Informal Economy: Challenges and Opportunities for Trade Unions

1. Informal Economy:Challenges and Opportunities for Trade Unions

2. Points for Discussion • Is “Informal Economy” an issue for us? • Defining “Informal Economy” • Analyzing current situations in the world • Identifying causes of informalization • Addressing the issue of “Informal Economy” • Developing trade union policies and strategies on “Informal Economy”

3. 1. Is “Informal Economy”an issue for us (trade unionists) ?

4. ILO’s Decent Work Commitment All those who work have rights at work, irrespective of where they work and how they work! The commitment and goal of the ILO is to promote “Decent Work” along the entire continuum from the informal to the formal end of the economy in development-oriented, poverty reduction-focused and gender-equitable ways.

5. This Group enjoys a good level of Decent Work This Group has major limitations on Decent Work This Group has some limitations in Decent Work Who Enjoys Decent Work? Socially Excluded, VulnerableWorkers and Families = Priority Target of our Activities 0% 100%

6. 2. Defining Informal Economy

7. Historical Overview • First appearance of the concept - “informal sector” - in 1972when ILO issued a report on Kenya. • During the 70s and 80s, the common interpretation was: “informal sector” would be a transitory phenomenon, and economic progress would help the informal workers move into the formal sector. • “Dilemma” in early 90s – whether the international community should promote the informal sector as a provider of employment and incomes or seek to extend regulation and social protection to it.(+)

8. Development in 1990s • Further informalization and flexibilization of work and workers as the process of globalization and information technology accelerated; • The early perception proved to be wrong: the size of the informal sector has expanded although the volume of world trades and investments expanded significantly; • It became clear that informal sector is not a temporary or residual phenomenon, and that large scale, determined actions must be taken to address the issue.(+)

9. So, What Happened? 1970s-1980s 1990s-2000s Formal Sector Majority of Economic Sectors were Formal Formal Employment Became smaller and smaller Informal employment expanded and emerged in all kinds of economic activities Certain particular activities were considered to be in informal sector

10. From “informal sector” to“informal economy” • The term, “Informal sector”, has been found to be an inadequate as well as misleading term; • Use of “informal economy” to reflect these dynamic, heterogeneous and complex aspects of a phenomenon which is not a “sector”.(+)

11. Defining “Informal Economy” 1. All currently unregistered economic activities which contribute to the officially calculated (or observed) Gross National Product 2. Those activities which are not recorded in the national income accounts 3. Income-generation activities which take place outside of the formal regulatory framework 4. Units engaged in the production of goods or services with the primary objective of generating employment and incomes to the persons concerned 5. Units in small unregistered enterprises, both employers and employees, as well as self-employed persons who work in their own or family businesses

12. Formal Definition of“Informal Economy” All economic activities by workers and economic units that are – in law or in practice – not covered or insufficiently covered by formal arrangements. (Conclusions concerning decent work and the informal sector:at the 90th International Labour Conference, 2002)

13. Description ofInformal Workers • Little capital and few fixed assets • Excluded from the protections provided by collective bargaining and labour laws • Self-employed, employed casually without a contract, members of family business, or homeworkers employed on a piece-work basis • Mostly women or young workers Unrecognized, unprotected workers in an unregulated or unregistered economy who are trying to sell their labour or products for survival (to an unidentifiable employer)

14. Status of Employment Owner / Operator Self-employed /Own-account Wage worker Type of enterprise Micro-enterprise Own account unit / Family business Micro-enterprise / Sub-contracting chain / No fixed unit Major Segment of “Informal Economy”

15. 7 Essential Securities Denied to Informal Workers • Labour market security • Employment security • Job security • Work security • Skill reproduction security • Income security • Representation security

16. Methods for Empirical Studies

17. Negativity Impact ofInformal Economy • Unfair competition for formal enterprises • No tax income for the states • No social security contributions for the states • No decent wages for workers (less savings and spending) • More occupational injuries/diseases • Damage to the environment

18. Informal Ease of entry Reliance on indigenous resources Family ownership Small scale of operation Labour-intensive Adapted technology Skills acquired outside formal school system Unregulated, competitive markets Formal Difficult entry Reliance on overseas resources Corporate ownership Large scale Capital intensive Imported technology Formally acquired skills, often expatriate Protected markets (tariffs, quotas, trade licenses) Comparison between the informal and formal economy

19. 3. Current Situation of “Informal Economy” around the World

20. Trends of Informal Economy • Globalization and flexibility of labour markets • 80% of world population - insufficient coverage of social protection • 50% of world population – no social protection • Majority of those in developing countries • Majority of those in informal economy • Particularly women and young people

21. Informal Economy in South Asia and Pacifique Source: “Size and Measurement of the Informal Economy in 110 Countries around the world”, F.Schneider , July 2002.

24. Size of Informal Economy 1 Source: World Development Report 1995. Washington D.C. World Bank

25. Size of Informal Economy 2 Source: Charmes, Jacques. 2000. Informal Sector, Poverty, and Gender: A review of Empirical Evidence. Paper comissioned for World Development Report 2000/2001

26. 4. Identifying Causes ofInformalization of workers

27. Causes of Informalization • Demand-side causes (pull-effect) • Supply-side causes (push-effect) • Structural causes (promotional-effect)

28. Demand-side Causes (pull-effects) • Pressure on reducing production costs due to over-competition and profit-oriented business minds (needs for cheap labour) • Needs of urban poor for cheap goods and services • High tax and social protection burdens • Bribery and cumbersome procedures for formalization • Less incentives for OSHE investment • Avoidance of trade unions • Illegal activities (needs to be hidden)

29. Supply-side Causes (push-effects) • Unemployment and poverty • Difficulty (or impossibility) to find employment with formal employer • Shrink of employment and wages in public service sectors • Fall of the prices of agricultural products • Population growth / migration • Lack of education, skill and/or training chances • Miss-match between demand and supply • HIV/AIDS

30. Structural Causes • Lack of political will (no national policies) • Lack of sustainable economic development or systems for fair redistribution of wealth • Lack of legislation or defects in labour and social laws (no standards) • Lack of legal systems, effective enforcement of law, or effective labour inspections (no justice) • Lack of comprehensive social protection schemes • Lack of primary/secondary education and vocational training/re-training (no opportunities)

31. Specific Reasons for Low Social Protection Coverage • Conventional social security systems rely on the employer/employee relationship as a basis for coverage • Low and irregular income of informal economy workers reduce their capacity to make contribution • Ignorance of social security rights and obligations • Legislative requirements, particularly those concerning employment status, exclude some informal sector workers from participation • Bureaucracy (insufficiency or inability) • Geographic accessibility of social protection institutions

32. Economic Restructuringand Crisis • Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) • Neo-liberal economic policies • Unemployment and underemployment • Much less employment in formal (particularly public) sector • Lower wages insufficient to support a family

33. Gender Issues More and more women enter into labour force but into informal economy, because: • Little education and skill • Less access to resources / training opportunities • Direct and indirect discrimination • Family responsibilities

34. Effect of Globalization • Expansion of trade and investment • FDI and international capital flow • Diffusion of technology • Competition for investment • Emergence of multinational companies • Global production chains • Labour migration

35. End of Cold War • End of the old East-West line power politics • Beginning of new paradigm with hot war over economic initiatives • Domestic wars, ethnic wars (cleansing) • Terrorism organizations • Mafia organizations • Increasing number of refugees

36. 5. Addressing the issue of “Informal Economy”

37. Three KeyDevelopment Objectives • Better governance • Better social dialogue (tripartism) • Better international framework

38. Action List forImmediate Objectives • Enhancing rights and principles at work • Improving social protection • Strengthening representation of workers • Achieving sustainable economy and creating decent employment • Improving legal and institutional framework • Eradicating poverty • Achieving better demographic planning

39. i) Enhancing Rights and Principles at Work • International Labour Standards and ILO Declaration on F.P.R.W. • ILO MNE Declaration / OECD guidelines /UN Global Compact • National and local legislation/regulations/institutions • Private voluntary initiatives (PVI) • Code of conduct • Framework Agreements • Social labeling

40. ii) Improving Social Protection • Extending and adapting statutory social insurance • Encouraging micro-insurance and area-based schemes • Promoting cost-effective tax-based social benefits • Establishing and promoting cooperatives • Improving occupational health and safety • HIV/AIDS

41. iii) Strengthening Representation and Voices of Workers • Right to organize and bargain collectively • Promotion of workers’ and employer’s organization • Enhancement of tripartism and social dialogue at national and local level • Promotion of cooperatives

42. iv) Creating Decent Employment • Creating quality jobs • Enhancing employability • Investing in knowledge and skills • Education • Training and skill development • Developing enterprises • Micro-enterprises

43. v) Improving Legal andInstitutional Framework • Commercial and business regulations governing the establishment and operation of enterprises; • The laws pertaining to property rights, which could affect the ability to transform assets into productive capital • Labour legislation governing employment relationships and the rights and protection of workers • Full coverage and application of labour legislation and administration (protection/minimum standards/ benefits) in the informal economy; • Simplified, transparent, incorruptible, consistent and affordable legal systems (for greater compliance)

44. vi) Eradicating Poverty • Comprehensive national policies, strategies and programmes for poverty reduction • Alliance with international community on poverty eradication initiatives (e.g. PRSP) • Efforts for abolishment of child labour

45. vii) Achieving BetterDemographic Control Strong initiatives for social policy on: • Population growth • Surplus labour • Rural-urban migration

46. 6. Developing trade union policies and strategies on“Informal Economy”

47. Development and Implementation of External Policies • Labour Standards and labour legislation • Promoting good governance and sound labour administration • Tax policy and local government regulations • Social protection (social safety nets) • Macroeconomic policy and SAP • Employment-intensive infrastructure projects • Promotion of small and medium-sized enterprises • Human capital development • Access to credit

48. Development and Implementation of Internal Policies • Establishing priorities and strategies for organizing; • Setting up structures and developing special services; • Formalization of access and membership; • Building broader alliances and community-based unions; • Participation in ILO/ILS mechanism; • International trade union networking, code of conducts and framework agreements; • The gender dimension; • Mobilizing young people; and • Awareness-raising and the media.

49. Online Resources onInformal Economy • ILO Informal Economy Website http://www.ilo.org/public/english/employment/infeco/publ.htm#espanol

50. “The biggest space in the world is the space for improvement”