Formalizing the Informal Economy: Worker-Centered Positions

WIEGO is co-hosting the first in a series of webinars on April 24, focusing on formalizing the informal economy— one of the central themes of this year’s International Labour Conference (ILC). WIEGO experts will join representatives from workers’ organizations, including the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), International Trade Union Congress (ITUC), the Trade Union Confederation of the Americas (TUCA) and StreetNet International to share their positions on formalization. Panelists will explore:

• The role of the ILC as a space for labour standard-setting and its relevance to workers in informal employment;
• Existing international labour standards, the extent to which they protect the rights of workers in informal employment and what is at stake at this year’s ILC;
• The positions of workers’ organizations: what formalization looks like from their perspective and key considerations for developing effective interventions.

Speakers include:

• Lucia Fernandez, Director of WIEGO’s Organization and Representation Programme
• Manali Shah, National Secretary of SEWA and Vice-President of HomeNet International’s Executive Committee
• Pat Horn, Collective Bargaining Specialist and Founder of StreetNet International
• Kaira Reece, Secretary of Sustainable Development of the Trade Union Confederation of the Americas (TUCA)
• Evelyn Astor, Economic and Social Policy Director, ITUC
• Laura Alfers, International Coordinator at WIEGO

The panel will be moderated by Oksana Abboud, International Coordinator of StreetNet International. This event is being co-organized by WIEGO alongside HomeNet International, International Alliance of Waste Pickers, International Domestic Workers Federation, Self-Employed Women’s Association and StreetNet International.