Minister of Employment Marttinen to attend ILO’s International Labour Conference
Minister of Employment Matias Marttinen will attend the International Labour Conference organised by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Geneva on 5−6 June 2025. During his visit, Marttinen will meet ILO’s Director General Gilbert F. Houngbo and other management of the organisation.
The Conference will discuss the annual report of the Director General. The report stresses the importance of democratic values and institutions in strengthening the link between employment, rights and growth.
In his speech at the plenary session of the Conference, Minister Marttinen will speak about the Finnish Government’s reforms to increase incentives for work, flexibility in the labour market, innovation and enhancements to working life.
Decent work and platform economy also on the agenda
Other topics of the Conference include decent work, the platform economy and the protection of workers from biological hazards. In addition, there will be a general discussion on the informal economy and the required measures.
The International Labour Conference will discuss the protection of workers from biological hazards. The aim is to adopt a convention and a supplementing recommendation on the matter.
The discussion on decent work and platform economy will be based on the ILO’s report that contains views of the Member States and employer and employee organisations on the regulation of platform work internationally. The ILO Labour Office proposes a convention and a supplementing recommendation on the matter. The scope of the convention would cover both people in employment relationship and self-employed persons.
Finland has tentatively stated that a recommendation would be a more justified solution than a convention. The EU’s Platform Work Directive guides the views of Finland and other EU Member States in the negotiations.
The Conference will also discuss the informal economy, which is outside regulation, taxation and statistics. The informal economy is common and it comprises as much as 58 per cent of the global labour force. The debate will address approaches to promote the transition to the formal economy in a comprehensive manner.
Operating under the UN, the ILO is an organisation that creates international labour standards, such as conventions, and monitors and supports its Member States in complying with the conventions. The International Labour Conference is the highest decision-making body of the ILO and it meets annually.
Inquiries:
Jaakko Aromaa, Special Adviser to the Minister of Employment, tel. +358 295 047 110 (questions to the Minister of Employment)
Päivi Kantanen, Ministerial Adviser, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, tel. +358 295 048 938