The 2025 International Labour Conference (ILC), held from June 3rd to 13th, marked a
significant milestone for the global workforce and the cooperative movement. The
conference voted in favor of developing a new International Labour Organization (ILO)
convention and recommendation on decent work in the platform economy—a decision that
holds strong relevance for cooperatives worldwide.
The initiative aims to promote dignity, fair treatment, and legal recognition for workers
engaged in informal and platform-based employment. For the cooperative sector, which
thrives on principles of equity and shared responsibility, the ILO’s move aligns with broader
goals of formalizing informal work and empowering marginalized worker groups.
This year’s conference kicked off the ILO’s two-year standard-setting cycle. The conclusions
reached in June will shape a revised draft of the proposed convention, which is expected to
be reviewed for possible adoption during the 2026 International Labour Conference.
The 11-day forum brought together government officials, employer and worker delegates,
and representatives from various international organizations. The International Co-
operative Alliance (ICA) and the International Trade Union Confederation welcomed the
outcome, highlighting its potential to advance labour justice in emerging digital and informal
workspaces.
Ahead of the conference, the ILO released a Law and Practice Report in April 2025. The
report summarized national legislation and policy approaches to platform work and
provided a foundation for the deliberations that followed. Several international
organizations also released a position paper, advocating for a rights-based approach to
formalization—one that ensures dignity, legal recognition, social protection, and decent
work for all.
The conference discussions were grounded in part by Recommendation 204, first adopted in
2015, which was the ILO’s first international standard focused on the transition from
informal to formal economies. This year marked the 10th anniversary of that milestone. The
recommendation was shaped by organizations such as HomeNet International, the
International Domestic Workers Federation (IDWF), StreetNet International, WIEGO
(Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing), and the International
Alliance of Waste Pickers (IAWP).
As the ILO revisits and expands upon Recommendation 204, contributors to the position
paper argued that formalization should prioritize reducing workers' vulnerabilities through
inclusive policies, rather than simply improving productivity within informal enterprises.
One of the most compelling voices at the conference was Susan Thomas, National Health
Coordinator of SEWA Cooperative Federation, who represented SEWA and WIEGO, a global
network with 153 members across 60 countries. Speaking on behalf of over 100 women-led
cooperatives in India, she emphasized that women’s productivity and empowerment are
intrinsically linked to access to basic social protections—including healthcare, childcare,
insurance, wage-loss protection, pensions, housing, and other essential services.
“Formalization must follow a path rooted in equity, inclusion, and the real needs of working
women,” she asserted.
The conference also emphasized the critical role of the social and solidarity economy,
including cooperatives, in supporting informal workers. Investments in this space could
enhance social protection, facilitate market access, unlock public procurement
opportunities, and expand credit and savings mechanisms. There is also a growing call for
tailored legal frameworks, simplified tax regimes, capacity-building for workers, and
dedicated representation for cooperatives at policy-making forums.
Ahead of the event, the ICA and the International Organisation of Industrial and Service
Cooperatives (CICOPA) released two joint statements reinforcing the role of cooperatives in
building a just future of work.
The first statement called upon governments and the ILO to support platform cooperatives
as an essential element of a fair digital economy. It urged the creation of clear legal
frameworks that protect platform workers’ rights and allow them to access and control the data they generate.
The second statement emphasized the urgent need to recognize cooperatives as pivotal to
transitioning workers from informality to formality. It called for governments to integrate
co-ops into national policy frameworks, simplify registration procedures, and provide
financial, technical, and educational support to ensure their sustainability and growth.
As the world grapples with rapid changes in how work is organized and delivered, the
cooperative model continues to present a viable, people-centered alternative. The
outcomes of the 2025 ILC not only represent a win for informal workers but also offer an
expanded platform for cooperatives to assert their place in shaping a more just and inclusive global labour landscape.
