FES Asia-Pacific

16/06/2026

Readiness vs. Likelihood? Ratifying the new ILO Convention 193

🛵 Last week, the ILO’s International Labour Conference adopted Convention No. 193 on Decent Work in the Platform Economy, the first international labour standard dedicated to platform work.

What comes next? Countries will now decide whether and how to bring the Convention into national laws and policies. Even where it is not ratified, the Convention may still influence legal debates, court rulings, company practices, collective bargaining and public discussion.

Ahead of the 2026 ILC, our Future of Work Conference in Bangkok brought together trade union leaders, policymakers, researchers and civil society actors from across Asia-Pacific to discuss what this could mean in practice.

In a stocktaking workshop, participants mapped countries’ readiness to regulate platform work against their likelihood of ratifying the Convention. The discussion considered factors such as government interest, political momentum, institutional capacity and labour movement dynamics.

The board’s main insight stood out: ratification matters, but implementation matters too. Without effective enforcement, social protection and worker representation, platform workers may still fall through the cracks.

Note: The mapping reflects participants’ perceptions, not official country positions.

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📌 Where would you place your country? Share with us in comments!

15/06/2026

The International Labour Conference has adopted a new Convention on Decent Work in the Platform Economy.

This first international labour standard on the platform economy marks an important step in addressing a rapidly evolving area of the world of work.

08/06/2026

NEW TECH, MEDIEVAL WORK ISSUES

As of today, the International Labour Conference (ILC) is adopting the first binding global standards for platform workers. This decision could mark a turning point in ensuring that digital work is governed by clear rights and protections — or it could leave the current situation unchanged.

ITUC legal officer Monica Tepfer explains what is at stake, what progress could look like, and why this debate extends far beyond any single app or industry.

Think platform work only affects delivery riders or app-based workers? Think again.

The reality is that what is happening in the gig economy is already shaping the wider world of work. Algorithmic management, insecure contracts, misclassification of workers, surveillance, and the reduction of workers to data points are increasingly becoming normalised across sectors.

This is not a niche issue. It is a structural shift in how work is organised.
In June 2026, the International Labour Organization (ILO) will vote on whether to adopt the first-ever binding global standards for platform workers. This decision could mark a turning point in ensuring that digital work is governed by clear rights and protections — or it could leave the current situation unchanged.

The proposed standards would address key issues such as algorithmic transparency, the right to organise, ending bogus self-employment, protection from gender-based violence, and stronger human accountability in digital work systems.

In the latest episode of Collective Voices, ITUC legal officer Monica Tepfer explains what is at stake, what progress could look like, and why this debate extends far beyond any single app or industry.
🎧 Listen now: https://www.ituc-csi.org/ituc-podcast-collective-voices

08/06/2026

𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 O𝐮𝐫 𝐏𝐨𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: Episode 5 is now available!!

🎙️ Tune in to this eye-opening conversation on medicines, trade, and South-South cooperation. Watch now!

When people think of Bangladesh’s exports, garments usually come to...

08/06/2026

05/06/2026

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📅 Deadline: 06 June 2026
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REBOOT Batch 6 offers selected participants a fully funded scholarship to a year-long programme focused on green skills, policy, and community-centered approaches to the energy transition.

If you are passionate about renewable energy, climate justice, community development, or public policy, this is your final chance to apply.

📅 Deadline: 06 June 2026
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04/06/2026

As the International Labour Conference (ILC) starts, the world of work awaits for the adoption of a global convention for platform work. We have gathered some thoughts our partners and friends from unions and labor organizations have poured in as the delegates of the ILC in Geneva discuss this important measure.

(Link in comments)

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Kate Lappin, Regional Secretary for Asia-Pacific at Public Services International (PSI) discussed platform work as a major shift in how work and the global economy are organised.

03/06/2026

As the International Labour Conference (ILC) starts, the world of work awaits for the adoption of a global convention for platform work. We have gathered some thoughts our partners and friends from unions and labor organizations have poured in as the delegates of the ILC in Geneva discuss this important measure.

(Link in comments)
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Akkanut Wantanasombut, Head, Innovation for Social Solidarity and Inclusive Economy in Asia (ISSIE Chula) at the Institute of Asian Studies, Chulalongkorn University, spoke about algorithmic control and power in platform work during the FES Regional Conference “Digitalisation without informalisation? Rethinking a fairer platform economy.”

03/06/2026

01/06/2026