Yolanda Díaz gains advantage as US loses voting rights in ILO director election

The United States has been out of the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) voting pool after failing to pay its dues for more than two years, forfeiting its right to vote in the November election that will choose the agency’s next director‑general. The unpaid contributions, amounting to about €280 million and representing roughly 22 % of the ILO’s budget, also led to the loss of the U.S. vice‑directorship.

Spain’s vice‑president Yolanda Díaz, who is campaigning for the ILO’s top job, stands to benefit from the U.S. exclusion. Sources say her candidacy is backed by the Spanish trade union CCOO and has the support of other major unions such as France’s CGT. The ILO’s voting system includes ten permanent members, 18 rotating members and representatives of employers and workers, making the loss of the U.S. vote a potentially decisive factor in Díaz’s bid.

If elected, Díaz would become one of Spain’s most prominent figures in the United Nations system, shaping global labour standards and policies that affect millions worldwide.