For many years the International Labour Office (ILO) has focused on promoting
decent conditions of employment within the HCT sector. 11 They have worked in
cooperation with employers’ and workers’ organizations and the governments of member
States to improve employment opportunities in the industry and have encouraged the
development of training schemes to enhance skill levels across the sector. In addition, the
ILO HCT sector has promoted social dialogue as an important tool to meet the ongoing
challenges faced by the industry. To encourage dialogue, the ILO organized a number of
tripartite events. In 1997 they held a Tripartite Sectoral Meeting on the Effects of New
Technologies on Employment and Working Conditions in the HCT Sector. This was
followed up in April 2001 with a Tripartite Meeting on Human Resource Development,
Employment and Globalization in the HCT Sector. The purpose of these meetings was to
exchange views between governments, employers’ and workers’ representatives on the
HCT sector. More recently, the ILO HCT sector has been looking to engage more directly
in implementing social dialogue structures in the sector in order to achieve greater social
and economic progress.