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7th GLU Conference, „The Politics of Labour and Development‟ 28-30 September 2011, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Abstract:
This paper examines the potential that organising has for facilitating decent work in the informal economy. This is done by looking at the case studies of Self Employed Womens‟ Union (SEWA) in India and the National Network of Friends of Women Homeworkers (MWPRI) Indonesia. SEWA is a registered trade union that has taken a complex approach to organising informal self-employed women by developing institutions that serve the poor in terms of their financial and educational needs; doing advocacy locally and globally; and building partnerships with local and global actors.
In Indonesia, organizing in the informal economy is in many cases facilitated by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that focus on micro-financing, but also raise awareness of the injustices associated with informal work. 42 NGOs collaborate with MWPRI, an organisation that wants to extend social protection to informal workers. It has taken a two way approach in its quest by pressuring the government on the matter while also developing indigenous social protection schemes that offer health, savings, and loan services. The organisation has also built collaboration networks with HomeNet (an international NGO of home-based workers), governmental organizations, international activists, and academics.