News and articles

May 2020

  1. © P.Lopez/ AFP 2022
    COVID-19 and the ILO Recommendation 205

    19 May 2020

    The ILO Recommendation No 205 on Employment and Decent Work for Peace and Resilience, adopted in 2017 (R205) deals with crises arising from both conflicts and disasters and it is very topical as it gives guidance for situation such as the one we are facing now with COVID-19.

April 2020

  1. Protecting Workers in the Informal Economy during COVID-19 Pandemic

    30 April 2020

    The global Coronavirus pandemic is profoundly affecting the world of work.What do workers in the informal need and how can policy makers protect their lives and livelihoods? Learn more here...

June 2019

  1. Future of trade unions depends on organizing the informal economy

    20 June 2019

    A new report reveals that organizing workers in the informal economy may spark the renewal of the trade union movement. This can be done by expanding membership and collective bargaining coverage in the informal economy in order to protect labour rights, project a united voice and influence social and economic policies.

September 2016

  1. Organizing Workers in the Informal Economy: ILO ACTRAV Policy Brief

    05 September 2016

    The aim of this policy brief is to assist workers’ organizations in understanding and tackling the injustices and decent work deficits associated with employment in the informal economy. It provides information and proposes strategies that can be used to organize, protect and promote the rights and interests of informal economy workers.

August 2016

  1. Asia Pacific: Unions undertake commitment to organize informal workers

    09 August 2016

  2. Towards Decent Work – Workers take action

    02 August 2016

    Nearly 92 per cent of the Indian labour force is employed in the informal economy. It is crucial that workers learn about their rights so as to protect themselves from exploitation. However, for the future of work in India -- formalization is the step in right direction.

November 2015

  1. Informal economy: What are the experiences from Zimbabwe?

    23 November 2015

    The transition from informal to formal economy was one of the topics of discussion at the 325th session of the ILO Governing Body, which was held in Geneva from 2 to 12 November 2015. In this interview, Sithokozile Siwela, Vice-president of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) highlighted the Zimbabwean experience on organizing workers in the informal economy. Ms. Siwela also explains the challenges related to the implementation of the ILO Recommendation on the transition from informal to formal economy.

June 2015

  1. New ILO Standard on the Informal Economy: A Tool for Workers

    30 June 2015

    The following is an interview with Plamen Dimitrov, Workers’ Spokesperson of the International Labour Conference (1-13 June 2015) Committee on the Transition from the Informal to Formal Economy, who expresses his views about the benefits for workers after the adoption of a new ILO Recommendation to tackle the informal economy. Mr Dimitrov also underlines the opportunities for unions to implement this standard in partnership with ILO.

  2. New ILO Standard on the informal economy: What are the challenges and opportunities for Unions?

    26 June 2015

    The ILO has adopted a new Recommendation on the Transition from the informal to the formal economy. The following is an interview with Raghwan Raghwan, Senior Specialist in Workers’Activities, who express his views about the challenges and opportunities for Unions to organize workers in the informal economy. M. Raghwan also explains how the ILO can work with Unions to facilitate the implementation of new labour standard to tackle the informal economy.

  3. International Labour Conference 2015: What were the results for the workers?

    26 June 2015

    The 104th session of the International Labour Conference was characterized by the Committee on the Application of Standards resuming its work, examining 24 individual cases of violations of international labour standards. In this interview, President of the Workers’ Group, Luc Cortebeeck, shares the workers’ perspective on the work of that Committee. Mr Cortebeeck also talks about the other issues discussed at this session, such as the transition from the informal to the formal economy, social protection, the discussions about small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the creation of decent and productive jobs, as well as the Director-General’s report on the Future of Work.