Protection of Workers in the Informal Economy

Global Labour Rights Reporter | Volume 2, Issue 1

English | español | français

This issue is focused on “Protection of the Rights of Workers in the Informal Economy.” The ILO has estimated that about 61% of the world’s workers are in the informal economy – approximately 2 billion workers worldwide. These workers have been consistently excluded from legal recognition and protection, often due to deliberate policy choices driven by discrimination based on race, caste, sex, gender, ability, age, migration status, and others.  The articles and interviews in this issue of the GLRR attempt to highlight the ways in which workers in the informal economy, and their legal advocates, have been fighting to ensure the protection of and respect for their rights through a variety of legal strategies, both inside and outside of labour law, and the complications that arise in these efforts.

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EDITOR’S NOTE
WHY THE STRUGGLE OF THE 2 BILLION WORKERS IN THE INFORMAL ECONOMY MATTERS TO US ALL
MARLESE VON BROEMBSEN & JEFFREY VOGT

INTERVIEWS & ESSAYS
TO WHAT EXTENT HAVE RECENT LEGAL REFORMS IN THE GCC LED TO BETTER CONDITIONS FOR MIGRANT DOMESTIC WORKERS?
A CONVERSATION WITH ELIZABETH TANG

RECOGNITION FOR SOUTH AFRICAN DOMESTIC WORKERS: REFLECTIONS ON THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF MAHLANGU V MINISTER OF LABOUR AND OTHERS
ZIONA TANZER

SETTING THE STANDARD FOR WASTE PICKTERS’ RIGHTS: THE IMPACT OF CONSTITUTIONAL COURT CASES IN COLOMBIA
AMINTA OSSOM

THE STRUGGLE OF AGRICULTURAL WORKERS TO GAIN THE RECOGNITION AND RIGHT TO ORGANISE IN JORDAN
HAMADA ABU NIJMEH & SARA AL-KHATIB

HOMEWORKERS AS EMPLOYEES: THE EMERGING JURISPRUDENCE IN INDIA
KRITHIKA A. DINESH

COLLECTIVE BARGAINING FOR SELF-EMPLOYED STREET VENDORS?
MARLESE VON BROEMBSEN

OBSERVATIONS ON THE REGULATION OF WORK ON DIGITAL PLATFORMS IN BRAZIL
MAXIMILIANO NAGEL GARCEZ & PAULO DE CARVALHO YAMAMOTO

THE WORK OF INFORMAL TRANSPORT WORKERS: ESSENTIAL YET EXPLOITED
A CONVERSATION WITH ALANA DAVE