Chairperson, distinguished delegates,
I am Teresa Bul, a Nigerian waste picker from Lagos State, speaking on behalf of WIEGO and the International Alliance of Waste Pickers.
The informal economy, where over 2 billion people earn a living, is not a barrier to social justice—it reflects policy failures to address poverty, exclusion, and lack of protection. Rather than forcing workers into rigid systems, policies must adapt to recognize and support us.
Recommendation 204 should be a road map to reduce risk, secure livelihoods, and ensure social protection and justice—not just productivity.
I urge the ILC to center formalization on:
- Job creation: with gender-sensitive policies that guarantee access to finance, workspace, and fair legal frameworks.
- Rights at work: ratify and implement Conventions 189 and 177, recognize informal workers in labor laws, and ensure a just transition for waste pickers.
- Social protection: make it accessible to all workers.
- Collective bargaining: remove barriers to our right to organize and negotiate.
Recognizing, protecting, and empowering informal economy workers is essential for a just world, as our work sustains the economy.
Theresa Bul
Association of Scraps and Waste Pickers of Lagos
IAWP Delegate at the #ILC2025
Tweet
Leave a comment