The Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI) celebrates key victories for workers' rights at the 113th International Labour Conference (ILC), highlighting the ILO’s vital role in setting international labour standards, promoting social justice, and defending democratic freedoms.

BWI plenary speech sets the tone: Upholding ideals amidst global power plays

BWI General Secretary Ambet Yuson delivered a powerful message to the Conference Plenary, emphasising the ILO's crucial role as a "house of justice" for workers worldwide.

Yuson specifically highlighted the severe persecution faced by the SUNTRACS construction union in Panama, stating that "arbitrary arrests, raids, and intimidation cannot be tolerated." He stressed that union organizing is a fundamental right, not a crime, and called for the immediate withdrawal of arrest warrants and the release of detained union leaders.

He also touched upon other critical global issues, including the urgent call for an independent State of Palestine, the ongoing terror in Myanmar, and the widespread exploitation of migrant workers. He warned against the "globalization of indifference" and the erosion of international cooperation, urging the ILO to stand firm as a place where rights are upheld and workers' voices are heard.

Yuson pointed out a stark reality: "The powerful often seek advantages for their countries or their leaders. They are not steered by the common good or by the values of our global community. They are not guided by ideals, but by deals."

This sentiment extended to the global exploitation of migrant workers, who face indignity and rights violations in countries such as the United States and Saudi Arabia. Yuson urged the ILO to resist the "globalisation of indifference" and uphold social justice as the foundation for lasting peace.

Convention on biological hazards: A milestone for worker health

The ILC’s adoption of a new Convention 192 and Recommendation 209 on Biological Hazards marks a major step forward in protecting workers across all sectors, including those now recognised as high-risk sectors, construction and forestry, from biological hazards such as biological agents, substances or products, be it exposure to bacteria and viruses in the work environment, snake bites on a construction site or a worker’s allergic reactions to plants in the forest.

For BWI, which led the global campaign to recognise occupational health and safety as a fundamental right, this Convention is a landmark achievement. It is the first new occupational safety and health instrument since OSH was declared a fundamental principle and right at work. Is it also the first Convention that recognizes climate and environmental factors that exacerbate exposure to hazards.

BWI now calls on its affiliates to campaign and lobby their governments for rapid ratification and full implementation of the Convention.

Justice for Palestine and Myanmar

BWI joined the broader labour movement in celebrating the recognition of Palestine as a non-member observer state at the ILO. Amid the ongoing ma-made humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, this decision strengthens the voice of Palestinian trade unions within the ILO system.

In line with its long-standing commitment to peace and justice, BWI reiterates its call for:

• Secure an immediate and permanent ceasefire.
• End the illegal occupation and all settlement activity.
• Ensure full and unrestricted access for humanitarian aid into Gaza.

BWI also supported and lobbied for the adoption of the Resolution concerning the measures recommended by the Governing Body under article 33 of the ILO Constitution on the subject of Myanmar, a rare and serious decision  by the 113^th  ILO Conference to enjoin the military junta to implement the 11Recommendations of the  Commission on Inquiry .

 This sends a powerful message to ILO constituents to review “any relations that may contribute or enable the perpetuation of ongoing harm or violence or acts of repression and intimidation of workers and employers peacefully exercising their fundamental rights through the support or supply of military equipment or means, including jet fuel, or the free flow of funds to the military authorities, should be comprehensively reviewed with the aim to disable all means that have abetted or empowered the perpetuation of the above-mentioned egregious violations.”

Informal economy: Advancing decent work for all

The ILC’s General Discussion on the informal economy underscored the urgent need to transition informal work into formal employment.

Informality continues to be widespread in construction, particularly affecting migrant and women workers. Many work outdoors or in private homes, facing extreme heat, unsafe conditions, and no formal protections. When climate disasters hit, they are often the first and hardest hit. Women in construction, in particular, are often the first to be pushed further into informality, as care responsibilities compound their exclusion from secure employment, resulting in lower wages and a complete lack of safeguards. BWI welcomed the outcome of the General Discussion, which affirmed workers’ rights to organise, access social protection, and earn a living wage.

As the world faces record temperatures, BWI also released a new report “Adapting to the Heat” (ed. 2025) documenting key provisions in national legislations, regulations, and collective bargaining agreements that protect workers from heat stress. It serves as a tool for unions negotiating safeguards against rising climate-related risks, particularly for outdoor and informal construction workers.

Platform work

The ILC also agreed to begin the process of developing a new Convention and Recommendation on decent work in the platform economy, to be finalised and adopted in 2026. BWI welcomes this move, as many construction, wood and forestry and building materials workers are increasingly engaged in platform-based or app-mediated work, often without labour protections and algorithmic systems that discipline, control or fire them. This upcoming standard presents a critical opportunity to address misclassification, remuneration, ensure rights to collective bargaining, and extend social protection to workers in non-traditional employment arrangements.

Holding governments accountable: BWI at the Committee on the Application of Standards

Each year, the ILO Committee on the Application of Standards reviews country-specific cases of noncompliance based on findings from the Committee of Experts. This year, 24 individual cases were selected along with a special sitting on Belarus, which has been subject to Article 33 measures of the ILO Constitution since 2023.

The BWI made strong interventions on the following cases: Kyrgyzstan on Labour Inspection Convention No 81; Georgia on  Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention No 87; Ghana on Maternity Protection Convention No 103; Hungary on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention No 87; Malaysia on Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention No 98; Nepal on Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention No 98; Panama, on Employment Policy Convention No. 122, and the special sitting on Belarus.

Belarus and Panama drew particular attention this year. In the case of Belarus, BWI condemned the systematic denial of workers’ rights to freely form and join independent trade unions. With no meaningful legal protections for freedom of association, BWI emphasized that urgent and decisive action from the ILO is essential.

Regarding Panama, while the formal case addressed noncompliance with the Employment Policy Convention No. 122, BWI made it clear: without full respect for Conventions No. 87 and No. 98, real compliance with Convention No. 122 is impossible. BWI strongly urged the Government of Panama to meet its international obligations, end the persecution of trade unionists, and restore democratic space for independent union activity.

BWI 2005-2025: 20 years on the frontlines of global struggles

During the ILC, BWI marked its 20th anniversary (2005–2025) with a meeting that brought together workers’ delegates from across Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas, alongside leading human rights organisations.

The event featured the launch of BWI’s new report, "Beyond the Façade: The Realities of Labour Reforms in Saudi Arabia", which critically assesses Saudi reforms against international labour standards and fundamental rights. The report supports BWI’s 2024 Article 24 representation and informs the Article 26 complaint filed by 36 workers’ delegates at the ILC 2025, backed by the ITUC and ITUC-Africa.

The anniversary event also included a solidarity action under the banner “Organising is not a crime” in support of SUNTRACS, the Panamanian construction union under attack. Participants called for an end to the persecution of union leaders and the release of those detained, reaffirming the right to organise as a fundamental human right.

Outside the ILO, Inside the struggle

The BWI stood shoulder to shoulder with the global labour movement in powerful public rallies outside the ILO headquarters—sending an unambiguous message of unwavering solidarity with workers in Myanmar, Belarus, and Ukraine.

At the heart of the action, near the iconic Broken Chair monument at Geneva’s Palais des Nations, demonstrators raised their voices for peace, democracy, and freedom—values that remain brutally suppressed in these countries.

These rallies were more than symbolic. They were a clear rejection of oppression and a firm declaration that where human rights are denied and lives are lived under fear and violence, the international labour movement will not stay silent.

Conclusion

The 113th ILC reaffirmed the ILO’s indispensable role in advancing labour rights globally. These decisions represent significant progress for the construction, wood, and forestry sectors, where many workers face dangerous conditions and precarious employment. BWI remains committed to mobilising for the ratification and implementation of these outcomes and to building a world of work that leaves no one behind.