 8
3. Integrity and flexibility of the current up-to-date social security standards . 14
B. Recommendations Nos 67 and 69 – The blueprint for income security and
universal medical care for the post-war world.................................................. 16
1. The Income Security Recommendation, 1944 (No. 67) ............................. 17
2. The Medical Care Recommendation, 1944 (No. 69) .................................. 18
3. Continuing relevance of Recommendations Nos 67 and 69 ...................... 20
C. Convention No. 102 – Foundation of international social security law............. 22
1. Defining the very principle of social security .............................................. 22
2. Setting minimum standards for building viable systems ............................ 24
3. Guiding the development of social security standards at the
regional level .............................................................................................. 28
4. Measuring impact by cases of progress ..................................................... 30
5. Status, influence and prospects of ratification of Convention No. 102 ....... 34
D. Convention No. 168 – Combining unemployment protection with
labour market policies ...................................................................................... 39
1. Provisions of the Employment Promotion and Protection against
Unemployment Convention, 1988 (No. 168) .............................................. 39
2. Status, impact and ratification prospects ................................................... 44
ILC.100/III/1B vii
Social security and the rule of law
Chapter 2. Maintaining social security rights through effective supervision
(1990–2005) .................................................................................................... 51
A. 1990s – Containing the retreat of the welfare state ......................................... 51
1. Flexibilization and deregulation of the labour market ................................. 51
2. Rollback of social benefits.......................................................................... 52
3. Reduction of the responsibility of the State ................................................ 54
4. Internationalization of employment and social problems ........................... 55
5. Improving the efficiency of social security schemes .................................. 57
B. The 2000s – Meeting the challenges of the twenty-first century ...................... 58
1. The need for a vision of social security for the twenty-first century ............ 58
2. A new distribution of risks and responsibilities ........................................... 60
3. A new mix of enforcement and participatory measures ............................. 61
4. The need for good governance of the social sector ................................... 63
Part II. Towards a rights-based approach to social security ................................. 67
Chapter 1. Social security in the rights-based development framework ............................ 67
A. Social security as a human right and a duty of the State ................................. 67
B. The rights-based approach: Blending social security, democracy
and the rule of law ........................................................................................... 72
Chapter 2. Taking the fundamental principles and rights at work beyond work ................ 77
A. Freedom of association and social security are mutually reinforcing ............... 77
1. Collective bargaining as a means to regulate and extend social security .. 79
2. Restrictions on collective bargaining in social security matters ................. 79
3. Legislative involvement in collective agreements ...................................... 80
4. Social security and the right to strike ......................................................... 81
B. Family and child benefits are effective means for the abolition of
child labour ...................................................................................................... 82
1. Guiding principles for the granting of family benefits ................................. 83
2. Family benefit and child poverty ................................................................. 84
3. Family benefits for preventing child labour ................................................. 84
4. Cash transfer programmes ........................................................................ 86
5. Social security benefits to legally working children .................................... 88
C. Elimination of discrimination in respect of employment, occupation
and social security .......................................................................................... 89
1. Remuneration includes social security contributions and
benefits paid by the employer (Convention No. 100) ................................. 91
2. Entitlement to family allowances (Conventions Nos 100 and 111) ............ 92
3. Equal remuneration with respect to pension schemes
(Convention No. 100) ................................................................................. 92
viii ILC.100/III/1B
Contents
4. Affiliation of part-time, domestic and informal sector workers
to social security schemes (Convention No. 111) ...................................... 93
5. Differences in statutory pensionable age between men and women
(Convention No. 111) ................................................................................. 94
D. Accepting employment as a condition for receiving social security benefits.... 95
1. Negation of compulsory work by the concepts of suitable and freely
chosen employment ................................................................................... 95
2. Compulsory activation of persons with disabilities ..................................... 97
Chapter 3. Making social security a constitutional right ..................................................... 101
A. Emergence of social security rights in national constitutions ........................... 101
B. Main types of constitutional provisions concerning social security .................. 104
1. Binding or promotional provisions .............................................................. 104
2. General statements or specific obligations ................................................. 105
3. Scope of application of the constitutional guarantees ................................ 109
4. Provisions attributing competence in respect of social security ................. 110
5. Provisions defining how social security should be implemented ................ 111
6. Provisions attributing international treaties authority equal or
superior to national law .............................................................................. 112
C. The role of constitutional and supreme courts in defining the right to
social security .................................................................................................. 113
1. Development of the constitutional right to social security in
Latin America ............................................................................................. 114
2. Protection of the constitutional right to social security in
Eastern Europe .......................................................................................... 116
3. Examples of constitutional and supreme courts’ rulings from
other regions .............................................................................................. 118
Part III. Three dimensions of strengthening legality in social security:
Extension, enforcement and due process .................................................. 123
Chapter 1. Legal measures to extend social security coverage ........................................ 123
A. The move to establish a social protection floor ................................................ 124
B. Coverage of specific categories of workers ..................................................... 133
1. Private sector employees and employees in small enterprises ................. 134
2. Informal economy workers ......................................................................... 134
3. Agricultural workers ................................................................................... 135
4. Seasonal workers ...................................................................................... 136
5. Homeworkers ............................................................................................. 136
6. Part-time workers ....................................................................................... 137
7. Domestic workers ...................................................................................... 137
8. Seafarers and sea fishers .......................................................................... 138
9. Other categories of workers ....................................................................... 138
C. Extension of coverage to self-employed persons ............................................ 138
ILC.100/III/1B ix
Social security and the rule of law
Chapter 2. Enforcement of social security legislation ........................................................ 141
A. Compulsory affiliation and payment of social security contributions ................ 141
1. Collection of contributions .......................................................................... 141
2. Obligation of keeping records of contributions ........................................... 143
3. Provision of benefits in case of non-payment of contributions by the
employer .................................................................................................... 143
4. Recovering outstanding contributions ........................................................ 144
B. State supervision and inspection of social security legislation ........................ 145
1. Inspection mechanisms.............................................................................. 145
2. Rights of inspectors.................................................................................... 147
C. Legal proceedings and penalties ..................................................................... 148
1. Penalties applied to employers .................................................................. 149
2. Penalties applied to beneficiaries ............................................................... 151
3. Penalties applied to social security officials and other professionals ......... 151
D. Undeclared work, social security evasion and fraud ........................................ 152
E. New measures to combat social security fraud ............................................... 155
1. Centralizing records and collection of contributions ................................... 157
2. Cooperation between social security and tax authorities ........................... 159
3. Exclusion from public tenders .................................................................... 161
4. Consolidation of offences ........................................................................... 162
F. The duty of social security institutions to inform and advise
the persons protected ...................................................................................... 163
Chapter 3. The right of the beneficiary to complain and appeal in social security ............. 167
A. Provisions of the surveyed instruments ........................................................... 167
B. Main types of mechanisms settling individual claims ....................................... 169
C. Legal procedures in specific branches ............................................................ 172
D. The claimant’s right to assistance by a qualified person ................................. 174
E. Simple and rapid litigation procedures ............................................................. 174
F. Observance of the principles of due process ................................................... 175
Part IV. Making up the deficit in social security regulation ..................................... 179
Chapter 1. Strengthening protection of social security funds ............................................ 180
A. Provisions for sustainable financing and the general responsibility
of the State ...................................................................................................... 181
1. The principle of collective financing ........................................................... 181
2. General responsibility of the State for the due provision of benefits .......... 185
x ILC.100/III/1B