The Labora – Fund for Decent Work team attended the public gathering “Building Collective Power for Social Justice: Workers Organizing in the Informal & Popular Economy,” promoted by WIEGO (Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing), at the headquarters of CUT – Central Única dos Trabalhadores (Unified Workers’ Central), on February 2nd.
The dialogue was part of a gathering co-organized with HomeNet International, the International Domestic Workers Federation (IDWF), the International Alliance of Waste Pickers, and StreetNet International, with the support from the Ford Foundation.
Amanda Camargo, project coordinator at Labora, was responsible for moderating the gathering, which brought together allies and informal and popular economy workers from more than 23 countries. According to her, “the invitation for Labora to join the gathering reflects the closer ties and coordination we have been developing with grassroots organizations that organize collectively and intersectorally in the Global South to guarantee decent work.”
The gathering explored what grassroots movements have learned in response to the worsening conditions of labor in today’s geopolitical context. One of the key reflections was that cross-sector collaboration is fundamental to consolidating workers’ power and strengthening democracy. The debates also emphasized that solidarity and collective resistance are the way forward to guarantee decent work, rights-based formalization, social protection, and structural transformations in society.
Organizations supported by Labora, such as FENATRAD and SIMTRAPLI RS, took part in two panels, where they shared experiences of collective organizing to secure the rights of domestic and care workers, as well as app-based drivers and delivery workers.
In addition to Labora, representatives from CUT Brasil, the Trade Union Confederation of the Americas (CSA), the ILO Bureau for Workers’ Activities, the SEWA Cooperative Federation, the Ford Foundation, and Brazilian affiliates of global workers’ networks were also present.
Photo: Eduardo Derrico – IDWF/HNI
Photo: Eduardo Derrico – IDWF/HNI
Moment of the mística (collective political-cultural expression) held by the Movement of Workers Without Rights (MTSD). Photo: Eduardo Derrico – IDWF/HNI
WIEGO is a global network that supports the movements of workers in informal employment, particularly women and people living in vulnerable situations. The network develops statistics, research, and policy analyses that this population can use in their advocacy work. The gathering was part of a broader agenda co-organized by WIEGO and HomeNet International, the International Domestic Workers Federation (IDWF), the International Alliance of Waste Pickers, and StreetNet International, with support from the Ford Foundation.
Visit to South Africa
Labora’s coordination team initiated its dialogue with WIEGO in November 2025, during a visit to South Africa as part of the Horizons Initiative, of which the fund is a member.
The Horizons Initiative is a global endeavor focused on strengthening the collective power of workers and their organizations by expanding resources, infrastructure, and alliances for a more robust and globally connected movement. The initiative promotes a shared strategic vision among labor organizations, philanthropy, and public actors to address challenges such as inequality, climate change, technological transformations, and the expansion of informal work. By prioritizing the leadership and perspectives of the Global South, the project aims to build a more inclusive, resilient workers’ movement that is capable of influencing policies and narratives about the future of work and democracy.
The trip to South Africa sought to reinforce collaboration with research institutions, unions, and philanthropic foundations engaged in social justice, just transition, and decent work agendas. During the trip, the delegation met with strategic actors such as the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, the Ford Foundation, the Solidarity Center, the Building and Wood Workers International (BWI), the WIEGO network itself, the Labor Research Services, and researchers from Wits University/Global Labor University, in addition to participating in the People’s Summit. These meetings allowed for a diagnosis of the current scenario of reduced international funding for the union movement and the identification of transnational cooperation strategies to sustain agendas related to democracy, just economy, and labor rights.
The discussions underscored the importance of expanding collective organization in precarious and informal sectors — such as waste pickers, domestic workers, and street vendors — and of strengthening the technical and political capacity of organizations to influence public policies, value chains, and transition processes. Within this context, the role of Labora – Fund for Decent Work in consolidating the Horizons Initiative was emphasized, bringing a perspective rooted in the Global South and informed by the experience of social movements. Overall, the trip helped deepen connections, identify strategic partnerships, and reinforce the central role of workers’ organization in the face of contemporary inequalities and socio-environmental challenges.
