Young workers across Asia and the Pacific are confronting a dangerous wave of democratic decline, while rising unemployment, precarious jobs, and attacks on their rights. This International Youth Day, the ITUC-Asia Pacific highlighting these challenges and the growing role of trade unions in organising and building the power of the next generation of workers.
“In the face of democratic backsliding and attacks on workers’ rights, young trade unionists are refusing to back down. They are not only defending their own futures, but also protecting the very foundations of democracy and collective power. Without their courage and leadership, the trade union movement cannot secure the future of democracy and workers’ rights,” said Shoya Yoshida, ITUC-Asia Pacific General Secretary.
Across Asia and the Pacific, young people are on the frontlines of resistance. A year ago in Bangladesh, student protests over the job quota system drew international attention to their demands for fair employment opportunities and democratic reforms.
In India, young people have mobilised against the National Education Policy and increasing restrictions on campus activism. Their struggle has been intensified by the misuse of sedition and anti-terror laws to silence dissenting student voices, prompting concern from human rights defenders and trade unions alike.
In Myanmar, young workers continue to resist military rule at great personal risk. As the junta escalates violence, they remain central to the civil disobedience movement.
In Indonesia, youth played a leading role in nationwide labour mobilisations for the repeal of the controversial Omnibus Law. The 2025 protests saw unprecedented collaboration between student unions and trade unions demanding living wages and secure jobs.
Against this backdrop, trade unions across the region are strengthening youth organising. Youth structures in ITUC-Asia Pacific affiliates are leading campaigns for higher minimum wages, stronger social protection, and the rights of platform workers.
National centres in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and Indonesia are increasing youth representation in leadership, running mentoring programmes, and developing digital tools to reach informal and gig workers. At the regional level, the ITUC-Asia Pacific Youth Committee is striving to build alliances with and learn lessons from climate, women’s, and broader youth movements to strengthen campaigns and advocacy.
Building youth power and organising young workers into trade unions are becoming even more critical as the digital platform economy expands. The 113th Session of the International Labour Conference in June 2025 brought this reality into sharp focus, with a standard-setting discussion on platform work.
“Trade unions must ensure that young workers’ concerns, experiences, and rights are front and centre in the standard-setting process. Making up a large share of the digital platform economy, young workers cannot be sidelined in decisions that will shape their futures,” Shoya Yoshida said.
The ITUC-Asia Pacific Youth Committee is urging governments, employers, and other relevant institutions to protect democratic rights, including freedom of association, of all workers, including youth; invest in green, care, and digital economies to create decent jobs; extend legal and social protection to young workers in the informal and digital platform economy; ensure youth participation in social dialogue and decision-making, especially in climate, labour, and digital policies; and implement ILO Recommendation No. 208 through national quality apprenticeships.
“This International Youth Day, ITUC-Asia Pacific recognises the determination and leadership of young people across the region who are shaping movements for democracy, rights, and decent work. As young workers continue to lead struggles for democracy and decent work across the region, we remain committed to building their power and amplifying their voices,” Shoya Yoshida said.
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