Informal economy

Over 60% of workers worldwide depend on informal work. In numerous countries, informal work actually involves most of the population. They contribute equally as much to a country’s economy as workers with permanent employment contracts, but work without protection, a secure income, social security, or a pension. Informal workers should enjoy adequate protection, and trade unions should strive to represent their interests. 

Strategic ambitions

In cooperation with our project partners, we strive for:

How?

Develop new strategies  

Mondiaal FNV supports partners in organising informal workers, and in arguing their issues in social dialogue. As increasingly more new labour relations emerge, entailing new and informal work structures, it is important to invest in the development of new strategies. 

Lobby 

Mondiaal FNV is lobbying for ILO Recommendation No. 204 (Transition from the Informal to the Formal Economy) to be implemented, in relation to freedom of association for workers in the informal economy. We argue for giving these workers a voice in the debate on the formalisation of informal work. 

Background information 

The COVID-19 crisis has shown once more the difference between the formal and informal sectors. Informal workers were the first ones to lose their jobs. They often had to do without social support that - to a greater or lesser extent - was available for formal workers. Mondiaal FNV had a study conducted into informal workers in the informal sector (Uganda, Ghana and India), in the formal sector (Colombia, Indonesia, Rwanda and Nepal) and in households (Peru); in sectors with large numbers of female workers (Ghana and Peru) as well as those that are male dominated (Colombia, Rwanda, Uganda, Nepal, Indonesia and India). The results have shown that different strategies will be needed in order to formalise informal work.