The regional trade union workshop on building capacities to defend the rights of platform workers was launched today in Amman, Jordan, organized by the Arab Trade Union Confederation (ATUC) in partnership with the International Labour Organization (ILO), with the participation of unionists and experts from across the Arab region.

This workshop comes at a time when the platform economy is rapidly expanding across Arab labor markets in the absence of clear legal frameworks, deepening the precariousness of working conditions and exacerbating the lack of social protection for millions of young workers employed through digital applications and platforms.

Participants discussed the platform economy as one of the most pressing challenges facing modern trade union organization, especially given the growing number of workers engaged without formal contracts or legal mechanisms that ensure even the most basic rights. They stressed the urgent need to develop national and regional legislative frameworks capable of addressing this transformation and ensuring a balance between social rights and economic interests.

As part of the broader ILO process, discussions are underway regarding the adoption of an international standard for regulating the platform economy—a process that involves complex legal and technical considerations. These discussions demand intensified efforts from trade unions to develop updated legal tools and innovative negotiation mechanisms that match the unique nature of this digital employment sector.

Key Objectives and Focus Areas of the Workshop:

Spanning two days, the workshop focuses on the following priority areas:
• Analyzing the current reality of platform workers in the Arab region;
• Exchanging trade union experiences in organizing and representing platform workers;
• Developing legal and negotiation tools to defend workers in this sector;
• Discussing the implications of algorithms and artificial intelligence on working conditions;
• Preparing a unified Arab position for the upcoming International Labour Conference (ILC).

Toward a Digital and Fair Trade Union Movement

This workshop is part of a broader strategy led by the Arab Trade Union Confederation to empower Arab unions to keep pace with the major transformations shaping today’s labor market—particularly the rise of non-traditional employment and the absence of adequate legal frameworks.

It also falls within a wider commitment to defend the right to decent work and social protection for all workers, including those operating in platform-based economies.

In concluding the opening session, participants emphasized the importance of producing a clear action plan, with mechanisms for follow-up and coordination, to translate the workshop’s recommendations into concrete union strategies at both the national and international levels.