Towards Fair and Sustainable Global Supply Chains: Promoting Decent Work for Invisible Workers in South Asia”

The ILO/Japan project “Towards fair and sustainable global supply chains: Promoting formalization and decent work for invisible workers in South Asia” (Sustainable Global Supply Chains in South Asia) aims to contribute to the development of ethical and sustainable global supply chains.

Project background:

Larger and more formal enterprise in the upper-tiers of global supply chains have linkages with large, medium-sized and small enterprises engaged in the production of goods in both the formal and informal economies. Due to competitive markets and demands for speedy delivery, these enterprises often adopt highly flexible production and work patterns. This results in informal working arrangements, piece-rate production, home-based work and engaging of workers in non-standard forms of employment.

There have been many global and multi-lateral initiatives to promote labour law compliance and sustainable and ethical practices in global supply chains which has also improved business operations. However, these improvements have mostly been in the formal sector. Those who work in the informal economy are overlooked despite the fact that decent work deficits become more prominent towards the lower tiers of chains. Workers at the lower tiers of global supply chains are in a disadvantaged position as they remain invisible. They also lack legal and social protection --- key instruments to achieve better working and living conditions. The informal enterprises at the lower tiers of supply chains face also multiple challenges which include lack of access to resources and business support services to grow competitive and socially responsible. There is a dire need to address decent work deficits experienced by the informal workers and also enable small economic units to be formalized and sustainable so as to realize decent work for all and promote fair and sustainable global supply chains.

Project objective:

The project will contribute to the development of ethical and sustainable global supply chains where decent work is promoted especially for those engaged in the lower tiers of the global supply chains. These are home-based workers, and other informal economy workers and working with sub-contractors, and micro, small and medium enterprises in the informal economy in South Asia. This project will work towards developing successful models through integrated approaches that promote decent work at the lower tiers of global supply chains.
The immediate objectives of the project are:
  • Improved and effective implementation of policies/regulations to promote decent work for home-based workers and other informal economy workers and units engaged in global supply chains.
  • Strengthened governance to promote decent work and contribute to the development of ethical and sustainable supply chains especially at the local levels.
  • Improved living and working conditions of home-based workers and other informal economy workers engaged in selected supply chains.
This is the second phase of the project titled “Way out of Informality in South Asia” which has been implemented in Bangladesh, India and Nepal during 2012-2016. The second phase will build on the progress already made in the first phase of the project and continue to address the negative aspects associated with informality.

Regions and countries covered:

South Asia with interventions in India, Nepal and Sri Lanka

Implementing partners:

Ministries of Labour, other relevant Ministries/government departments; worker organizations, employer organizations and sector-specific affiliates; home-based workers or membership based organizations, and relevant non-governmental organizations.

Target beneficiaries:

The project will reach out to the informal economy workers, especially women home-based workers and other informal economy workers (casual/contract workers etc.) working in the lower tiers of the global supply chains.

The project will also work with actors in the supply chain such as sub-contractors, micro and small enterprises, and suppliers who have potential ability to promote decent work for home-based workers, while they work towards improved productivity, competitiveness and formalization.

For further information, please contact:

Bharti Birla
Chief Technical Advisor
birla@ilo.org
+91-11- 4750 9240