Informal Economy Conference Agenda

Friday December 2, 2011
Keynote Address Shawna Bader-Blau, Executive Director, Solidarity Center
Research Presentation: Trade Union Responses to Organizing in the Informal Economy Rutgers University researchers
Panel Response: How are established trade unions organizing and integrating workers from outside their traditional membership and sector base? Facilitator: Alex Feltham, Solidarity Center Svetlana Boincean: SindLUCAS/IUF; organizing migrant agricultural workers through a Global Union Federation (Moldova) Cheung Yin Foon: HKCTU; integrating domestic workers in a national trade union center (Hong Kong) Mora Sar: Cambodian Food and Service Workers Federation, Organizing; informal beer hall workers in supply chain of a formal sector beverage company (Cambodia)
Introduction to General Secretary Zwelinzima Vavi Cathy Feingold, Director, International Department, AFL-CIO
Welcoming Remarks Zwelinzima Vavi, General Secretary, Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU)
Q&A/Plenary Discussion: All conference participants will participate in a moderated discussion to ask questions and offer comments to researchers, case study presenters, and each other
Skill-Building Workshops: Participatory workshops to teach and share practical strategies for organizing and representing workers in the informal sector
Panel Discussion: Building Bridges (Discussing innovative partnerships and types of organizations that bridge the gap between “formal” and “informal” sectors to secure decent work for all workers) Facilitator: Brian Finnegan, Solidarity Center Phillip Sanzvenga: Zimbabwe Chamber of Informal Economy Associations; an independent association of informal workers created by and linked to Zimbabwe’s national trade union center, ZCTU (Zimbabwe) Bhairavi Desai: New York Taxi Workers Alliance; adapting worker representation to new models of employment, a union of “independent contractors” with an AFL-CIO organizing charter (US) Karuppiah Velayudam: NTUF; Sri Lanka’s national union center has created new structure, the Migrant Workers Front (Sri Lanka) Ari Aloraldo: CUT-ADS Agency for Sustainable Development; a department within Brazil´s largest national trade union center, supports diverse informal and self-employed workers through new models or outreach and representation
Saturday December 3
Research Presentation: How informal economy workers across countries and sectors organize to defend their rights and improve their working conditions Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing (WIEGO)
Panel Response: How are grassroots organizations representing workers and relating to the formal labor movement? Facilitator: Lisa McGowan, Solidarity Center Myrtle Witbooi: South African Domestic Service and Allied Workers Union, SADSAWU, (South Africa) Orlando Reyes: Union of Autonomous Workers, FENTAE; street and market vendors (Honduras) Tikka Khan: Akhbaar Faroosh Federation; Newspaper Delivery Persons Federation (Pakistan)
Q&A/Plenary Discussion: Questions and comments to researchers, case study presenters, and each other
Breakout Discussions: An opportunity to debate major conference themes in depth, and share experiences/best practices
Debrief and Report Back from Workshops: Conclusions, questions, and highlights from 1st and 2nd days' break-out sessions Facilitator: David Welsh, Solidarity Center
Panel: Conclusion Facilitator: Cathy Feingold, AFL-CIO Shawna Bader-Blau, Solidarity Center Adrienne Eaton, Rutgers University Representative, WIEGO
Workshops and Breakout Discussions
Friday December 2 Workshop: Mapping and Power Analysis in Informal Workplaces Al Hosinski, Solidarity Center Resource Materials Mapping for Informal Workers Mapping Advocacy Strategies The Growth of the Informal Economy: Workers on Their Own Economics for All: Economic Democracy in a Global Economy Health and Safety Organizing: A Worker's Guide Workshop: How to Develop and Advance Policy and Legislative Campaigns Vimbai Mushongera, ZCTU (Zimbabwe) & Sonia Mistry, Solidarity Center Resource Materials ZCTU Parliamentary and Advocacy Toolkit Workers of Zimbawe Transformation Agenda Workshop: Civic Education for Advocacy (in Spanish with English translation) Orlando Reyes, FENTAEH (Honduras) & Stephen Wishart, Solidarity Center Resource Materials Civic Education and Advocacy Training Part 1 (in Spanish) Civic Education and Advocacy Part 2 (in Spanish) Honduras Legislation (in Spanish) Workshop: Comparing Organizing Models and Strategies to Identify “Golden Rules” for Worker Organizing Alejandra Ancheita, ProDESC (Mexico), Joell Molina, AFL-CIO & Lorraine Clewer, Solidarity Center Resource Materials Workshop Exercises Best Practices in Successful Organizing in the Informal Sector Workshop: Building Power for Informal Workers through Civil Society Coalitions: Strong Partnerships and Reliable Alliances Alex Feltham & Tristan Masat, Solidarity Center Resource Materials Case Study
Saturday December 3 Discussion: Organizing Migrant Workers Nadia Marin, National Day Laborer Organizing Network, NDLON (US) & Tim Ryan, Solidarity Center Discussion: Building Sustainable Organizations of Informal Economy Workers, Lessons from the Domestic Work Sector (in Spanish and Portuguese with English translation) Maria Noeli dos Santos, FENTRAD (Brazil) & Brian Finnegan, Solidarity Center Discussion: Identifying and Addressing Exclusion in Work and Worker Organizations Alexis de Simone, Solidarity Center Resource Materials Informal Worker Images Discussion: The Politics of “Informality” and Economic Policy Habib Rajeb, UGTT (Tunisia) & Michael Schwaabe, Solidarity Center Resource Materials Habib Rajeb Presentation on the Informal Economy in Tunisia (Arabic) Habib Rajeb Presentation on the Informal Economy in Tunisia (French) Habib Rajeb Presentation on the Informal Economy in Tunisia (English) Discussion: Breakout Discussion on Emerging Conference Themes and Debates Tom Egan, Solidarity Center Additional Resource Materials Informal Economy: Law and Policy Demands, Lessons from the WIEGO India Pilot Study