juntos en accion - together in action - agir ensemble

There are more than 500 million workers working all over the world in the informal economy with no legal rights or legal protection.  These workers are involved in selling things or providing services in the market and streets, working in agriculture, construction, fishing, home-based works, collecting garbage, recycling waste, mechanical work and more. Most of them are hired by or dependent on others for their work. The work relationship is irregular and with different employers. Many  are self-employed or work for their family owned businesses and the majority of the workers in this form of exploited unprotected work are women and young people.

Working in the informal economy also means exclusion from labour inspection and the social security system in the country. These types of jobs do not have a fixed income, working hours, holidays, health care, child and family protection, maternity, old age pension, occupational safety standards etc, in contrast to the conditions of workers in the more formal work sector. In countries like India around 93 % of the work force is in the informal economy contributing more than 60% of the GDP. In Africa, Latin America and in Asia the informal economy contributes to the major share of the economy.

Young workers work in these exploited and insecure conditions for survival and to avoid facing unemployment, but the income and the conditions at work often don't allow the young workers to fulfil their basic needs. In countries like Thailand and Ghana, workers are working in the informal economy as a second job, in order to earn a better income for their families.

Since there is no minimum wage act to protect the young workers in these types of jobs they have no option than to accept the salary that’s paid by the employers. Even though the International Labour Conference of the ILO extended the fundamental conventions to the workers in the informal economy, they are yet to be realised as rights and entitlements.

In 1997 in Alexandria, Egypt, together with the young workers in the informal economy, the  IYCW developed a vision for the future, . The reality experienced by informal workers was again analysed in the International Council of IYCW in 2000 in Brussels and an international campaign was developed for the rights of these young workers.

• To have legal, economic, political and social recognition.
• To have equal rights and conditions as workers in the formal work sector.

More than 90,000 signatures were collected from the young workers in the informal economy, their friends and supportive organisations, demanding legal and social protection and were presented to governments, ILO and other UN organisations. IYCW participates in the International Labour Conferences every year and continues to lobby for the rights of the young workers in the informal economy. In 2004 the International Council in Caracas, Venezuela developed a long term vision for the campaign.

Workers in the informal economy do not have any protection against the instability and insecure situations they face. Lack of social protection is the main cause of the vulnerability of these workers.

IYCW believes that it is time that the governments, organisations of the workers and the workers themselves act together to create social protection for the workers in the informal economy. Social Protection policies and programs for the workers in the informal economy need to cover the major aspects such as the need for;

• fixed income
• fixed working hours
• access to paid medical holidays
• accident compensation
• paid maternity
• health facilities
• safe drinking water
• affordable transportation facilities
• insurance schemes
• retirement benefits
• affordable quality education and skill training

IYCW launched a sample survey on social protection for the young workers working in the informal economy. This survey is conducted in Africa, America and Asia.

The survey report will be published in January 2008 followed by a signature campaign world wide to support Social Protection for the young workers in the informal economy. Collected signatures and the demands will be submitted to the local governments and to the ILO. Please check for further updates on the campaign later in this website.



Thiruvalluvar Yovel
President of the IYCW