ILO

Back to index

Outcome 5: Thematic Funding for 2014-2015 - Final Independent Evaluation

eval_number:

2572

eval_url:

https://webapps.ilo.org/ievaldiscovery/eval/2572

good_practices:

replication:

-

cause_effect:

.

themes:

theme:

Working conditions

category:

Conditions of work & equality

---

context:

-

description:

One question raised by the evaluation was the relevance of focusing on policy change (towards the ratification of C189 and the application of minimum wage laws) in the context of very high levels of informal sector employment and limited capacity of state labour bodies to manage compliance with labour legislation (for example in Zambia, where 89% of workers work in the informal sector, the budget of the MOLSS has been cut significantly, and there is limited presence of the Labour Department outside the main urban centres). However the project has highlighted the scope to use policy not only as mechanisms for state enforcement and compliance, but as a means to change social practice and norms, e.g. how employers regard each other's employment practices as peers (i.e. changing the extent to which it is socially acceptable for employers not to pay their employees the minimum wage, or not to respect the right to rest), or acting as a basis for collective claims by domestic workers, including both individual and collective claims through unions. This has been achieved through public information campaigns on policies for domestic workers and/ or minimum wages, including the translation of policy into user friendly notes, or accessible policy products, such as a Code of Conduct for employers of domestic workers, and Standard Contracts for the employment of domestic orders. In the context of a high level of informality this seems like a sound strategy, and means that policy development is still likely to make an important contribution to domestic workers' rights despite the very limited capacity of the MOLSS to implement policies.

links:

-

indicators:

-

url:

https://webapps.ilo.org/ievaldiscovery/practices/220071

---

location:

country:

Inter-Regional

region:

Inter-Regional

---

eval_title:

Outcome 5: Thematic Funding for 2014-2015 - Final Independent Evaluation