International Labour Conference 2025: Challenges and Opportunities for Workers

ACTRAV INFO: The Director-General emphasized the importance of social dialogue in a tense global context. What is your analysis as a workers’ representative?

Hedia Arfaoui: Social dialogue is not just an institutional mechanism—it is one of the foundations of democracy and social peace. In a context where democratic values are being challenged in several regions of the world, social dialogue becomes a vital lever to restore trust, reconcile interests, and ensure justice.

As a workers’ representative, I am deeply concerned that this dialogue is weakened or stripped of meaning in many countries. We are witnessing increasing restrictions on trade union freedoms, the criminalization of social movements, and the exclusion of social partners from decision-making processes. The risk is clear: without structured dialogue, social tensions worsen and cohesion unravels.

That is why we must collectively reaffirm that social dialogue is a vital, non-negotiable necessity. It must be strengthened, institutionalized, and respected. It is a tool for conflict prevention, a vehicle for inclusion, and a means to build fairer, more stable, and more sustainable economic and social policies.

ACTRAV INFO: The digital economy will be at the heart of the discussion in the standard-setting committee on decent work in the platform economy. What are your expectations for this discussion?

We expect this discussion to lead to the adoption of an ambitious standard that enshrines the fundamental rights of platform workers, including access to comprehensive social protection, workplace safety, trade union freedom, and the right to collective bargaining.

Today, millions of platform workers are excluded from traditional protection systems. They work in precarious conditions, with little or no security, stability, or recognition. It is therefore essential that this standard affirms the principle of equal rights for all workers, regardless of the economic model.

Technology must not be a pretext to undermine social gains. On the contrary, it must come with new guarantees. It is time for the ILO to clearly affirm that all work deserves dignity, safety, and protection.

ACTRAV INFO: Why does the general discussion on the transition from the informal to the formal economy—also on the Conference agenda—remain so important today?

Because more than 60% of the global workforce—about 2 billion people, according to ILO data—still operate in the informal economy. This means a vast majority of workers are deprived of rights, social protection, job security, and often even recognition.

Women are most affected, especially in sectors like care work or domestic work, where they face heightened structural precarity.

Ten years after the adoption of Recommendation 204, it is time to move from intention to action. This general discussion is a crucial opportunity to reaffirm the international community’s commitment to formalizing work, strengthening state capacities, and integrating informal workers into systems of protection, rights, and social dialogue. This transition is a key lever for building inclusive and resilient economies.

ACTRAV INFO: What are your expectations for this 113th session of the International Labour Conference?

We expect this 113th session to be a conference of concrete commitments and historic decisions. First, we hope for major normative progress on the two central themes: decent work in the platform economy and the transition from informal to formal economy.

We welcome the admission of Palestine as a non-member observer State. This is an important recognition that, we hope, will help pave the way for full recognition of the Palestinian State and respect for its fundamental rights, including the right to decent work and social justice.

We also hope for the adoption of the ILO budget, which is essential for continuing its fieldwork, especially in the most vulnerable countries.

Finally, we count on this session to renew constituents’ commitment to tripartism, trade union independence, and governance based on participation, equity, and justice.

ACTRAV INFO: What message would you like to send to the participants of this Conference?

I would like to send a message of responsibility and hope: this Conference must not be a mere institutional ritual, but a space for courageous decisions in service of the millions of workers we represent.

Every word, every standard, every choice made here has a direct impact on people’s lives. In a global context marked by crises, conflicts, and democratic setbacks, we have a duty to defend the founding principles of the ILO: social justice, equality, dignity of work, and peace.

I invite you to amplify the voices of the most vulnerable, to prioritize human rights over economic logic, and to make bold commitments. Together, let’s ensure this Conference becomes a turning point for a fairer, more united, and more humane future of work.