The 113th Session of the International Labour Conference (ILC) has officially opened in Geneva, gathering delegates from all 187 ILO Member States to negotiate new international labour standards. Key agenda items include establishing decent work conditions for platform economy workers and protections against biological hazards in workplaces.
According to a statement, the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) leads a global union delegation advocating for a binding ILO Convention and Recommendation that secure enforceable rights for digital platform workers, especially those in transport sectors.
ITF General Secretary Stephen Cotton emphasized the significance of this moment, calling it a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” to set a global floor of rights for a rapidly growing yet under-regulated workforce.
The ITF has outlined eleven core demands for platform workers, including legal protections, ending misclassification as independent contractors, transparent algorithmic management, fair wages, social protections, data rights, and enforcement mechanisms.
Alongside platform work, the conference addresses biological hazards at work, aiming to adopt a binding Convention to protect workers broadly, recognizing climate change impacts and integrating gender-responsive measures.
Cotton highlighted the necessity of comprehensive protections beyond infectious diseases, marking occupational safety and health as fundamental rights.
Throughout the conference, the ITF will also press for measures on issues such as sanctions against Myanmar for labour rights violations, recognition of Palestine as a non-member observer state, and updates to the Maritime Labour Convention.
The delegation will join global labour solidarity actions supporting workers’ rights in Palestine, Myanmar, Belarus, and Ukraine.
This session marks a critical step toward closing regulatory gaps in the platform economy and enhancing worker protections worldwide, with hopes high for ambitious and constructive outcomes on these pressing labour issues
