Considering negotiations in the context of the informal economy Pong-Sul Ahn Regional Workers Education Specialist ILO ROAP, Bangkok
Three main segments of employment in the IE categorized by the ILO Owners or employers of micro-enterprises employing a few workers Own account workers working alone or with unpaid employees (largest segment) Dependent workers serving employers without contract and working on casual basis 2
Segments of Occupations in the Informal Economy Industrial Segments Agro products Forestry Fishery Manufacturing Service providers Construction Art skills Occupations Self-employed, small land holders, landless peasants, sugarcane, grapes, tea leaf picking/ tea plant plucking, tobacco, food processing, poultry, cattle herders, dairy, bee farming, mushroom, flowers, etc. Tendu leaves picking, charcoal-making, etc. Fishermen, fish drying and processing, fish pickle-making, fishing net and boat repair, etc. Leather, textile, ready-made garments (RMG), weaving, embroidering, home-based workers, goldsmiths/ jewelers, shoe-making, bidirolling, printers/book-binders, etc. Transport workers, rickshaw pullers, loading and unloading, hawkers, barbers, beauty parlours, hotel/restaurant assistants, cinema workers, household workers, community centres, nursing, electric/ electronics, engineering, etc. Stone quarrying, brick kiln, masonry, carpentry, welding, pipe connecting, etc. Brassware, thanka, bamboo, wood, clay, other handicrafts, etc. 3
Nature of the Informal Economy Small scale of production micro and small industries Use of family labour agriculture/ self-employment Unorganised labour - construction Indigenous/ low technology - handicraft Lower quality products home-based work Mass consumer goods agricultural products 4
Trends of Women s Employment in the Informal Economy Increase in the economically active participation of female workforce Increase in own account - self-employed, homework, subcontracting The majority working in low skill/low quality jobs, labour intensive manufacturing production & EPZs Shift from agriculture to manufacturing and services like call centres Job segregation and cultural barriers restrict women s employment 5
Employment characteristics of the formal and informal sectors Particulars Formal sector Informal sector Job security High Low Working hours Fixed/ regulated Not fixed/ not regulated Wages Social security including medical allowance and sick leave Labour law including rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining Employee-employers relations with employment contract Safe work environment Unionization Regulated/ minimum wages Mostly provided Protective Issue of appointment letter Safer and securer working conditions Homogeneous, highly organized and better networked Not regulated/ no minimum wages None or little No or little legal protection Without appointment letter Vulnerable to dangerous and hazardous work Heterogeneous, unorganized and scattered 6
Ratification status of Asia and Pacific countries Country Freedom of association Forced labour Discrimination Child labour C087 C098 C029 C105 C100 C111 C138 C182 Afghanistan 1963 1969 1969 2010 2010 Australia 1973 1973 1932 1960 1974 1973 2006 Bangladesh 1972 1972 1972 1972 1998 1972 2001 Brunei Darussalam 2011 2008 Cambodia 1999 1999 1969 1999 1999 1999 1999 2006 China 1990 2006 1999 2002 Cook Islands 2015 2015 Fiji 2002 1974 1974 1974 2002 2002 2003 2002 7
Fiji 200217 197419 197419 197419 200217 200217 200303 200217 Apr 2002 Apr 1974 Apr 1974 Apr 1974 Apr 2002 Apr 2002 Jan 2003 Apr 2002 India 195430 Nov 18 May 195825 Sep 196003 Jun 1954 1958 1960 Indonesia 199809 Jun 195715 Jul 195012 Jun 199907 Jun 195811 Aug 199907 Jun 199907 Jun 28 Mar 1998 1957 1950 1999 1958 1999 1999 Iran, 195710 Jun 195913 Apr 197210 Jun 196430 Jun 200208 May Islamic 1957 1959 1972 1964 2002 Republic of Japan 196514 Jun 195320 Oct 193221 Nov 196724 Aug 05 Jun 200118 Jun 1965 1953 1932 1967 2001 Kiribati 03 Feb 03 Feb 03 Feb 03 Feb 200917 Jun 200917 Jun 200917 Jun 200917 Jun 2009 2009 2009 2009 Korea, 199708 Dec 199804 Dec 199928 Jan 200129 Mar Republic 1997 1998 1999 2001 of Lao PDR 196423 Jan 200813 Jun 200813 Jun 200513 Jun 200513 Jun 1964 2008 2008 2005 2005 Malaysia 196105 Jun 195711 Nov 1958 199709 Sep 199709 Sep 10 Nov 1961 1957 den.:199013 1997 1997 Oct 1958 den.:10 Jan 1990
Malaysia 1961 1957 1958 den.:1990 1997 1997 Maldives 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 Mongolia 1969 1969 2005 2005 1969 1969 2002 2001 Myanmar 1955 1955 2013 Nepal 1996 2002 2007 1976 1974 1997 2002 New Zealand 2003 1938 1968 1983 1983 2001 Pakistan 1951 1952 1957 1960 2001 1961 2006 2001 Papua New Guinea 1976 1976 1976 Philippines 1953 1953 2005 1960 1953 1960 1998 Samoa 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 Singapore 1965 1965 1965 den.:1979 2002 2005 2001 Solomon Islands 2012 2012 1985 2012 2012 2012 2013 2012 9
Role of Trade Unions for Empowering the Informal Workers Segments Education & research Legislation Dialogue IGAs Social Security Organising Detailed activities - arranging education/ training programmes and discussion meetings - problem identification and solving - information collection and study in a specific sector/ workplaces - collecting good practices of organizing campaigns experienced by various unions - publication of posters/ leaflets / booklets - legal support with setting up of help-desk - amending union constitution to include the informal workers - application of the national minimum wages - modernization/ reform of labour law - enact on a new Act for the Informal and Unorganized Workers - including representatives of the informal workers - gain organizational/ political strength - lobby/ advocacy programmes - media mobilization - forming self-help groups - self-sustainability through vocational training and skills development - forming cooperatives - monitoring OSH situation and campaigning for safe work - establishing healthcare service centres - establishing welfare society/ cooperative-type organizations - organizing the unorganized/ informal workers - Trainers of Training (TOT) - establishment of the Informal Economy Support Unit - campaigning against poverty, child labour, gender inequality - issuing ID cards 10
THANK YOU 11