New Zealand Industrial Relations and the International Labour Organisation: Resolving Contradictions Implicit in Freedom of Association

Abstract

The International Labour Organisation (IW) has long been committed to the promotion of "freedom of association" as "one of the primary safeguards of peace and social justice". Since 1952, the ILO Committee on Freedom of Association (CFA) has considered complaints relating to freedom of association and reviewed domestic legislation. In doing so, the CFA has attempted to establish a set of guidelines for state conduct, but this article suggests that the Committee's efforts have been hindered by contradictions inherent in the principle of "freedom of association".