14 June 2017

This ILO flagship report provides a global overview of recent trends in social protection systems,
including social protection floors. Based on new data, it offers a broad range of global, regional and
country data on social protection coverage, benefits and public expenditures on social protection.
The report follows a life-cycle approach, starting with social protection for children, followed by
schemes for women and men in working age, including protection in case of maternity,
unemployment, employment injury and disability, and those for older persons, including pensions. It
also assesses progress towards universal coverage in health. It calls for greater attention towards the
extension of coverage, adequate financing and strengthening national social protection systems,
with a particular focus on achieving the SDGs. [View resource]

This report considers the impact of telework/ICT-mobile work (T/ICTM) on the world of work.
T/ICTM can be defined as the use of ICT – such as smartphones, tablets, laptops and desktop
computers – for the purposes of work outside the employer’s premises. The report synthesises
research carried out by Eurofound’s network of European correspondents in 10 EU Member States –
Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the UK – and
by ILO country experts in Argentina, Brazil, India, Japan and the US. [View resource]

Authors: Du Toit, D., Lorgat, A. and Godfrey, S.
Date of Publication: 2017

The paper starts with an overview of the context of global economic and technological change,
which is likely to influence the organisation of work and production over the next two decades. It
then looks at greening of the economy as a generic driver of change and the need for flexible skills
development as well as changes in business models. Special attention is given to self-employment as
a means of delivering goods and services. Potential changes in the model of legal regulation under
the cumulative impact of these changes are considered, followed by changes in the model of social
protection to the extent that it impacts on the workplace. Finally, it is attempted to summarise the
main trends that have emerged and possible features of the workplace of the future. [View resource]

Authors: Roger Ronnie, Fairuz Mullagee, Yvette Basson.
Date of Publication: 2017

This paper examines the ILO goal of full employment and decent work, and whether under current
global, regional national circumstances such a goal is achievable in the next 20 years. The concepts
of work, employment and unemployment are also unpacked. The paper further examines threats
and opportunities in pursuing the goal of full employment and decent work in South Africa, within a
context of slow growth, rapid technological advance and the changing nature of work. [View resource]

Authors: Prof. Collier, D. with Fergus, F.
Date of Publication: 2017

The paper considers the likely impact of the emerging forces in the world of work and a future
governance landscape that will promote social justice, economic development and decent work for
all. It begins by outlining the importance and characteristics of accountable and responsive
governance; followed by a consideration of the challenges we are likely to confront in South Africa.
Thereafter it discusses some of the institutions of public and private governance in South Africa and
suggests ways in which their efficiency and effectiveness may be improved to meet the demands of
the future and ensure that governance institutions and labour market policies are ‘fit for purpose’. [View resource]

Authors: Benya A., Tame B., Chinguno C., et al.
Date of Publication: 2017

This paper elaborates on changes taking place in the world of work and their implications for the
relationship between work and society. It draws on extended definitions of what constitutes work
and who is a worker, thus illuminating new actors and incorporating activities that are usually
excluded from traditional definitions of ‘employment’. It also considers how changes in the world of
work will affect society and be affected by: technological changes; spatial shifts and flexibility; youth
employment and skills gaps; rural-urban connections; formal and informal linkages; and internal and
regional migratory connections. [View resource]

Authors: Esim S. and Katajamaki W.
Date of Publication: 2017

Worker cooperatives are emerging as an organizational model responding to the changes within the
world of work. They have a specific democratic governance structure of member-worker-owners,
where decisions are made by those directly involved in the enterprise. Any type of business can be
worker-owned and controlled as a cooperative, and worker cooperatives can provide ways for
organizing new forms of work with less dependence on the employer and increased flexibility and
collaboration among workers. This work looks into the different ways in which worker cooperatives
are being used as a response strategy, including through union engagement, worker buyouts,
cooperatives of freelancers, as well as cooperatives using online platforms. [View resource]

Authors: Colin C Williams Frederic Lapeyre
Date of Publication: 2017

Over the past few decades, there has been recognition that the ‘standard employment relationship’
(SER) of formal, full-time and permanent waged employment is becoming ever less the standard
relationship. Given that the SER has been the key vehicle for allocating rights and social protection,
its diminution poses challenges for the operation of regulatory frameworks and raises issues
regarding working conditions, rights and benefits. [View resource]