On the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, 9 August, the ITUC demands the right of self-determination for Indigenous peoples worldwide.

ITUC General Secretary Luc Triangle stated: “This day is an important reminder of the rich cultural diversity, historical contributions, and ongoing struggles faced by Indigenous communities. Indigenous peoples face systemic discrimination, marginalisation, and violations of their rights. Issues such as the exploitation of natural resources on Indigenous lands without consent and encroachment onto their territories require immediate attention.”

An International Labour Organization (ILO) report found that:

• More than 86% of Indigenous peoples globally work in the informal economy, compared to 66% for their non-Indigenous counterparts.
• Indigenous peoples are nearly three times more likely to be living in extreme poverty compared to their non-Indigenous counterparts.
• The share of wage and salaried workers is considerably lower among the Indigenous (27.9%) than among the non-Indigenous (49.1%) population.
• Globally, Indigenous peoples are earning 18.5% less than non-Indigenous people.

Luc Triangle continued: “The right to self-determination lies at the heart of Indigenous peoples’ struggles; it underpins their ability to freely determine their political status and pursue their economic, social, and cultural development. This principle is not only a right but a necessity for the preservation of Indigenous identity, culture and way of life.

“We stand in solidarity with Indigenous peoples in their quest for justice, equality and self-determination. We call on governments, corporations and international bodies to ratify and implement ILO Convention No. 169 to protect Indigenous rights globally.”

ILO C169 addresses the rights of Indigenous and tribal peoples. It provides a comprehensive framework to protect their social, economic and cultural rights and emphasises the importance of their participation in decisions affecting their lives and lands. This is central to the sustainability of policies and programmes tackling challenges such as poverty, inequality, social conflicts, and climate change.

As well as the ratification and implementation of C169, the ITUC also calls for:

• Respect for land rights: Governments and corporations must obtain free, prior and informed consent before undertaking any projects on Indigenous territories.
• Protection and celebration of cultural heritage: The traditions and languages of Indigenous peoples must be preserved for future generations.
• Inclusive development: Policies should respect the rights and needs of Indigenous communities and include them in decision-making.

Workers’ unions are enhancing the representation of Indigenous peoples in their organisations and building alliances with Indigenous peoples’ organisations to address mutual concerns, including compliance with ILO C169:

• New Zealand: Unions are advocating for legislation to make ethnic and gender pay gap reporting mandatory. This transparency is crucial to closing the significant gender pay gap faced by Indigenous women. While overall the gender pay gap between women and men in New Zealand is 8.6%, Pacific women in New Zealand earn around 26.5% less than non-Indigenous men.
• Australia: Unions are working to ensure strong union representation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers, empowering them to achieve just wages, social protection and self-determined, fulfilling employment.
• Norway: The Norwegian Trade Union Confederation (LO Norway) promotes Indigenous culture and identity through leadership, cultural outlets and support for the truth and reconciliation process
• Latin America: To hold governments to account, trade unions are using the ILO’s supervisory mechanisms. This includes highlighting issues such as occupational safety and forced labour.
• Observations of the Autonomous Workers’ Confederation of Peru (CATP) highlighted flaws in the judicial proceedings with respect to the murder of Indigenous trade union leaders; the ongoing harassment faced by the victims’ families and illicit logging facilitated by the habilitación system, which entails the subjugation of Indigenous people to forced labour (15 September 2023);
• Observations of the General Confederation of Labour of the Argentine Republic (CGT-RA) and the Confederation of Workers of Argentina (CTA) raised concerns over the worrying occupational safety conditions for workers coming from Indigenous communities and reported instances of violence and the excessive use of force used against them by police during protests. The CTA also drew attention to the lack of consultation during the constitutional reform process of Jujuy Province in 2023. The statements of worker delegates at the Conference Committee on the Application of Standards during the 109th ILC session (2021) on the application of Convention No. 169 by the Government of Honduras reported cases of violence committed against Indigenous peoples.