Labor Rights

Better Work is a flagship partnership between the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) improving working conditions and labor rights in the global garment industry. Operating in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Haiti, Indonesia, Jordan, Nicaragua, and Vietnam, the program combines factory assessments, advisory services, and worker-manager training to improve compliance with ILO core labor standards. Independent impact assessments show increased factory productivity, reduced sexual harassment, increased women's access to prenatal care, decreased gender pay gaps, and workers reporting fairer hours, improved pay, and stronger workplace communication.

The Solidarity Center is a US-based organization partnering with workers in 60+ countries to advance labor rights through training, legal support, and capacity building. Programs focus on worker rights, union skills, workplace safety, and combating forced labor. In Bangladesh, garment workers secured 9% wage increases and safe drinking water. In Georgia, workers won over $12 million through court decisions after safety training. In Sri Lanka, 350 domestic workers joined unions and developed model employment contracts. In Mexico, independent unions secured up to 30% wage increases. Programs train workers as job safety experts and advocate for international labor standards.

Better Work, a joint initiative of ILO and International Finance Corporation (IFC), improves working conditions and competitiveness in the global garment industry through factory assessments, advisory services, and training. Operating in 11 countries across 3 continents, the program has impacted 3.7 million workers in 2,250+ factories. Key results include 26% reduction in overtime (Vietnam: 90%→50% excessive overtime), 17% reduction in gender pay gap (Nicaragua), 18% reduction in sexual harassment (Jordan), 26% increase in women's prenatal care access, and 25% increase in factory profitability. The Supervisory Skills Training led to 22% productivity increase on lines managed by trained female supervisors. The Better Work Academy scales training through "Train the Trainer" and e-learning.

The Vision Zero Fund is a G7-launched, G20-endorsed multi-donor trust fund administered by ILO to prevent work-related deaths, injuries, and diseases in global supply chains. In its first 5 years, the program improved health and safety for 5.6 million workers across garment, agriculture, coffee, and construction sectors in countries including Ethiopia, Madagascar, Vietnam, Myanmar, Colombia, Indonesia, and Uganda. Achievements include: Vietnam - 18,000+ farmers received OSH training; Myanmar - 198,000 garment workers gained enhanced employment injury insurance, 1,500 ginger farmers trained; Indonesia - 1.7 million coffee workers benefited from OSH improvements; Ethiopia - updated occupational disease list and National OSH Directive; Madagascar - ratified ILO Conventions 155, 161, 187.

The Sustaining Competitive and Responsible Enterprises (SCORE) Programme combines classroom training with in-factory consulting to improve productivity and working conditions in SMEs. Since 2009, SCORE has trained 4,800+ SMEs across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, benefiting 888,000+ workers. Modules cover Workplace Cooperation, Quality Improvement, Resource Efficiency, OSH, Lean Manufacturing, and Gender Equality. Results include: 50% productivity improvements, 64% reduction in defective products, 48% reduction in waste, 29% reduction in work-related accidents, 22% reduction in absenteeism, 91% enterprise satisfaction rate. Partnerships with Inditex, Adidas, and Ethical Trading Initiative integrate SCORE into supplier development.

The Fair Recruitment Initiative, launched in 2014, prevents human trafficking and forced labor by protecting migrant workers from abusive recruitment practices. The initiative's four-pronged approach: (1) enhance global knowledge on recruitment, (2) improve laws/enforcement, (3) promote fair business practices, (4) empower and protect workers. Since launch, FRI has covered 50 countries, contributed to 110 countries regulating recruitment fees, and supported 133 new ratifications of relevant ILO Conventions. The ILO General Principles state that NO recruitment fees should be charged to workers. The program addresses the estimated USD 5.6 billion annual illegal profits from exploitative recruitment fees charged to migrant workers.

Work in Freedom (2013-2018+), a partnership between ILO and UK DFID, addressed human trafficking of women and girls from Bangladesh, India, and Nepal to garment and domestic work in India, Jordan, Lebanon, and UAE. The £8.3M program targeted 100,000+ women with: (1) skills and pre-departure training for 50,000 migrants to secure legal contracts, (2) economic empowerment for 30,000 women to control income and send remittances, (3) prevention of migration for girls under 16 (keeping them in school), (4) recruitment agency codes of conduct with no-fee policies. The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine measured outcomes including worker satisfaction, employer attitude changes, and agency adoption of ethical practices.

TRIANGLE in ASEAN (2015-2027), supported by Australia and Canada, protects migrant workers in Southeast Asia through research, policy advice, capacity building, and service facilitation. The program covers all ASEAN countries plus key destination countries. Activities include: applied research on labor migration to inform policy changes; legislative reviews based on International Labour Standards; training for government officials, workers' organizations, and private sector; public attitude tracking surveys (Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand); publications on skills mobility and recognition in ASEAN; COVID-19 impact studies on migrant workers. Related "Safe and Fair" project (ILO-UN Women) specifically addresses women migrant workers' rights.

IPEC+, formed in 2015 by merging ILO's child labor and forced labor programs, is the flagship initiative targeting SDG 8.7 - eradicate child labor by 2025 and forced labor by 2030. Operating in 88+ countries, the program uses a theory of change with four pillars: (1) public policies and governance - better laws and enforcement, (2) partnerships and advocacy - including Alliance 8.7 global partnership, (3) empowerment and protection - bottom-up approaches for vulnerable families, (4) knowledge and data - surveys, tools, and evaluation. World Day Against Child Labour (June 12, since 2002) is a key advocacy moment. Convention 182 on Worst Forms of Child Labour achieved universal ratification by all 187 ILO members in 2020 - the fastest-ratified agreement in ILO history.

The annual World Day for Safety and Health at Work (April 28) is ILO's primary awareness campaign for workplace safety, coinciding with Workers' Memorial Day. The campaign promotes a "culture of prevention" across governments, employers, and workers through tripartite social dialogue. Each year focuses on emerging risks: 2025 explored AI and digitalization impacts on OSH (opportunities like hazard-detecting robots, risks like work intensification); previous years addressed violence/harassment prevention. The campaign supports ILO Conventions 155 (OSH) and 187 (Promotional Framework for OSH). Key messages: 2.93 million workers die annually from work-related factors; 395 million sustain non-fatal injuries. Safe work is a fundamental principle and right at work since 2022 ILC decision.