Transitioning to the Formal: A Misdirected ILO Strategy?

Abstract

concernant la transition de l'économie informelle vers l'économie formelle. Elle sera mis en perspective à travers l'étude d'une initiative juridique récente en Inde visant les travailleurs domestiques

The Jordan Compact, Refugee Labour and the Limits of Indicator‐oriented Formalization

“…Processes of formalization can indeed make important and substantial differences to workers' lives, but to do so they cannot be reduced to a one-time event or become an end in themselves. Formalization and other policy making for informal workers must be ongoing, context-specific, rights-focused and, most importantly, based on the experiences and perspectives of workers (Routh, 2017). What brings about an actual improvement in working conditions, and in workers' individual and collective power, will vary depending on the sector they work in, the legal status they hold, and the broader socio-political context they live in.…”

“…In focusing on decent work deficits, the ILO sought to strike a compromise between those arguing against destroying informal economies and the associated livelihoods, and the calls of workers' representatives for strong legal and institutional frameworks to secure their rights (Trebilcock, 2005). The ILO's 2015 'Recommendation 204' report reinforced formalization as a policy goal by stressing that decent work deficits are strongest in the informal economy; it advocated for expanding social and legal protection for informal workers, while preserving and improving existing livelihoods (Routh, 2017).…”