The Future of Work Podcast

The Maritime Labour Convention – or MLC, 2006 - is a living example of the central role that effective social dialogue plays in shaping labour standards in the maritime sector. This episode of the Future of Work podcast explores why the MLC is a success and what we can learn from it. Guests include Mark Dickinson, the Seafarers' spokesperson, ILO Special Tripartite Committee of the Maritime Labour Convention and Vice Chair of the Seafarers' Section at the International Transport Workers' Federation; Max Johns, the Former Shipowners' spokesperson of the ILO's Special Tripartite Committee of the Maritime Labour Convention; Beatriz Vacotto, Coordinator of the Maritime Unit in the ILO's Application of Standards Branch; and Lu Camoying Valdez, Head of the Human Rights Section at the Permanent Mission of the Philippines to the United Nations and other International Organizations.

This Future of Work podcast, recorded live from the 113th International Labour Conference, examines the key issues on the agenda of the upcoming Second World Summit for Social Development in November 2025, in light of the current global context and the challenges facing multilateralism. Guests include Claire Courteille-Mulder and Shahra Razavi from the ILO, and Adriana Rodrigues Martins from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federative Republic of Brazil.

This Future of Work podcast, recorded at the 113th International Labour Conference, looks at how to speed up progress on Sustainable Development Goal 8. Representatives of government, employers and workers discuss what's needed to get decent work and inclusive growth back on track. The guests are Sangheon Lee, Director of the ILO's Employment Policy Department; Roberto Suárez Santos, Secretary-General of the International Organisation of Employers (IOE); Carmela I. Torres, Undersecretary of the Employment and HRD Cluster in the Department of Labor and Employment in the Philippines; and Luc Triangle, Secretary-General of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).

As the world moves towards greener economies, the global shift to renewable energy and climate-resilient development raises urgent questions about fairness, inclusion and jobs. This Future of Work podcast explores how governments can lead just transitions—ensuring that the move to low-carbon economies creates decent work, protects vulnerable workers and communities, and leaves no one behind. Podcast guests are Ali Aybey, Director-General of Foreign Affairs and EU in Türkiye's Ministry of Labour and Social Security; Maíra Lacerda, Head of the Special Advisory for International Affairs in Brazil's Ministry of Labour and Employment; Soha Tharwat, an environmental expert and Second Secretary at the Permanent Mission of Egypt to the UN in Geneva; and Moustapha Kamal Gueye, Director of the ILO's Action Programme on Just Transitions.

This episode of the Future of Work podcast, recorded live at the 113th International Labour Conference, explores how digitalization and artificial intelligence are reshaping the world of work. Building on some of the latest ILO research and analysis, the podcast looks at policy recommendations and the ILO's role in promoting inclusive digital transformation, ensuring that no one is left behind. Guests are ILO Senior Researcher Pawel Gmyrek and Manal Azzi, ILO Team Lead for Occupational Safety and Health Policy and Systems.

In this episode of the ILO's Future of Work podcast, recorded live from the 113th International Labour Conference in Geneva, we explore how workers' and employers' organizations are working hand-in-hand with over 16 partner organizations worldwide — including in the Philippines — to promote green jobs, strengthen social dialogue, and build more resilient, inclusive economies. Guests include Ariel Castro from the ILO Bureau for Workers' Activities, Laura Greene from the ILO Bureau for Employers' Activities, Gigi Martinez Mathay from the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) and Jose Roland Moya from the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP).

Can artificial intelligence, robots and surveillance protect workers on the job? Yes, according to the latest report from the International Labour Organization. In this episode of the Future of Work podcast, ILO occupational safety and health expert Manal Azzi explains how AI and technology is being used as a safety net, and not a threat, for workers worldwide.

Generative AI is transforming jobs in Latin America, but who benefits, and who gets left behind? Pawel Gmyrek from the ILO and Hernan Winkler from the World Bank join the Future of Work podcast to discuss their research, exploring how AI is reshaping work and its implications for inequality.  

Ekkehard Ernst, author of the ILO report: "World Employment and Social Outlook: Trends 2025", joins the Future of Work podcast to discuss how geopolitical tensions, climate change, artificial intelligence, and inequalities are affecting global labour markets.

Industrial symbiosis is an approach to the circular economy through which businesses work together to utilize waste and by-products created by their processes in existing and new products, so saving resources and energy. Sabrina de Gobbi, ILO Senior Economist, joins the podcast to discuss what potential it has to ‘green' economies and how we can ensure that the jobs it creates are decent.

How can social protection help those most vulnerable to the worst impacts of climate change? To discuss the issue, we are joined by Kumi Naidoo, a longtime human rights and climate justice activist, and Shahra Razavi, Director of the ILO's Universal Social Protection department.

According to a new ILO report, youth unemployment figures have recovered to pre-pandemic levels, but, in apparent contradiction, young people worldwide are reporting growing anxiety and worry about unemployment and job security. So, what's the real situation for young people entering the labour market?

Competing at the Paralympics requires extraordinary time and dedication, so how do Paralympic athletes balance the demands of sporting excellence with earning a living? To discuss this the ILO's Future of Work podcast is joined by the former Paralympian, Josh Vander Vies and the ILO's expert on athletes and rights at work, Oliver Liang.

The Olympic and Paralympic games are not just major a sporting festival, they are also a massive procurement, construction and employment project. This year, the Paris Games adopted a Social Charter, which links the entire games delivery process with social goals that are inspired by the ILO's decent work agenda.

Running your own business can be a dream, a route to independence and a way out of poverty. But successful entrepreneurship isn't easy, without the right skills and knowledge. An ILO programme - Start and Improve your Business (SIYB) – is helping to bridge that gap and has already helped tens of millions of people become entrepreneurs. Luisa Iachan, ILO Technical Officer on Inclusive Markets and Entrepreneurship Promotion, and South African entrepreneur and SIYB graduate Ngoakwana Seleka share their experiences and knowledge.

The rising temperatures associated with climate change mean more people are experiencing heat stress at work, with potentially fatal consequences. ILO Occupational Safety and Health specialists, Manal Azzi and Halshka Graczyk join the ILO's Future of Work podcast to discuss what is being done to protect workers from the effects of excessive heat.

Ahead of the opening of the 112th International Labour Conference on June 3, the ILO's Director-General, Gilbert F. Houngbo joins the Future of Work podcast to explain the key social and labour issues on the conference agenda, and why they matter in light of the state of our world today.

In this Future of Work podcast, the ILO's Richard Samans and economic historian Lord Robert Skidelsky discuss how we can begin to transform macroeconomics to deal more effectively with ongoing challenges to social justice, such as inequality, underemployment, precarity and environmental degradation.

Forced labour is not just a brutal abuse of fundamental human rights, but it also generates hundreds of billions of dollars in criminal business profits, according to a new ILO report. We discuss the issue with the report's co-author Michaëlle de Cock and Anousheh Karvar, the French government delegate to the ILO.

For many young people finding that first job can be hard. For those who are also refugees it can seem like an insurmountable challenge. We talk to Mashimbo Rose Nafisa and Joel Amani Mafigi, two young refugees in Uganda who have overcome this problem and are now helping other young people do the same.

February 20th is World Day of Social Justice on the UN calendar. But what is social justice? Why does it matter for the youth in Africa? Discover what the youth believe are the solutions Africa's social injustices and listen to what they say they need to realize their dreams, in their own words.

New research shows that Generative AI tools can substantially increase productivity in certain mid and high-skilled work, like for instance in science, technology, and engineering. So what does this mean for employment, skills and wages?

The ILO's Future of Work podcast looks at trends in digital technologies and their regulation in China, and explores what impact this is having on the country's world of work.

Demand for care already outstrips supply and is expected to increase significantly in the future. Now, new ILO research suggests that spending on care – particularly childcare – could bring a return on investment of more than 3-to-1.

One in five employees will experience mental illness in their lifetime. Find out in the ILO Future of Work podcast, the four steps that employers can take to minimise workplace mental health stresses.

The effects of Generative AI on employment creation and destruction are much discussed, but what will the effects be on job quality, and where will those effects be felt most?

The global population is getting older. At the same time employers complain they can't find the workers or skills they need, and governments worry about funding health care and social protection. On International Day for Older Persons (1 October) we look at whether keeping people in the workforce longer could be an answer.

How would you react to being given money on a regular basis, with no strings attached? And how might this change you, your family or the wider community? This is the question faced by the Kenyan village of Kogutu after being chosen as a location for the largest ever experiment in Universal Basic Income. Filmmakers Lauren DeFilippo and Sam Soko spent five years chronicling the dramatic impact of this experiment on the lives of these villagers to answer the question: is UBI the answer to end world poverty?

Green jobs can help tackle the climate crisis and the labour market challenges faced by young people. So what exactly are green jobs? And what can young people do to create a sustainable future for themselves?

Global crises, conflicts, socio-economic inequalities, migration and the climate emergency are increasing the risk of human trafficking. What can be done, and by whom, to counter this threat?

The world of work has always been shaped by technology, but the new generation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has raised fears that it could destroy tens of millions of jobs, and undermine progress towards decent work and greater social justice.

The summer of 2023 is recording some of the highest temperature on record, for our entire planet. This has enormous consequences for the world of work – regulators and businesses as well as workers. How can we adapt?

Following the COVID-19 pandemic many countries are re-evaluating the status, pay and conditions of their care workers. So, why are domestic workers, whose work often includes care, often being left out of this process?

International labour standards are at the heart of the ILO's mandate and play an essential role in creating fair business competition and combatting work-related exploitation. So, how are they created?

While overt racism in the workplace may be a thing of the past, systemic racism, microaggressions and biases mean it is far from being a level playing field, say the guests of the latest Future of Work podcast.

The latest Future of Work podcast explores the challenges and opportunities of using Artificial Intelligence during the recruitment process.

Artificial intelligence, or AI, isn't a tool for the future, it's already here, creating, destroying and re-shaping jobs and business practices. So how will AI really affect the world of work?

The collapse of the Rana Plaza building in the outskirts of Dhaka on 24 April 2013 resulted in the deaths of over 1,100 people – mostly garment workers – and shone a global spotlight on workplace safety and labour rights in the Bangladesh garment industry. Ten years on, what has changed?

The COVID-19 crisis showed how much we all rely on key workers, yet it also exposed the poor working conditions they often face. How can we ensure that these essential workers are decently treated?

As workplaces transition towards a digital future, we see the gender gap perpetuating itself in the digital realm as well. On International Women's Day, the ILO's ‘Future of Work' podcast explores how can digital technology be harnessed for positive change and more inclusion.

Low levels of productivity are making it more difficult for countries and regions to escape from the current mix of social and economic challenges. How can productivity be improved?

On World Day of Social Justice, the ILO's Director-General, Gilbert F Houngbo, explains why policymakers must prioritize social justice or risk fueling poverty, inequality and social unrest, as well as undermining action against climate change.

Global labour markets are facing serious, interlinked challenges. Issues such as the growth in informality and working poverty, slowing employment growth, the effects of inflation on wages and purchasing power, come on top of longer-term structural challenges such as demographics, technology and climate change. The new ILO report, World Employment and Social Outlook: Trends 2023 (WESO trends), raises particular concerns about inequality and the effects of the global economic slowdown on the quality of employment. It warns that, left unaddressed, the challenges facing the world of work threaten progress towards social justice.

Working time issues have been at the heart of the ILO since its foundation in 1919. Since then the world of work has changed radically, but ideas about how, where and when work is performed have remained largely the same, notably the long-held assumption of a link between longer hours and greater productivity. A new ILO report on working time and work-life balance has taken a fresh look at the issue, and found that the number of hours worked – whether too many or too few – as well as the schedule under which they are worked can have a significant effect on the health and wellbeing of individuals, their families and societies overall. It dissects the relationship between productivity, working hours and work schedules, and analyses the lessons about flexible working and work-life balance revealed by the COVID-19 crisis.

Migration gives workers in South-East Asia with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and expression (SOGIE) the opportunity to seek a better quality of life. However, according to a recent UN study 'A very beautiful but heavy jacket: The experiences of migrant workers with diverse sexual orientation, gender identity and expression in South-East Asia' they experience discrimination at multiple levels. Emily Dwyer, Co-Director of Edge Effect joins us to talk about the complexity of migrant work experiences for people with diverse SOGIE and why it's important to support them.

As we transition to a greener economy, how do we ensure that workers are not left behind? What actions need to be taken to achieve a just transition? COP27, the UN's annual climate change summit, has just wound up in Egypt. The ILO hosted over 40 events there at a Just Transition pavilion, looking at climate change issues related to the world of work. It included the launching of an ILO just transition finance tool on banking and investment. Moustapha Kamal Gueye headed up the ILO delegation to COP27. Just back from Egypt, he discusses the issues at stake on the Future of Work podcast.

In the run up to the FIFA World Cup, the eyes of the world are on Qatar, the first Middle East country to host the global football tournament. Yet much of the scrutiny is directed not at the event's sporting aspects, but rather at the labour rights and working conditions of the hundreds of thousands of migrant workers who are involved in readying the infrastructure and services needed to host one of the world's biggest sporting events. The ILO has been closely involved in supporting a wide range of labour reforms in the country, through a technical cooperation programme with the State of Qatar which began in 2018. The programme has seen Qatar undertake comprehensive labour reforms to improve the conditions and rights of migrant workers, through adopting new legislation, introducing new or improved existing labour administration systems, and enhancing labour relations. While this is still a work in progress, and there are gaps in implementation, the reforms have already yielded benefits for workers, employers and the economy more broadly. Max Tuñón, head of the ILO Office in Doha and Chief Technical Adviser of the programme, joins us to discuss the labour reforms in Qatar.

In the run up to the FIFA World Cup, the eyes of the world are on Qatar, the first Middle East country to host the global football tournament. Yet much of the scrutiny is directed not at the event's sporting aspects, but rather at the labour rights and working conditions of the hundreds of thousands of migrant workers who are involved in readying the infrastructure and services needed to host one of the world's biggest sporting events. The ILO has been closely involved in supporting a wide range of labour reforms in the country, through a technical cooperation programme with the State of Qatar which began in 2018. The programme has seen Qatar undertake comprehensive labour reforms to improve the conditions and rights of migrant workers, through adopting new legislation, introducing new or improved existing labour administration systems, and enhancing labour relations. While this is still a work in progress, and there are gaps in implementation, the reforms have already yielded benefits for workers, employers and the economy more broadly. Max Tuñón, head of the ILO Office in Doha and Chief Technical Adviser of the programme, joins us to discuss the labour reforms in Qatar.

The career of a professional dancer appears glamorous, but it is also precarious. Dancers begin training intensively when young, when others are focused on studying to get qualifications. Then their professional performance careers are short, even assuming they aren't ended early by accident or injury. So, what happens to dancers when they stop performing? What's it like to have a career that relies heavily on the physical ability of youth, and how easy is it to build a second one? Jennifer Curry, Executive Director of Dancers' Career Development, and William Bracewell, Principal Dancer with the Royal Ballet Company, join us to describe the hurdles and opportunities of a career that can end so soon after it starts.

Research by the ILO and the WHO has found that billions of working days – and so billions of dollars - are lost every year because of work-related mental health issues, and they have called for concrete measures to address this growing problem. What are the psychosocial risks associated with modern workplaces, and can we make mentally healthy workplaces the new norm.

Sophie Otiende, Chief Executive Officer of the Global Fund to End Modern Slavery, and Grace Forrest, Founding Director of Walk Free, join the ILO's Future of Work podcast to explore the many reasons for the continued existence of modern slavery and the role we can all play in finally putting an end to it.