Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Respect for fundamental rights and principles at work can play a vital role in post-COVID-19 recovery and help build a better and fairer world of work, according to a new ILO report.

The report notes that more than 2 billion workers, or 62% of all workers in the world, are employed in the informal economy, and about 170 million children in the world are involved in child labor. More than 25 million women, men and children were subjected to debt slavery, human trafficking and other forms of forced labor.

More than 40% of the world’s population lives in countries that have not ratified the conventions on freedom of association or collective bargaining. The average salary of women is 20.5% less than their male counterparts. Hundreds of millions of people suffer from discrimination at work on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, political opinion, disability, gender identity, etc.

The economic and social crisis is particularly affecting children and their families, and as a result more and more children are involved in child labor. An estimated 42–66 million children are likely to cross the extreme poverty line.

According to experts, the impact of the pandemic on child / forced labor, discrimination, freedom of association and collective bargaining should be monitored. The report warns that during a pandemic there may be an increase in trafficking in persons, mainly children from the poor.

In general, experts recommend ensuring the following basic rights of workers: protection and promotion of freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining; combating discrimination at work; expanding income support for workers and their families in vulnerable situations; children’s access to education; strengthening labor administration and labor inspection; reducing risks to human rights in the labor market, especially in conflict and natural disasters.