WAGE POLICES AND LIVING WAGES

Around the world, millions of workers are paid wages that are insufficient to cover their basic needs. When wage policies are well designed and effectively implemented, they can be a powerful tool to protect workers against unduly low pay and ensure a just share of the fruits of progress to all. Poorly designed, by contrast, they can put workers' well-being at risk, undermine effective implementation, and risk encouraging informality. The concept of "living wages" has garnered significant attention in recent years, with many initiatives created in response to the persistence of low pay, including in supply chains. This course addressed all these issues, strengthening the capacity of participants on design and implementation of wage policies aligned with the ILO principles and values.

OBJECTIVES
The main objective of the course was to enhance the capacity of participants to contribute to the design and implementation of inclusive wage policies and wage setting institutions at the sub-national, national, regional and international levels.

• Design effective wage policies,

• Strengthen existing wage policies,

• Employ adequate methods to monitor wages and wage inequalities,

• Implement provisions that address the gender pay gap,

• Recognize types of data used in practice to support negotiations on wages,

• Use participatory approaches to formulate better wage policies for more people, particularly through tripartite mechanisms and social dialogue,

• Connect with a global network of professionals.

CONTENT

This course provided practical guidance for strengthening the formulation of evidence-based wage policies. It covered the following topics:

• Adequate minimum wages, the importance of statutory and negotiated minimum wages in creating decent work for all,

• Criteria to take into consideration for the establishment of a minimum wage,

• The different minimum wage settings implemented around the world,

• Collective bargaining over wages,

• Gender equality, especially with regard to wages,

• Living wages: concept and estimation methodologies,

• The operationalization of living wages.

NUMBER OF HOURS: 24