Publications on informal economy
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Cooperatives and the World of Work Series No. 12
Waste pickers’ cooperatives and social and solidarity economy organizations
20 August 2019
Waste pickers make significant contributions to public health, sanitation, and the environment by promoting resource circulation and reducing the amount of landfill. However, they are often not legally recognized as workers and suffer from poor working conditions and lack of social protection. This brief highlights the role of waste pickers' cooperatives and other social and solidarity economy organizations (SSEOs) in integrating and formalizing the work of waste pickers in the recycling value chain and improving their working conditions.
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Publication
Advancing cooperation among women workers in the informal economy: The SEWA way
05 July 2018
This report aims to provide an understanding of the challenges and opportunities for cooperatives and other SSE units in empowering women workers in the informal economy, with a specific focus on SEWA’s experience. It is based on individual interviews and focus group discussions with select cooperative leaders and members and also uses select studies presenting the forty-year experience of SEWA with cooperatives.
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Summary
Summary of Key Findings - Cooperation among workers in the informal economy: A focus on home based workers and waste pickers
03 July 2017
This is a summary of key findings of the report “Cooperation among workers in the informal economy: A focus on home-based workers and waste pickers”. This report is part of the joint ILO and WIEGO initiative, which aims to understand the nature and scope of cooperatives and other social and solidarity economy enterprises and organizations formed by workers in the informal economy. It focuses on the current challenges, opportunities, obstacles and practices among cooperatives of waste pickers and home-based workers in order to inform future actions and interventions that support cooperative growth.