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A Guide on Labour Inspection Intervention in the Informal Economy - A participatory method

A Guide on Labour Inspection Intervention in the Informal Economy - A participatory method

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by IDWFED published Apr 24, 2018 12:00 AM
Contributors: ILO
The publication and implementation of this guide will contribute towards improving the working conditions of workers in the informal economy and ensuring compliance with standards (national and international), in particular fundamental principles and rights at work as well as regulations governing occupational safety and health.

Resource Type

Research reports, working paper

Details

The informal economy comprises more than half of the global labour force and more than 90% of micro and small enterprises worldwide. It encompasses a huge diversity of situations, employers and workers, most of them operating out of survival needs, especially in industrializing countries. In these countries, the protection provided by regulatory systems may not apply in law or in practice to informal economic units and workers therein; the scarce resources of enforcement agencies along with the particular challenges related to the informal economy may also lead governments to concentrate their efforts in formal enterprises. To address these challenges, the ILO, together with labour inspectorates from selected African Member States, developed and piloted a simple and effective process to address fundamental labour rights and occupational safety and health deficits through labour inspection as presented in this guide.

Introduction

Improving working conditions is a key priority for the International Labour Organization, which constantly strives to ensure decent work for all workers.

Many labour administrations have adopted strategies and policies aimed at formalizing the informal economy, based on the guidelines outlined in the Transition from the Informal to the Formal Economy Recommendation, 2015 (No. 204), adopted by the International Labour Conference in June 2015.

The publication and implementation of this guide will contribute towards improving the working conditions of workers in the informal economy and ensuring compliance with standards (national and international), in particular fundamental principles and rights at work as well as regulations governing occupational safety and health.

Purpose of the guide

In accordance with Recommendation No. 204, this guide proposes a new approach to the intervention of the labour administration and inspection services in the informal economy. The Recommendation calls for the adoption of measures to extend decent work, fundamental principles and rights at work, and the prevention of occupational hazards to all informal workers. To achieve this, member States must have an adequate system of labour inspection and extend its coverage to all workplaces,, including those in the informal economy.

Labour inspection interventions usually take place in the context of the traditional model of labour relations, with its clearly defined components (employer, employee and work contract) and workplaces that are easily accessible. This approach in the informal economy can only have a minimal impact as, by definition, it falls outside the typical pattern of labour relations. This guide sets out to fill that gap by proposing an intervention methodology adapted to the informal economy.

The guide is the result of a pragmatic approach, and it sets out to:

  • make concrete and gradual improvements with respect to working conditions in specific sectors o\r activities, occupational safety and health, and the organization of work (and production units);
  • support the promotion of fundamental principles and rights at work; 
  • encourage the formalization of the informal economy and broaden social security coverage.
Contents

URL

http://www.ilo.org/labadmin/info/pubs/WCMS_626573/lang--en/index.htm
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