ILO Governing Body, 356th session - EU Statement - Complaint submitted under article 26 of the ILO Constitution alleging non-observance by Chile of Conventions Nos 87, 98, 135[...]

ILO Governing Body, 356th session - EU Statement - Complaint submitted under article 26 of the ILO Constitution alleging non-observance by Chile of Conventions Nos 87, 98, 135 and 151

European Union Statement

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ILO Governing Body, 356^th session

23 March - 2 April 2026

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Complaint submitted under article 26 of the ILO Constitution alleging non-observance by Chile of Conventions Nos 87, 98, 135 and 151

GB.356/INS/16

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Geneva, 30 March 2026

Chair,

I speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

The candidate countries North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, Ukraine, Republic of Moldova and Georgia, the EFTA country Norway, member of the European Economic Area, as well Switzerland align themselves with this statement.

We thank the Office for the GB document and the Government of Chile for the timely response with its observations on the complaint to the Director General's communication on the art. 26 complaint: the timely communication laid the ground for the understanding of where the case stands.

The EU and its Member States are committed to the respect, protection and fulfilment of labour rights. Universal ratification and effective implementation of fundamental ILO conventions and the ILO's supervisory mechanism are essential in this endeavour.

The ILO's supervisory system is central to the Organization's normative mandate, and the EU and its Member States stress its importance to the Organization and support its effective and efficient functioning. We acknowledge that this was the third complaint made under article 26 of the ILO Constitution in recent years alleging non-observance by Chile of the same Conventions, and that the GB had closed the previous ones filed in 2016 and 2019 and transmitted them to the regular supervisory system.

We also acknowledge that the same substantive matters, facts, background and circumstances of the present complaint on freedom of association are dealt with in an Article 24 procedure and examined by the Committee on Freedom of Association.

We welcome the agreement reached by the parties involved on 22 January 2026. It notes that any other submission made under the ILO supervisory system will be nullified, in the understanding that the same matter should not be dealt with in two parallel proceedings of the supervisory system.

We commend the Government of Chile for its latest ratifications of Conventions, including No. 155 on occupational safety and health, which completes it ratification of all fundamental conventions.

We support all elements of the decision point intended to lead to a constructive resolution of the matters raised in the complaint.

Finally, we thank the members of the Committee on Freedom of Association for their continuous work on the matters raised in the complaint.

Thank you, Chair.

1. ^ North Macedonia, Montenegro and Albania continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.