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3rd Regional Conference - INFORMAL ECONOMY TRANSITION FROM INFORMAL TO FORMALITY TO REALISE DECENT WORK

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Resolution
1
Jan 2015

In this resolution, 3rd ITUC - Asia Pacific Conference realises that the informal economy accounts for the majority of workers in the Asia Pacific region. About 65% of the working people are engaged in the informal economy, while in the South Asian countries more than 90% of workers are in the informal economy. The working and living conditions of these workers are deplorable. They work long hours for low wages with practically no social protection. There is a decent work deficit in the informal economy. They are: unable to find work or conduct business in the formal economy, facing poor labour standards, unprotected by labour legislation, facing job and income insecurity, have low coverage of social security, are subjected to occupational safety and health standards, lacking representative, independent, and democratic organisations, etc.

To reduce decent work deficits, in the immediate term, we have to ensure that those currently in the informal economy and atypical employment are recognised and have improved labour rights and social protection and representation.

The Conference commits the ITUC-AP, working with affiliates and the GUFs to: campaign for integrating decent work agenda in the national and local deployment plans and social development policies, campaign at all levels for the adoption and implementation of the proposed ILO instrument for facilitating formalising informal economy, etc.