The 4th International Trade Union Women’s SchoolRovinj, 2 October 2003

Women in atypical jobs and Women in atypical jobs and in the informal economyin the informal economy

byGiovanna Rossignotti

InFocus Programme on Boosting Employment throughSmall Enterprise Development (IFP/SEED)

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Structure of the presentationStructure of the presentation

Part I: New employment patterns and Part I: New employment patterns and gender dimensions gender dimensions

Part II: Decent work and the informal Part II: Decent work and the informal economy economy

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Part IPart I

New employment patterns and New employment patterns and

gender dimensionsgender dimensions

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Changing patterns of employmentChanging patterns of employment

Erosion of the “standard employment pattern”due Erosion of the “standard employment pattern”due to:to:

• • Delocalisation of production between and within Delocalisation of production between and within

countriescountries

• • Contraction of the number of core wage employees with Contraction of the number of core wage employees with regular conditions of employmentregular conditions of employment

• • Expansion of the number of workers engaged in atypical Expansion of the number of workers engaged in atypical or informal employmentor informal employment

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What is atypical employmentWhat is atypical employment

• • Non-traditional, more flexible work arrangements Non-traditional, more flexible work arrangements

•• Generally do not offer the same scope for job and Generally do not offer the same scope for job and income security as comparable full-time employmentincome security as comparable full-time employment

•• Not synonymous with informal employmentNot synonymous with informal employment

•• Can be a “bridge” or a “trap” in terms of labour market Can be a “bridge” or a “trap” in terms of labour market participationparticipation

•• Often representing the last resort for workersOften representing the last resort for workers

• • Importance of effective legal frameworks and Importance of effective legal frameworks and enforcement mechanismsenforcement mechanisms

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What is informal employmentWhat is informal employment

• • Work not recognized, regulated or protected under Work not recognized, regulated or protected under labour legislation and social protectionlabour legislation and social protection

•• Work in small or scattered locations; individualised work Work in small or scattered locations; individualised work situations; ambiguous employment relationssituations; ambiguous employment relations

• • LegalLegal, , practical and cultural obstacles to organizationpractical and cultural obstacles to organization

•• No longer a “developing world” problemNo longer a “developing world” problem

•• Growing everywhere, including in transition economiesGrowing everywhere, including in transition economies

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Atypical vs. informal:Atypical vs. informal:SpecificitiesSpecificities

For the enterprises:For the enterprises:

- atypical jobs are often a business strategy- atypical jobs are often a business strategy

- informality the result of a discouraging environment- informality the result of a discouraging environment

For the workers:For the workers:

- atypical jobs can be a choice, but not always are- atypical jobs can be a choice, but not always are

- informal work is the gate to survival - informal work is the gate to survival

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Atypical vs. informal:Atypical vs. informal:CommonalitiesCommonalities

••Cutting across different economic sectors and Cutting across different economic sectors and geographical contextsgeographical contexts

•• Ambiguous status of the worker: many of those who are Ambiguous status of the worker: many of those who are in fact “employees” find themselves without the in fact “employees” find themselves without the protection of an employment relationshipprotection of an employment relationship

•• Job insecurity, although more pronounced in the Job insecurity, although more pronounced in the informal economyinformal economy

•• Threatening the security and efficiency achieved during Threatening the security and efficiency achieved during the twentieth centurythe twentieth century

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How do atypical and informal jobs How do atypical and informal jobs affect women and menaffect women and men

•• Increased female participation not matched by Increased female participation not matched by improvements in women’s status and occupationimprovements in women’s status and occupation

•• Women more likely to be in insecure and less valued Women more likely to be in insecure and less valued jobs (part-time, temporary, home work)jobs (part-time, temporary, home work)

•• Women still over-represented in the informal economyWomen still over-represented in the informal economy

•• Insufficient decline in horizontal occupational Insufficient decline in horizontal occupational segregation and persistent vertical occupational segregation and persistent vertical occupational segregationsegregation

•• Women hard hit by migration and traffickingWomen hard hit by migration and trafficking

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Part IIPart II

Decent Work and the Informal EconomyDecent Work and the Informal Economy

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What is the informal economyWhat is the informal economy

« …« …all economic activitiesall economic activities by by workersworkers and and economic unitseconomic units that that are – in law or in practice – are – in law or in practice – not covered or insufficiently not covered or insufficiently covered by formal arrangementscovered by formal arrangements. Their activities are not . Their activities are not included in the law, which means that they are operating included in the law, which means that they are operating outside the formal reach of the law; or they are not covered outside the formal reach of the law; or they are not covered in practice, which means that – although they are operating in practice, which means that – although they are operating within the formal reach of the law, the law is not applied or within the formal reach of the law, the law is not applied or not enforced; or the law discourages compliance because it not enforced; or the law discourages compliance because it is inappropriate, burdensome or imposes excessive costs».is inappropriate, burdensome or imposes excessive costs».

Report of the Committee on the Informal Economy, International Labour Conference, 90Report of the Committee on the Informal Economy, International Labour Conference, 90 thth Session, Session, Geneva 2002.Geneva 2002.

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A new conceptual frameworkA new conceptual framework

• ““Informal economy” instead of “informal sector”Informal economy” instead of “informal sector”

• Expanded concept of informality covering informal Expanded concept of informality covering informal enterprises and informal employment enterprises and informal employment

• A continuum of relationships, links between informal A continuum of relationships, links between informal and formal enterprises and workersand formal enterprises and workers

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A Decent Work Approach to the A Decent Work Approach to the Informal EconomyInformal Economy

• A A comprehensive approachcomprehensive approach, involving fundamental , involving fundamental principles and rights at work, greater and better principles and rights at work, greater and better employment and income opportunities, social employment and income opportunities, social protection and social dialogueprotection and social dialogue

• A A progressive approachprogressive approach, starting with the bottom , starting with the bottom end of the continuum where decent work deficits are end of the continuum where decent work deficits are most serious and promoting a gradual upgrading of most serious and promoting a gradual upgrading of workers and economic units to decent workworkers and economic units to decent work

• A A realistic approachrealistic approach, acknowledging that the , acknowledging that the diversity of situations that exist requires country- and diversity of situations that exist requires country- and context-specific interventionscontext-specific interventions

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Meeting the global demand for decent Meeting the global demand for decent employmentemployment

• Promoting employability and productivity and upgrading Promoting employability and productivity and upgrading employment through education, training, skills employment through education, training, skills developmentdevelopment

• Fostering a policy and institutional environment Fostering a policy and institutional environment conducive to higher quantity and quality of jobs in small conducive to higher quantity and quality of jobs in small and micro-enterprises and micro-enterprises

• Stimulating aggregate quantity of employment through Stimulating aggregate quantity of employment through enabling macroeconomic frameworksenabling macroeconomic frameworks

• Securing a more efficient allocation of resourcesSecuring a more efficient allocation of resources

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Enhancing rights in the Informal EconomyEnhancing rights in the Informal Economy

• All those who work have rights at work irrespective All those who work have rights at work irrespective of where they work and what sort of work they do, of where they work and what sort of work they do, and no matter what contract they haveand no matter what contract they have

• ILO Declaration and labour standards provide solid ILO Declaration and labour standards provide solid international basis for application to the IE international basis for application to the IE

• Rights deficits due to how standards are expressed Rights deficits due to how standards are expressed and enforced through national law and practice. and enforced through national law and practice. Therefore:Therefore:

Improve labour legislationImprove labour legislation Strengthen labour administrations and enforce Strengthen labour administrations and enforce

labour rightslabour rights Promote legal literacy, especially for women Promote legal literacy, especially for women

workers workers Improve regulatory frameworks for business Improve regulatory frameworks for business

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Improving social protectionImproving social protection

• In the long term, extending and adapting statutory In the long term, extending and adapting statutory social security provisions: social insurance, social security provisions: social insurance, universal benefits and social assistance programmesuniversal benefits and social assistance programmes

• Promoting decentralized insurance schemes as a Promoting decentralized insurance schemes as a stepping stone to universal coveragestepping stone to universal coverage

• Linking decentralized schemes with other social Linking decentralized schemes with other social protection systems for equity and efficiency reasonsprotection systems for equity and efficiency reasons

• Improving occupational safety and health, with Improving occupational safety and health, with attention to hazardous occupations and vulnerable attention to hazardous occupations and vulnerable groupsgroups

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Strengthening organization and Strengthening organization and representationrepresentation

• Promoting an enabling environment (legal framework Promoting an enabling environment (legal framework and governance) for effective exercise of the right to and governance) for effective exercise of the right to organize and bargaining collectively organize and bargaining collectively

• DevisingDevising and strengthening innovativestrengthening innovative forms of forms of action by traditional stakeholders (national and local action by traditional stakeholders (national and local governments, trade unions and employers’ governments, trade unions and employers’ associations)associations)

• Fostering broad-based and all-inclusive dialogue and Fostering broad-based and all-inclusive dialogue and strategic alliancesstrategic alliances

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What role for trade unionsWhat role for trade unions

• Lobbying reforms and policy interventionsLobbying reforms and policy interventions

• Stimulating action on the part of partners and Stimulating action on the part of partners and intended beneficiariesintended beneficiaries

• Extending representation throughout the IE, Extending representation throughout the IE, namely through:namely through:

• New recruitment strategies and New recruitment strategies and modi operandimodi operandi• Special servicesSpecial services• Adequate education methodologyAdequate education methodology• Strategic coalitions and alliancesStrategic coalitions and alliances

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Additional documentation is available on our website:Additional documentation is available on our website:

www.ilo.org/gemswww.ilo.org/gems

www.ilo.org/seed

www.ilo.org/infeco