Trade unions across India have agreed to establish a National Joint Forum for Platform Workers following a two-day workshop organized by the International Labour Organization’s Bureau for Workers’ Activities. Held in Hyderabad on 26–27 November 2025, the meeting brought together Central Trade Unions and emerging platform-worker organizations, with a strong presence of youth leaders, to strengthen collective action in response to the growing challenges of the platform economy.
The workshop focused on preparing trade unions for the 2026 International Labour Conference, where global standard setting on decent work in the platform economy will be discussed. Participants examined the rapid expansion of platform work in India and the need for unified representation to address issues such as employment security, social protection, and fair working conditions. Opening the event, senior ILO officials emphasized the importance of unity, evidence-based advocacy, and stronger representation for new and emerging categories of workers.
A key outcome of the discussions was the joint decision to create a national coordination mechanism that brings Central Trade Unions and independent platform-worker unions under a single umbrella. Leaders began drafting the Terms of Reference for this forum, envisioning it as a permanent space for joint advocacy, technical exchange, and the development of collective proposals on legal recognition, social protection, and dispute resolution mechanisms for platform workers.
The workshop also underscored the need to strengthen analytical and economic capacity within the trade union movement. Dedicated sessions explored how macroeconomic factors such as fiscal policy, inflation, informality, productivity, and public investment influence wages, employment, and social protection outcomes. Participants agreed that building economic literacy and evidence-based policy skills, particularly among youth leaders, is critical to influencing national reforms and ensuring workers’ voices are reflected in policymaking.
In the closing session, ILO leadership welcomed the strong spirit of unity demonstrated by the participants and described the creation of a joint working group on the platform economy as a milestone for both national coordination and India’s contribution to global standard-setting discussions. The workshop concluded with a shared commitment to deepen coordination, strengthen youth leadership, and advance decent work for India’s rapidly growing platform workforce through collective, evidence-based advocacy.
