Democracy at Work Fund – Increasing Informality: How Precarious Work is Becoming the Norm

FORGE and Fundación Avina are excited to announce the next virtual session in our Democracy at Work Fund Conversation Series to introduce funders to the grantee partners from the inaugural round of the Democracy at Work Fund and highlight key lessons from their projects.

Please join us on July 21 at 8:00am ET for the next session in this series, focused on the theme of Increasing Informality: How Precarious Work is Becoming the Norm. Join us to hear from the following organizations:

Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa (SERI)
This project aims to empower domestic workers in South Africa by increasing their collective power, providing legal support, and closing the labor-compliance gap.

Confederação Nacional de Trabalhadores Assalariados Rurais (CONTAR)
The project seeks to support rural workers in Piauí, reduce informality, and promote their associative dynamics, through support for collective bargaining with the productive sector, training on labor rights, gender, and climate in communities and schools, and raising awareness about precariousness, field research, development of materials on labor justice, analysis of labor conditions in the state, technical field visits, and a digital platform.

Forum Silaturahmi Pelaut Indonesia (FOSPI)
The project aims to support Indonesian migrant fishers in the Taiwanese commercial fishing sector by advocating for internet access at sea, enabling communication, promoting labor rights, and reducing isolation. With digital connectivity, workers can prevent labor abuses and illegal fishing practices, while enhancing union activities and grievance mechanisms.

Union of Informal Workers Associations (UNIWA)
The project aims to develop a digital database for informal economy workers in Ghana, increase unionization in the sector, improve the union’s communication and fundraising strategies, expand its geographical reach, educate workers on labor rights, empower women within the organization, and strengthen advocacy and collective bargaining capacities.

The discussion will include insights on the growth of informal and precarious work across regions and sectors. It will provide insights on how increased informality has impacted and impeded the ability of workers to collectively organize and bargain for their rights. Finally, we will delve into worker-centric solutions in particular contexts to respond to this new and more insecure world of work.