The process of increasing informalisation of the labour market is creating a gap between trade unions and a growing number of workers who have no forms of collective representation at their places of work. This has been labelled the Representational Gap. In part this gap is the result of a trend...

This working paper is a combination of two reports. The first section is a report by Serrano and Xhafa and it complements the study on the second phase of the Closing the representation gap (Webster et al, 2008). The purpose of this report is to identify critical factors and variables that may...

The process of increasing informalisation of the labour market is creating a gap between trade unions and a growing number of workers who have no forms of collective representation at their places of work. This has been labelled the Representational Gap. In part this gap is the result of a trend...

This paper aims at contributing to the discussions on the challenge of transitioning from precarious informal employment to more protected employment. This paper looks into a rather under-researched area - the role of trade unions in facilitating this process of 'transitioning' as well as in...

This working paper offers a global review of industrial relations within micro and small enterprises (MSEs), focusing on the collective representation of workers and employers, collective bargaining, and legal frameworks. MSEs and the self-employed account for 70 per cent of global employment,...

The expansion of informal employment has been associated with increased exploitation and decent work deficits, leading to widespread poverty and growing inequalities. In response, a variety of forms of collective representation and action by and with informal workers have emerged demanding...

The insecurity and instability experienced by precarious workers, and their 'disconnect' from the established groups, are often intertwined in the perception that these workers are unorganisable. This paper challenges this perception through seven stories of collective organising, which show...

Trade unions play an important role in ensuring that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are integrated into the development agenda and strategies of countries. The findings from indepth online interviews with trade union officers from seven national labour confederations and senior ILO...