Bureau for Workers' Activities (ACTRAV)

  • Rural Economy

    How to Achieve Decent Work for Rural Workers

    The ILO’s latest report highlights recommendations to address decent work deficits in the rural economy. It offers guidance to policymakers, the social partners and development practitioners on ways to effectively address employment and labour-related issues in the rural context to encourage decent work for rural workers.


  • 5th July

    5th meeting of the Social Protection, Freedom and Justice for Workers Network

    This meeting will offer an opportunity to share information with the network, exchange experiences, and discuss regional and national perspectives, challenges and opportunities to progressively achieving universal social protection in the context of transformations in the world of work.

  • 17-19 November 2021

    Symposium on Trade Unions in Times of COVID-19

    This international symposium aims to provide an opportunity for trade union leaders, experts, academics and ILO officials to exchange on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the world of work.


    • Registration

Publications and briefs

  1. Rural economy

    Decent work deficits among rural workers

    07 July 2022

  2. Manual

    Dealing with crises arising from conflicts and disasters-ILO training manual for workers’ organizations

    06 April 2022

  3. Report

    Covid-19, Collective Bargaining and Social Dialogue

    18 November 2021

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News and articles

  1. © ILO 2022
    Workers in rural areas face severe decent work deficits

    07 July 2022

  2. Expand social protection coverage to limit the effects of the pandemic, say trade unions

    05 July 2022

  3. Social Protection: Three questions to Ursula Kulke…

    01 July 2022

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Key areas of work

  1. Trade Unions in transition

    The ILO Centenary Declaration for the Future of Work identified four drivers that impact the world of work. These are globalization, demographic, environmental and technological changes. These drivers affect the labour markets of today and tomorrow, and with that the future of trade unions: the potential of organizing and servicing workers, and to speak with one voice to participate in inclusive and effective social dialogue.

  2. Skills and Lifelong Learning

    Skills and Lifelong Learning (LLL) are of crucial importance for workers’ organisations, both as actors and as stakeholders. This is even more the case today as the world of work has been changing rapidly.

Key resources

  1. International Journal of Labour Research

    COVID-19 and Recovery: The Role of Trade Unions in Building Forward Better

    The 2021 edition of the International Journal of Labour Research explores strategies for workers and their organizations to shape COVID-19 response policies as well as adapting internally to provide vital services to workers and continue fulfilling their societal role as advocate for social justice and workers’ rights.

  2. Trade Union Movement

    The likely impact of COVID-19 on the achievement of SDG 8 – The role of Trade Unions

    This report presents the findings of a global survey on the likely impacts of COVID-19 on the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Agenda. The survey focused on SDG 8 and specifically on four targets and two indicators for which the International Labour Organization (ILO) is a custodian agency.

  3. COVID-19 and Workers' organisations

    A Global trend analysis on the role of trade unions in times of COVID-19

    This Policy Brief is primarily directed to workers and their organizations. Its main purpose is to promote a better understanding of the pivotal role trade unions have played in COVID-19 responses worldwide either through tripartite and bipartite social dialogue, bilateral interactions with their governments or targeted actions carried out in support of their members and society as a whole.

  4. An ILO for All Seasons-The International Labour Organization's Ways out of Crisis

    Over a hundred years, the ILO has developed International Labour Standards and Policy Responses to mitigate the effects of employment and social crises.The COVID-19 pandemic has shown how hasards move in a globalized world.

  5. Report

    Managing Conflicts and Disasters: Exploring Collaboration between Employers’ and Workers’ Organizations

    This publication looks at the role that employers and workers, through their respective organizations, play in crisis situations arising from conflict and disaster.