Labour-based technologies
The term labour-based technology is used to describe a technology that
applies a labour/equipment mix that gives priority to labour, supplementing it
with appropriate equipment where necessary for reasons of quality or cost. While
producing or maintaining infrastructure to a specified standard in a
cost-effective manner, people are employed under fair working conditions. It is
in this respect important to distinguish between an optimum and efficient use of
labour, as opposed to a maximum, and possibly inefficient use.
Experience has shown that for the same level of investment in local
infrastructure, the use of labour-based technologies can create between two and
four times more employment (mostly unskilled), drop foreign exchange
requirements by 50% to 60%, decrease overall cost by 10 to 30%, and reduce
environmental impacts.
The use of labour-based methods also implies the increased use of associated
local resources. These may include locally available materials, tools and
equipment, skills and knowledge, as well as finance. This reinforces the
percentage of investment that remains in the country and often in the locality
of the works, reduces the dependence on costly imports, and stimulates the local
economy.
The ILO promotes the use of labour-based methods as a regular component of
recurrent public investment programmes for the infrastructure and construction
sectors, and supports special training and awareness programmes for this
purpose, as well as the development and use of technical and contractual
materials for the realisation of such programmes. Due to the high dependence on
labour, the ILO actively promotes the application of appropriate labour
standards and at least minimum working conditions including minimum wages,
non-discrimination, the elimination of forced and child labour, the right to
organize, protection of wages, safety and health and insurance against work
accidents. Likewise, the inclusion of women as workers and leaders is also
advocated.
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Cambodia
Since 1992, the Labour-Based Rural Infrastructure Rehabilitation
Project in Cambodia has worked towards poverty alleviation, generating
much-needed employment through the use of labour-based methods for the
rehabilitation of essential rural infrastructure. The project has three
components:
1. Rehabilitating and maintaining rural roads
2. Reconstructing and
maintaining irrigation schemes
3. Clearing and cleaning monuments, including the
archaeological site at Angkor
From 1992 to 1997, the project created
2,700,000 workdays of employment, of which, on average, 43 per cent have been
for women. Given the cost-effectiveness and the high quality of the
interventions, as well as their impact on local employment and capacity
building, the project was used as a model for the preparation of new labour-intensive
infrastructure investments in Cambodia and elsewhere.
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Further reading
- Bituminous Surfacing Options for Low Volume Roads Constructed by Labour-Based Methods.
- PDF
1,378 Kb
Jon Hongve, International Labour Organisation, October 2006
- Rural Infrastructure Publication No. 4, Jobs or machines - Comparative
Analysis of Rural Road Work in Cambodia - PDF
1,258 Kb
Paul Munters, International Labour Organisation, 2003
- The Labour-based
Technology Source Book: A Catalogue of Key Publications - PDF 3,229 Kb
ILO ASIST, 2002
- Guidelines for the Design
and Construction of Suspension Footbridges - PDF 999 Kb
Emannuel Chipuru, 2000
- Designs and
specifications for a standard trailer and hitch for labour-based works -
PDF 2,427 Kb
Jim
Hamper and David Mason, 1999
- Training Course Notes
Surveying and Setting out - PDF 1,670 Kb
Bjorn Johannessen, International Labour
Organisation
- Material Selection
and Quality Assurance - PDF 190 Kb
P. Paige Green, 1998
- Productivity norms for
labour-based construction - PDF 158 Kb
David Stiedl, 1998
- Technical Manual Labour Based
Road Construction Methods - PDF 1,795 Kb
Bjorn Johannessen, International Labour Organisation, 1997
-
Labour Based Road Construction and Maintenance Technology, Course Notes for
the National Polytechnic Institute - PDF 3,446 Kb
Bjorn Johannessen, International Labour
Organisation, 1997
- Technology Choice Man or
Machines including Case Studies from Lesotho and Zimbabwe - PDF 3,056 Kb
M. Lennartsson
and D. Stiedl (Employment Promotion Seminar), 1995
- Remuneration systems for
labour-intensive investments. Lessons for equity and growth - PDF 43 Kb
Steven K.
Miller, International Labour Review Vol 131, 1992
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