Words of Labor in Reality

We begin in South Korea, where the phrase "Opportunity Trap" speaks volumes.

South Korea’s youth face a daunting paradox: despite being the most highly educated generation in the nation’s history, many struggle to find stable, meaningful employment that matches their qualifications. The relentless pursuit of higher education, fueled by societal expectations and the promise of a “golden ticket” job at a major corporation or in the public sector, has led to a glut of overqualified job seekers and a severe mismatch between academic credentials and labor market needs.

This intense competition leaves many young people cycling through temporary or part-time positions, devoid of job security or benefits, while regular, well-compensated roles remain elusive for all but a select few. The deep divide between permanent and non-regular workers entrenches inequality and discourages risk-taking, such as starting a business or entering trades, further narrowing options for youth.

Meanwhile, the rise of the gig economy—epitomized by delivery riders facing precarious conditions—reflects both the flexibility and the fragility of new forms of work. As Korea’s population ages and its workforce shrinks, the inability to harness the potential of its educated youth not only threatens individual aspirations but also casts a long shadow over the nation’s economic future and social cohesion.

Now we turn to Mongolia, where the phrase "The Safety Net" sheds light on the urgent need for stronger social protection for informal workers who form the backbone of daily life.

The country’s informal sector includes taxi drivers, construction workers, hairdressers, street vendors and cattle breeders – people who keep markets and cities running. Despite their essential role, they lack social security, welfare, and safety nets. Voluntary insurance schemes exist, but they are often too expensive and unattractive, leaving many without protection.

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the fragility of this system: when businesses shut down, income vanished overnight. Many single mothers turn to informal work due to caregiving responsibilities but are uninsured in the event of illness or accident, putting their families at risk.

A fixed income tax has been introduced, yet deeper reforms are needed. According to trade unions, over 500,000 people are currently working in the informal sector. A 2022 ILO study shows that more than 64% of them have remained in this sector for over eight years. Many lack access to education, training, or childcare – key barriers to formal employment.

The ILO study calls for expanding training and support systems. Protecting and empowering informal workers is not only a social responsibility – it is vital for a fair and resilient society.

In the Philippines, labor law requires that workers be made regular employees after six months of continuous work—entitling them to benefits like job security, health insurance, and the right to unionize. But many companies exploit this by hiring workers on contracts that last only five months, cutting ties just before regularization kicks in. This practice, known as endo or "end of contract," keeps workers in a cycle of insecurity while protecting company profits.

The Security of Tenure Bill offers a path forward. It seeks to ban labor-only contracting, require direct hiring for essential roles, and ensure that those who stay in the job are no longer treated as disposable. Ending endo is about ending exploitation, and building a future where work means dignity, stability, and rights for all.

In Indonesia, women remain concentrated in low-productivity sectors and are disproportionately represented in informal and vulnerable jobs facing low wages, job insecurity, and lack of social protection.

The number of female workers in the informal sector continues to rise, from 61.9% in 2018 to 64.25% in 2023. Despite their significant contribution to the economy, female Labor Force Participation Rate is just 54.42%, significantly lower than the 83.98% for men, and has remained largely unchanged for the past two decades.

With remarkable resilience, women in Indonesia’s informal sector have diverse roles—from labor-intensive work to cultural preservation and entrepreneurship. They often work under harsh conditions, reflecting physical strength and deep determination despite lacking social protection. They also endure physically demanding labor in resource-limited settings, proving their capacity to thrive even in male-dominated or under-supported environments. Even the elderly and women with disability show extraordinary resilience by working with skill and determination despite physical and structural barriers. Their persistence in maintaining livelihoods under challenging circumstances highlights the strength and agency that drive inclusive economic survival.

Women also hold the essential role in sustaining cultural heritage while generating income, embodying economic independence and adaptability. Through their small-scale trade, women micro-entrepreneurs innovate and build livelihoods through self-reliance, contributing significantly to household stability and local economies. These women collectively uphold community and economic survival through strength, ingenuity, and persistence.

On this May Day, we would like to highlight women in informal economy and advocate for inclusive social/labor policies that recognize and protect women in informal employment; addressing their needs for achieving fair and equitable labor conditions in Indonesia.

"Recognize Her Work. Respect Her Rights."

Photos by SRI Institute, Yogyakarta – Indonesia

Behind every motorbike delivery and ride-hailing service in Vietnam are individuals working through platforms like Grab and Uber. These individuals are called ‘platform workers’ or 'platform drivers'. Over the past decade, these platforms have rapidly expanded in Vietnam, transforming the job market and affecting thousands of workers.

For years, the focus has been on convenience. But what's the real impact on these workers? Our latest research reveals their vulnerabilities – from low pay to unsafe conditions, and a lack of social protections.

Join labour researchers Ha Do et al. in understanding the challenges and seeking solutions in this publication.

Migrant workers are the "Silent Backbone" of Thailand's economic engine, sustaining vital sectors from agriculture and construction to seafood processing, yet their contributions remain largely unrecognized and their voices unheard.

Despite making up around 10% of the workforce and being indispensable to the nation’s growth, most migrant workers face persistent exploitation-enduring:

• low wages
• unsafe and unhealthy working conditions
• limited access to social protection

Many are paid below the legal minimum, work excessive hours, and are subjected to frequent rights violations, with weak enforcement of labor laws allowing these abuses to persist.

The situation is especially dire for those from neighboring countries like Myanmar and Cambodia, who often arrive fleeing conflict and are left vulnerable to unscrupulous brokers, debt bondage, and arbitrary detention as “illegal” migrants.

Critically, Thailand’s laws bar migrant workers from forming their own trade unions and severely restrict their ability to join existing ones, leaving them without collective bargaining power and making labor abuse endemic in migrant-dominated industries.

While the government has announced intentions to reform these laws, real change remains elusive, and until migrant workers are granted the right to organize and advocate for themselves, they will continue to bear the weight of Thailand’s prosperity in silence.

On this May Day, it is time to recognize and amplify the voices of these workers-the true, yet silent, backbone of the nation.

Bangladesh’s tannery workers are facing the fallout of an “unjust” transition. In 2017, over 200 tanneries were relocated from Dhaka’s Hazaribagh to Savar to reduce pollution. However, the move lacked basic worker support—no proper housing, transport, healthcare, or safety measures. Many workers now travel over 30 km daily and continue to work in hazardous conditions without risk allowances or insurance.

Although intended as an environmental reform, the Savar Tannery Industrial Park remains non-compliant. Its central effluent treatment plant cannot handle daily waste, causing untreated discharge into the Dhaleswari River. A baseline survey by OSHE Foundation found over 60% of tannery workers suffer from serious health issues due to chemical exposure.

Just Transition (JT)—a shift to a greener economy ensuring social justice and decent work—is still new to Bangladesh’s labour movement. In response, FES Bangladesh and OSHE launched a pilot initiative to raise awareness, engage unions, and promote policy dialogue linking climate action with workers' rights.

To make climate action fair and prevent an unjust transition for tannery warriors, workers must be included in decisions. Strengthening union voices, investing in re-skilling, and ensuring safe, dignified jobs are key to a truly “just” transition in Bangladesh’s tannery sector.

Bangladesh’s informal economy is vast and vital, comprising unregulated yet essential livelihoods—from street vending and domestic work to small-scale production. These workers, often operating outside legal and institutional protections, face low wages, poor working conditions, and social insecurity.

The 2022 Labour Force Survey (BBS) reveals that informal jobs span both unregistered enterprises and formal sectors. Women are particularly affected, working in caregiving, garment and textile supply chains, and home-based tasks without legal recognition or representation in the national economy. In sectors like transport, agriculture, and non-clinical healthcare, informal workers endure long hours, job insecurity, and lack of benefits such as maternity leave, fair wages, and weekends off.

A recent study highlights the struggles of home-based women workers in Dhaka, many earning under BDT 3,000/month (about Euro 22), while facing health risks and exploitation. In response, joint initiatives by FES Bangladesh and local partners propose strategies to formalize informal small enterprises, aligned with the Industrial Policy 2022. Recommendations include legal reforms, enhanced workplace safety, expanded social protections, and gender-inclusive policies.

The transformation of the informal workers is essential. With coordinated efforts, Bangladesh can transform its informal workforce—ensuring dignity, protection, and equitable opportunities for all.

"Resilience" is the defining trait of Nepal's labor force. This resilient spirit is evident in migrant workers who send remittances that sustain the national economy, as well as in local laborers, entrepreneurs, and artisans who rebuild communities after earthquakes and drive both the informal and formal sectors forward. Despite economic, political, and infrastructural challenges, the Nepali labor force consistently adapts, endures, and contributes significantly to both domestic growth and global labor markets.

Moreover, they are not just economic contributors—they are cultural stewards and silent heroes of national development. Their willingness to take on any role, their deep-rooted values of hard work, and their unwavering ability to endure and adapt make them a cornerstone of Nepal’s socio-economic landscape. This enduring spirit of resilience is what keeps the country moving—quietly and steadily, with immense strength.

India is home to 565 million workers (as per economic survey 2024). Around 93% of this workforce is engaged in informal employment across different sectors – construction, agriculture, street vending, garment, fisheries and the rising platform-based work. The workers (includes inter-state migrants) in these sectors continue to face harsh realities of precarious employment. They are bereft of decent work conditions – no living wages, inadequate social protection, poor health and safety and many are increasingly subjected to climate change realities, including heat stress. Workers’ organizations are fighting back to engage with the policymakers at both national and state levels to promote decent work conditions, especially in the informal economy.

With businesses spanning across borders, the global supply chains are very integral to worldwide company operations. Promulgation of international legislative instruments such as German Supply Chain Law (LkSG) offer a ray of hope to make businesses accountable towards millions of workers employed in supply chains across the globe. Further, skilled Indian labour now has the opportunity to explore decent jobs abroad - in countries like Germany which are facing shortage of workforce across skill sets as outlined in the New Skilled Immigration Act.

This May Day, let us take a pledge to end precarious work!

The pervasive challenge of “low wages” faced by workers in Pakistan, a critical issue impacting millions of workers across various sectors. Despite the country’s rich labour potential, the lack of fair compensation continues to undermine workers' quality of life, perpetuating poverty and economic inequality.

Pakistan’s workforce, predominantly engaged in agriculture, textiles, manufacturing, and services, is grappling with stagnant wage growth. In sectors like agriculture, workers often face long hours of physically demanding work with little financial reward. Similarly, in manufacturing and garment industries, employees are regularly paid below the minimum wage, often without contracts or labour protections. This informal labour market, while employing a significant portion of the workforce, exacerbates the issue by leaving workers without a safety net.

The situation is further aggravated by high inflation, which erodes the purchasing power of wages. As the cost of living rises—especially for essential goods like food, healthcare, and housing—many workers find their income insufficient to meet basic needs. For women workers, the problem is even more pronounced, as they face not only low wages but also gender-based wage disparities, limiting their economic independence.

Weak labour rights enforcement and the absence of strong union representation hinder workers from effectively advocating for better pay and working conditions. With a large portion of the workforce employed informally, many laborers lack job security, health benefits, and retirement savings, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation and economic instability.

This situation demands urgent attention, and there is a need for stronger labour laws, better enforcement of minimum wage regulations, and an inclusive approach to addressing gender wage gaps. On this International Labour Day, it is essential to advocate for systemic reforms that ensure fair wages and better working conditions for Pakistan's workers.