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Nothing for us without us!

Nothing for us without us!. Informal Workers Organising Globally. Chris Bonner, WIEGO AWID Conference, November 2008. Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing.

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Nothing for us without us!

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  1. Nothing for us without us! Informal Workers Organising Globally Chris Bonner, WIEGO AWID Conference, November 2008

  2. Women in Informal Employment:Globalizing and Organizing Global action-research-policy network: of individuals and organisations engaged in or concerned with informal employment. Aims: to improve the visibility and status of the working poor, especially women, in the informal economy through increased organisation and representation, improved statistics and research, more supportive policies and inclusive policy processes www.wiego.org

  3. Workers in the Informal Economy

  4. Streets, markets & open spaces • Vendors • Waste collectors • Sex workers • Transport workers • Construction workers • Roadside shoe shiners, hairdressers Selling vegetables in Kenya Selling bikinis in Brazil Driving pedicabs in Philippines Reclaiming waste in South Africa

  5. In shops, workshops & yards • embroiderers • garment makers • waste sorters/recyclers • metal goods producers • shoe makers • coffin makers Sorting recyclable plastic in India Embroidering in India

  6. At home and in households • Garment workers • Craft producers • Electronics assemblers • Cigarette makers • Toy makers • Domestic workers • Care givers Sewing clothes in Bangladesh Cleaning house in Germany Making “bidi” cigarettes in India Cleaning floors in Pakistan

  7. In fields, forests and on water • small farmers • agricultural labourers • shepherds • forest gatherers • fisher folk • water transport workers Picking tobacco in India Ferrying passengers in Zambia

  8. The 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”(ILO 2002) Informal Workers Self-employed workers:own account, family workers, members of informal coops Waged workers: in informal businesses or jobs such as casual, seasonal, domestic, homework

  9. Extent of informal work Half to three quarters of non agricultural employment in developing countries is informal: • 48% North Africa • 51% Latin America • 65% Asia • 80% sub-Saharan Africa (excluding SA) Women and informal work More than 60% of working women work informally. Women are found in the most precarious and low paying informal jobs

  10. Informal Workers Organising

  11. Why organise as workers? • Visibility and recognition as workers doing a valuable job • Rights as workers in law and practice: to organise, to represent, to negotiate for voices to be heard through collective power for decent income, working conditions, social protection • Collective economic activity • Empowerment: knowledge, experience • Solidarity

  12. StreetNet International • International Alliance of street, market vendors and hawkers • Affiliates: 30from 27countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America • Women leadership: 50% leadership quota in its constitution • Activities: • organizing • information and experience sharing • training for empowerment e.g. negotiating skills • solidarity actions • representation in international forums e.g. ILO, WSF • Campaigns: World Class Cities for All • www.streetnet.org.za

  13. Domestic Workers Network:Respect & Rights • Network newly formed under the Global Union Federation, IUF • Open to DW unions and organizations, regional networks, NGOs • Steering committee : DW unions/organizations Asia, Africa, • Latin America, Caribbean, North America • Activities: • organizing/network building • information sharing • advocacy • Campaigns: • ILO Convention ( on the agenda 2010, 2011) • www.domesticworkersrights.org

  14. Latin American Waste-picker Network • Network: WP organisations from 12 countries • Base organizations are worker cooperatives. High percentage of women • Working towards a global network, Latin America, Asia, Africa, CE Europe. • LA Network activities: organizing promoting visibility and status policy development sharing knowledge and experiences www.recicladores.net

  15. “Combining our Efforts” Building a Movement Informal Worker Organisations Trade Unions SupportOrganisations Social Movements and other organizations Women’s and Social Movements , NGOs etc

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