The International Trade Union Confederation, ITUC, has revealed that at least 664 million workers worldwide do not earn enough to lift themselves and their families out of poverty.
This figure represents one in every five workers globally.
In light of this, the ITUC has called on all governments and employers to engage in genuine social dialogue and to ensure that living wages become a reality by strengthening minimum wage frameworks and expanding collective bargaining systems.
In a statement, the ITUC expressed support for a new initiative by the International Labour Organisation, ILO, aimed at ending the global crisis of poverty wages.
The ILO recently launched a programme that prioritizes the principle of a living wage in its support to member countries.
According to the ITUC, this development follows years of persistent advocacy by trade unions. Under the new program, the ILO will provide technical support to governments and social partners to estimate and implement living wages in accordance with tripartite principles.
ITUC General Secretary, Luc Triangle, explained that "this initiative builds upon a landmark agreement reached in February 2024, in which ILO constituents adopted a shared understanding of the living wage concept and the principles guiding its estimation and application.
"This is a major step toward ensuring fair wages and dignified livelihoods for workers worldwide. It is a scandal that hundreds of millions of working people are still earning poverty wages. This new program represents a critical shift from decades of advocacy to tangible action. It's time for every worker to earn enough to live a decent life."
Triangle reiterated the ITUC's call for governments and employers to commit to genuine social dialogue, emphasizing that living wages are fundamental to inclusive and sustainable economic development.
The ITUC highlighted that, by conservative estimates, 664 million workers globally live on wages too low to meet basic needs. The ILO's new program is expected to expand technical assistance to countries, helping them develop accurate cost-of-living estimates to support evidence-based wage negotiations. It will also strengthen wage-setting institutions, including collective bargaining systems and tripartite minimum wage frameworks.
The ITUC views this initiative as a vital tool in bridging the gap between minimum and living wages and called for strong union participation in its implementation. It also urged governments to ratify and implement ILO Convention 131 on Minimum Wage Fixing.
"This framework-developed with the involvement of workers' unions-is essential for ensuring that minimum wages reflect the real cost of living and are regularly updated to keep pace with rising living standards," the ITUC said.
...Begins campaign for platform workers' rights
Meanwhile, International Trade Union Confederation, ITUC, has taken over the struggle for Platform workers' rights.
ITUC is backing the campaign with Time to Deliver: Rights for All Platform Workers.
According to ITUC: "We demand urgent action to stop exploitation, and to deliver fair wages, decent working conditions and the right to organise.
"The call for all platform workers to receive the same protections as all other workers will take centre stage at the International Labour Conference, ILC, in June, where we are pushing for a new ILO Convention and Recommendation to set global standards for fair treatment.
Join our fight to ensure that platform workers - from care workers, to couriers, to content moderators - are no longer denied the rights they deserve.
"Also at the ILC: The ITUC Global Rights Index 2025 will be launched, revealing the latest trends in workers' rights violations worldwide. We will take a clear message to the governments and employers at the ILC: workers' rights must be respected, and unions must be free to organise without fear.
"We aim to secure a strong and legally-binding standard on biological hazards. As well as resistance, April is also a month of remembrance. This International Workers' Memorial Day will focus on protecting workers' rights in the age of Artificial Intelligence, AI, because AI is too often being used to control and exploit workers rather than support them.
May 1, International Workers' Day, will be time to Take Back Democracy! While billionaires profit, workers face low wages and crumbling public services.
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