Legitimising informal work at national level Trade union perspective On behalf of ETUC Nataļja Mickevica Free Trade Union Confederation of Latvia

Impact of undeclared work Worker perspective Workers outside of labour law coverage (labour rights, health and safety) and social security protection Precarious work, low income, poverty, forced labour No professional development Indirect impact of limited fiscal opportunities due to lost revenue (less social protection)

Factors of undeclared work Primarily - a governance issue Low GDP, public sector corruption, low intervention of state in the labour market, low social protection Relation between low wages and undeclared work Necessary to address: supply chains and subcontracting, phenomena of bogus self-employment, letter-box companies (posting)

Solutions fostering declared employment transforming undeclared work into regular employment ETUC Resolution on Undeclared work (March 2014) Support of the EU platform on undeclared work; mandatory membership Platform - insufficient solution; broader discussion needed on EU level including ILC 2014/2015 conclusions Minimum protection guarantee to undeclared workers Special attention on undeclared migrant workers Addressing the cross-border dimension of undeclared work Strengthening capacity and cooperation of labour inspectorates, directive on minimum standards of labour inspection Measures to tackle bogus self-employment (ILO Recommendation No.198) Addressing challenges of subcontracting and posting of workers

Role of trade unions Collective bargaining and decent wage negotiations Raising awareness Support of inspection and control measures Protection and representation of undeclared workers Provision of “missing elements” of reality and new emerging forms of undeclared work within tripartite social dialogue – adviser for public policy

THANK YOU!