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Giving informal workers a voice: supporting access of informal workers to freedom of association and collective bargaining 08
Social Dialogue to Transition to Formality

Giving informal workers a voice: supporting access of informal workers to freedom of association and collective bargaining

Introduction

Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing (WIEGO) is a global network focused on empowering the working poor, especially women, in the informal economy to secure their livelihoods. WIEGO promotes change by mobilising credible research, statistics and policy analysis to expand knowledge on the informal economy, building networks and capacity among informal worker organisations and, jointly with network and organisations, influencing local, national and international policies. Its work concentrates on urban informal employment around the globe, particularly on four occupational groups in which large numbers of poorer working women are employed: domestic workers, home-based workers (including garment workers), street vendors and waste pickers.

WIEGO’s recent research in Brazil (Assis, 2023) and Zimbabwe (Mudarikwa and von Broembsen, 2024[59]) exemplifies the range of strategies and institutions that give informal street vendors a voice in workplace decision-making and that enable them to organise and influence policies that affect their work. These case studies underline the need to learn from experiments in social dialogue and collective bargaining when theorising how to institutionalise social dialogue for workers in the informal economy. The studies also show that there is no one-size-fits-all and illustrate that a more fluid approach to social dialogue is necessary for workers in the informal economy. 

Recognition of street vendors in Brazil

São Paulo, the largest city in Brazil with a population exceeding 12 million, is a hub for thousands of street vendors who significantly contribute to the local informal economy. Initially, the city’s approach to regulating street vending aimed at legalisation that recognised street vending as a legitimate economic activity and which institutionalised dialogue with street vendors through the creation of Street Vending Permanent Commissions (CPAs). By promoting progressive formalisation of the sector, the city was a pioneer in Brazil. The CPAs, composed of representatives from the government, vendors, and civil society, were intended to institutionalise a more fluid approach to social dialogue and facilitate democratic participation in urban governance, allowing vendors’ voices to be heard. This initiative also supported structured communication channels between street vendors, municipal authorities, and other stakeholders to address regulatory and operational issues comprehensively. However, over time, and with a change in government, the CPAs resulted in a fragmentation within the street vending community. This was due to their localised nature, which prevented a cohesive citywide strategy. The situation worsened in the 2010s when a wave of permit revocations and restrictive regulations by a new government almost eradicated street vending in the city.

To counteract these challenges, street vendors and their allies established the citywide Forum of Street Vendors of the City of São Paulo (Fórum dos(as) Trabalhadores(as) Ambulantes da Cidade de São Paulo), a more inclusive and representative body that fostered broader political mobilisation and unity across the sector. This forum played a crucial role in advocating for vendors’ rights to be allocated spaces in cities to trade, challenging unjust regulations that criminalised their livelihoods, and promoting a new law that defines who a street vendor is, the different types of street vending that are allowed, the criteria for issuing and revoking street vendor permits, a list of infractions and penalties, and regulation of the CPAs. Importantly, the new law aims at institutionalising regional CPAs and a citywide municipal council, which will include representatives of the city administration, the city council, civil society and street vendors. The purpose of this city-wide institution is to provide the space to debate public policy relevant to street vending and to oversee the law’s implementation across the different administrative regions. This experience shows the importance of giving informal workers the opportunity to be represented and influence policies and laws that affect them without being dependent on a politician to voice their concerns.

Recognition of street vendors in Zimbabwe

In Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Chamber of Informal Economy Associations (ZCIEA), established in 2002, represents over 205,000 members from various informal sectors such as construction workers and waste pickers, with street vendors being the majority. This organisation, supported by the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), has been pivotal in advocating for the rights and recognition of informal workers. ZCIEA signed the first Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with local authorities in 2019. Between 2019 and 2021 (including during the Covid-19 pandemic), a total of nineteen MoUs were signed, with the objectives of formally recognising ZCIEA as a representative body for informal workers and improving the working conditions of ZCIEA’s members.

The MOUs between ZCIEA and local authorities aim to recognise ZCIEA as a legitimate bargaining representative for its members; to secure vendors’ access to public space to trade, to ensure safer working environments and fostering compliance with local health and safety regulations; and to ensure transparent processes for the collection of trading fees. ZCIEA’s strategies reflect a broader effort to implement ILO Recommendation No. 204 (R204), adopted in 2015, which identifies public space as a workplace and recognises the rights of informal workers to freedom of association and collective bargaining. The agreements illustrate collective bargaining relations between local authorities and organisations of street vendors, even if these MoUs do not fully establish detailed negotiation processes or dispute resolution mechanisms.

The MOUs are particularly significant given the historical tension between street vendors and local authorities in Zimbabwe. Vendors sought these agreements to gain social and legal recognition, secure their access to space and infrastructure, and to protect themselves from harassment and from the confiscation of their goods. From the perspective of local authorities, engaging with ZCIEA and similar organisations helped maintain order and public health standards, and provided a regulated stream of revenue through vendor fees. These fees are collected regularly from vendors who trade in designated public spaces. The agreements primarily aim to foster a collaborative relationship between vendors and authorities, ensuring that vendors have a voice in the regulation of their workspaces.

The journey to secure these agreements was challenging, with initial resistance from local councils. Many officials were sceptical about recognising vendors as legitimate economic actors and were unfamiliar with ZCIEA’s objectives. Overcoming this resistance required persistent dialogue, backed by training and advocacy efforts. Training support from organisations like the Solidarity Center and StreetNet International equipped ZCIEA leaders with negotiation and advocacy skills, crucial for engaging in effective dialogue with authorities.

Despite the progress made, challenges persist, particularly in the enforceability of the MoUs and the inclusion of dispute resolution mechanisms. Moreover, while the MoUs signify a step towards better recognition and conditions for informal workers, there is still a broader need for integration of these workers into national labour laws (collective bargaining, social security and occupational health and safety laws), from which they are currently excluded. ZCIEA’s work continues to be crucial in advocating for the rights of informal workers across Zimbabwe’s ten provinces. The organisation’s ongoing efforts highlight the importance of social dialogue and collective action in achieving meaningful improvements for the livelihoods of informal workers.

In parallel, ZCIEA is fighting for representation in the national tripartite social dialogue institution, the Tripartite Negotiating Forum (TNF), established and governed by the Tripartite Negotiating Forum Act of 2019. This forum facilitates consultation, cooperation, and negotiation on social and economic issues among the government (represented by the Ministry of Public Service Labour and Social Welfare), employers organisations (Employers’ Confederation of Zimbabwe), and trade unions (Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions and Zimbabwe Federation of Trade Unions). ZCIEA is currently represented through ZCTU, however, it aims to have its own seat at the table to better address challenges street vendors are facing, most importantly their exclusion from labour laws and collective bargaining rights.

Key Lessons

It is key to provide a platform for informal street vendors to associate and to bargain with authorities so that their working conditions are improved.

Street vendors need a representative voice to influence the laws and policies that regulate their workplaces and that affect their livelihoods.

To address the concerns, improve their working conditions, and regulate access to public space and resources, it is crucial to recognise organisations and unions representing informal workers.

Engaging with representative organisations of informal workers can help decrease tensions and support social cohesion.

Read the full report

Download the Global Deal Flagship Report 2022 for the full version of this case study, plus 12 others examining the work carried out by Global Deal partners and the voluntary commitments made to promote social dialogue in addressing global-labour market challenges.

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