Publications

April 2022

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

    06 April 2022

    This training manual focusses on situations that are at the crossroads of humanitarian assistance, development, peacebuilding and resilience. It contributes to anchoring the role of the ILO and the social partners across this field. The manual offers practical guidance to workers’ organizations in taking a central role towards contributing to the prevention and mitigation of the effects of conflicts and disasters; engage in early warning and preparedness; assist in the immediate response in a conflict-sensitive manner; promote long-term recovery; and contribute to sustaining peace.

December 2021

  1. Survey on the future demand for vocational training in the textile sector in Brazil

    15 December 2021

    The objective of the survey is to provide technical support to partners in the sector to design and implement professional training strategies that enable them to develop the skills necessary for the success and growth of industries, while ensuring that workers have access to decent and productive jobs.

November 2021

  1. Covid-19, Collective Bargaining and Social Dialogue

    18 November 2021

    This report attempts to shed light on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the process and outcomes of collective bargaining in particular and social dialogue more generally. It is based upon the responses of more than 200 trade union officials to an online global survey carried out between March and May of 2021 and includes the insights of frontline union negotiators who were subjected to in-depth interviews by the authors.

  2. Trade Union common position paper: Building Back Better from COVID-19 in Sri Lanka

    15 November 2021

    A joint proposal from trade unions in Sri Lanka on: inclusive and sustainable actions that stimulate the economy and employment; support enterprises, jobs and incomes; protect workers in the world of work; and strengthen social dialogue underpinned by international labour standards, for a workers' agenda in 'Building Back Better from COVID-19'.

  3. User’s manual to the ILO’s Guidelines for a just transition towards environmentally sustainable economies and societies for all

    01 November 2021

    Workers’ organizations are not passive bystanders, but agents of change able to develop new pathways to sustainability and to ensure that a transition not only delivers on climate policy objectives but incorporates the broader principles of sustainable development and decent work. This user’s manual was prepared with the objective of encouraging and assisting workers’ organizations to engage in policy discussions at all levels in shaping just transition, including in the implementation of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) of the Paris Agreement.

August 2021

  1. Organizing women migrant workers: Handout compendium

    23 August 2021

    This handout compendium is meant to be used with the training manual "Organizing women migrant workers: Manual for trade unionists in ASEAN".

  2. Organizing women migrant workers: Manual for trade unionists in ASEAN

    23 August 2021

    This training manual was produced in collaboration between ILO Bureau for Workers’ Activities (ACTRAV) and Safe and Fair: Realizing women migrant workers’ rights and opportunities in the ASEAN region, a joint programme of the International Labour Organization and UN Women under the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative to eliminate violence against women and girls.

  3. Temporary labour migration: Two studies on workers’ perspectives and actions

    06 August 2021

    This report gathering two studies on workers organizations’ experience with temporary labour migration is part of a larger ILO project to gather knowledge on temporary labour migration. The views on temporary labour migration vary greatly, including among ILO constituents. In light of the various concerns that the complex dynamics of temporary labour migration raise, it is crucial for the Office to capture constituents’ perspectives to enrich the debate. This document is an input from the Workers’ side to this process.

July 2021

  1. Digitalize, adapt and innovate: Challenges and opportunities for trade unions amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and the recovery period

    02 July 2021

    This article explores the emerging challenges for workers’ organizations that intersect with digital technology deficits at national level and growing informalization, as well as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although specific reference is given to Africa, these challenges are generally applicable across the globe. The article suggests solutions and recommends actions, arguing that the adoption of these technologies by trade unions provides opportunities and benefits which might not otherwise be realized through physical meetings, conferences and interactions.

  2. Gender inequality during the pandemic: Perspectives of women workers in Latin America and the Caribbean

    02 July 2021

    This article seeks to inform the debate on the unequal impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on men and women in the Latin America–Caribbean region. Focusing on women’s working conditions, increased unpaid care work, increased violence against women and the effects of teleworking, it recommends priorities to address these issues for governments, employers and worker organizations, including contributions from women workers and trade union representatives from 13 countries.

  3. South-East Asian unions respond to the pressure of COVID-19

    02 July 2021

    Trade unions in South-East Asia have faced particular challenges in protecting workers during COVID-19, including unemployment and underemployment as well as the rural demographic of many workers in the region. In this article the authors examine South-East Asian unions’ fight for survival during the pandemic, their specific engagement with governments, workplaces and members, and their opportunities and challenges post-COVID.

  4. Macroeconomic policies for jobs-led growth and recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic, with emphasis on sub-Saharan Africa

    02 July 2021

    This article aims to identify policy responses that would promote short term recovery from COVID-19 and long-term inclusive growth in SSA countries. It proposes policy initiatives that would allow an employment-led economic recovery, and hence support policymakers, specifically finance and labour ministries, as well as aligning social partners to promote job creation, job quality and job access interventions in both the short and long term.

  5. Towards a just transition for all: Lessons from the pandemic

    02 July 2021

    This article focuses on the possibility of “just transition” in the health sector following the COVID-19 pandemic. Analysing just transition from two aspects, breadth and depth, the authors look at the current situation in the United States to argue that all transitions should be just, and that when they are unjust, transitions, regardless of sector or region, breed resentment and nativism, resulting in opposition to any kind of structural change.

  6. Workers’ rights and human rights: Resolving historical tensions through a multi-tiered social security agenda

    02 July 2021

    This article considers the historical development of social security systems; the mixed messaging and false choices in contemporary policy circles; the potential for resolving these tensions through a return to inclusive, lifecycle multi-tiered frameworks; the evolving role of workers’ organizations within this context and some potential axes for action in a post-COVID world.

  7. Trade union membership dynamics amidst COVID-19: Does social dialogue matter?

    02 July 2021

    This article applies an econometric approach to data from the ILO global survey on the state of trade unions during the COVID-19 pandemic to examine the role of social dialogue in reshaping recovery, focusing on trade union membership as the engine for workers’ organizations, and proposing policy interventions based on the results for their effective participation in reshaping the recovery.

  8. Work-related injuries, diseases and Covid-19

    02 July 2021

    This article reviews the latest global and country numbers of occupational accidents and work-related illnesses and related economic costs in selected countries and regions, compared to the numbers for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The authors examine the types of occupations most at risk of infection and provide examples of COVID-19 experience from three countries in different regions (Italy, Republic of Korea and South Africa). Finally, actions to strengthen health and safety in the workplace are recommended to be taken by the various stakeholders.

June 2021

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

    25 June 2021

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

    24 June 2021

    This year's 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. As such, the journal reveals key findings on various topics that are of special interest to trade unions and provide guidance on policies in building forward better.

March 2021

  1. A human-centered approach to Skills and Lifelong Learning: The role of Trade Unions

    24 March 2021

    It is important for trade unions to have skills development and Lifelong learning (LLL) on their agendas, and even more so when confronted with the many challenges created by the pandemic. In fact, skills development and LLL that are human-centered, based on ILS and the engagement of social partners through social dialogue, are key to build a better normal in the post-COVID world and trade unions need to be part of this endeavour.

February 2021

  1. United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation and the Decent Work Agenda – A Trade Union Reference Manual

    10 February 2021

    This document seeks to guide trade unions and encourage them to take on more assertive roles in processes shaping development policy at national, regional, and global levels. Trade unions can use this manual to more effectively contribute to the implementation, monitoring, and outcomes of the 2030 Agenda process, focusing particularly on Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) as well as regional and global sustainable development platforms, such as the High-Level Political Forum.