World Day for Decent Work Date in the current year: October 7, 2024

The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) is the world’s largest trade union federation. It was formed in 2006 by the merger of the World Confederation of Labor and the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions. As of 2018, the ITUC had over 300 million affiliated organizations in 163 countries and territories, and represented 207 million workers.

The primary mission of the ITUC is to promote and defend the rights and interests of workers through international cooperation between trade unions and global campaigns. Its main areas of activities are:

• trade union and human rights;
• economy, society and the workplace;
• non-discrimination and equality;
• international solidarity.

The ITUC is governed by congresses held every four years, a General Council, and an Executive Bureau. It has three regional organizations: the Trade Union Confederation of the Americas (TUCA-CSA), the ITUC Regional Organization for Asia and Pacific (ITUC-Asia Pacific), and the ITUC Regional Organization for Africa (ITUC-Africa).

The ITUC cooperates with the European Trade Union Confederation and works closely with global union federations, the Trade Union Advisory Committee to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, the International Labor Organization and other specialized agencies of the United Nations.

The ITUC inaugurated World Day for Decent Work in 2008. Its main goal is to mobilize trade unions around the world for a day to stand up for decent work. Every October 7, thousands of people participate in events organized by trade unions in support of the right for decent work.

According to the International Labor Organization, decent work is highly productive work that guarantees a fair income, social protection and safe working condition regardless of the worker’s gender in an environment of non-discrimination and equality, freedom to express concerns, and respect for human dignity.

In addition to ensuring a decent standard of living, decent work is a driver of sustainable development that improves economic growth. When people earn a decent amount of money, they spend it in the local economy, which results in the growth of businesses. Thriving businesses pay taxes, which are used to fund social security programs.

To raise awareness of the importance of decent work, trade unions organize World Day for Decent Work events and call on governments to take action to create and maintain jobs as well as to ensure fair pay, social protection, workplace safety, and non-discrimination and workplace equality.

World Day for Decent Work became especially relevant during the times of the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in the loss of 255 million jobs around the world, leaving people without employment income and causing a global economic recession comparable to the Great Depression.