Informal Workers: New report urges governments to integrate informal workers

World
Europe

03:09

Around the global south, informal workers in urban area find it's hard for them to fully integrate into the city life. And sometimes they even face dangers that threaten their life. CGTN's Daniel Ryntjes has the details.

How do you feed your family when there aren't enough formal jobs to go around? In Kampala, 86 percent of workers are informal. And across the global south, between 50 and 80 percent of all urban workers are informal, according to a report published by the World Resources Institute.

VICTORIA BEARD, FELLOW WORLD RESOURCES INSTITUTE "When you start to think about that all the people you come into contact with in a day, from walking out walking out and getting a newspaper or getting a bottle of water, or maybe purchasing a particular item that's locally produced. There's informal labor that goes into that production process."

In Mumbai 80% of workers are informal though they face many daily challenges, including this watch seller Mohamad Ashraf.

MOHAMAD ASHRAF WATCH SELLER "There is a problem of the pick-up vans. The authorities come with a van - and we have to run. I just had a broken leg. There is no other earning member in my family - I am the only breadwinner. This was the only way to earn a living, which they also try to close down."

They work in many different sectors, including construction, transport and manufacturing but are often excluded or stigmatized.

MARTHA CHEN, LECTURER HARVARD KENNEDY SCHOOL "The bulk of the workforce in the global south at least is informally employed and self-employed. The practices and policies of the cities tend to be very very negative and need to be rethought so that they can be fully incorporated into the life of the cities."

Home garment or pharmaceutical workers are a crucial part of many global supply chains, though they face the threat of eviction, or difficulties in accessing electricity and water.

Trash pickers help cities address environmental challenges, but are refused access to dump sites, storage space, or basic safety equipment.

VICTORIA BEARD, FELLOW WORLD RESOURCES INSTITUTE "Cities are centers of creativity and innovation and they are also centers of growing inequality, poverty and strife and that's what we struggle with when we think about the cities of the future. How can we live, move and thrive in cities."

The report highlights successes of integration, such as providing market spaces for street vendors. Trash picker organizations can compete for city contracts, including this recycling work during the Brazil World Cup. Providing basic services can also bring in new taxes, while reducing the chances of workers being exploited by criminal gangs.

DANIEL RYNTJES WASHINGTON DC "Bringing informal workers into the mainstream can also unleash greater economic growth potential because it reduces the inefficiencies and frustrating challenges of working on the margins. Daniel Ryntjes, CGTN, Washington."