Asociación Internacional de la Inspección de Trabajo

Message from the President

Michele Patterson
President,
International Association of Labour Inspection (IALI)
and Executive Director
SafeWork SA
Department of the Premier and Cabinet
South Australia

Dear colleagues around the world,

Welcome to the official website of the International Association of Labour Inspection (IALI).  Here you will find all the details you need to know about who we are and what we do – and most importantly, how to join this global alliance of labour inspectors dedicated to achieving fair, safe and healthy working lives worldwide.

It has been my honour to serve as President of IALI since 2005.  Over this time, I have had the pleasure of building many relationships and strong partnerships while working with colleagues from all around the world on challenges facing labour inspection today.

In taking on this vital and significant global role as President of IALI from 2011-2014, I am determined to build on the outstanding progress of our organisation over recent years.  We need to ensure the organisation is assured of sustainability for the future and that the role of labour inspection is confirmed not only as a basic prerequisite for human rights in every country, but also as a fundamental tenet of fair and safe globalisation.  Enterprises now typically work across borders; workers work across borders; and labour inspectors too must develop cooperative arrangements across borders to facilitate fairness for a global workforce and an environment conducive for business in an international landscape.

Whilst effective and well-resourced labour inspection is vital in every country at all times, including through financially stable periods and through economic crisis; through times of civil unrest and through each stage of recovery; I think now is a special time in history for labour inspection.  With focus and attention from the ILO’s Governing Body and recognition in international declarations such as the Seoul Declaration on Safety and Health at Work, 2008, labour inspection is now poised to take advantage of a crucial opportunity to build a future based on the partnership of many governments and with the support of international employer and worker representatives.

In my term as President, I have worked for global representation by expanding regional involvement in IALI membership and activities and I am very pleased to report that IALI now has 120 members representing more than 100 member countries. 

If you represent a labour inspection organisation in your country, then please consider the value of joining IALI. As a member of this global alliance, your voice joins with those concerned to make labour inspection matter. Dedicated to building the effectiveness of government labour inspection systems everywhere means that IALI is not rich in monetary terms; rather, our strength lies in providing a global voice for labour inspection and our prosperity lies in using our collective skills to make our message known.  Increasingly we are building the capacity to develop the tools to provide the foundation for professional labour inspection and as a catalyst for regional alliances and a provider of technical expertise, your colleagues in IALI can help you develop, modernise and strengthen your own system. I look forward to welcoming you to our organisation.

Michele Patterson
President
International Association of Labour Inspection