ILO makes history with global convention protecting platform workers

In a decision that could reshape the future of work for millions worldwide, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has adopted its first-ever international labour standard dedicated to protecting workers in the rapidly expanding digital platform economy.

The Decent Work in the Platform Economy Convention, 2026 was adopted on Friday at the closing sitting of the 114th International Labour Conference (ILC) in Geneva, marking a major breakthrough in global efforts to safeguard the rights and welfare of platform workers.

The convention establishes a comprehensive international framework for ensuring decent work for people who earn a living through digital platforms, including ride-hailing drivers, delivery workers, online freelancers, and other workers connected to customers through mobile applications and digital platforms such as Uber, Bolt, and similar services.

The adoption followed intensive deliberations among government, employer, and worker representatives from the ILO’s 187 member states, reflecting a growing global consensus on the need to address the challenges created by the digital transformation of work.

While digital labour platforms have generated new employment and income opportunities across the world, they have also exposed millions of workers to precarious working conditions, income insecurity, inadequate social protection, and limited access to labour rights.

Recognising the challenges, the new convention provides a global benchmark for protecting platform workers regardless of their employment status. It covers a broad range of issues, including fundamental labour rights, fair remuneration, social protection, occupational safety and health, protection against violence and harassment, and improved transparency in the use of algorithms and automated decision-making systems that increasingly determine workers’ access to jobs and earnings.

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The ILO said the convention seeks to ensure that technological innovation and digital business models do not come at the expense of workers’ dignity, rights, and social security.

Labour experts at the conference described the adoption as one of the most significant achievements of the 114th Session of the International Labour Conference, noting that it fills a major gap in international labour governance at a time when platform-based work continues to expand across both developed and developing economies.

The decision is expected to have far-reaching implications for governments, employers, workers’ organisations, and digital platform companies as countries begin the process of aligning national laws and labour policies with the new international standard.

The 114th Session of the International Labour Conference opened on June 1 and concluded on June 12, 2026, after two weeks of discussions on some of the most pressing issues facing the world of work.