Establishing Fair Compensation: Living Wages, Dignity, and Decent Work in a Transforming Global Economy | WageIndicator at RDW 2025
About the Session
As part of the 2025 Regulating for Decent Work (RDW) Conference, the WageIndicator Foundation will host this session on collective bargaining and working time, titled Establishing fair compensation: Living Wages, dignity, and decent work in a transforming global economy.
As employment recovery post-COVID remains uneven, the concept of a ‘living wage’ has re-emerged as a vital tool for ensuring decent work. This session explores how living wages—wages sufficient for a decent standard of living—can improve well-being, reduce poverty, and support economic stability. Despite growing interest, gaps remain in defining, measuring, and implementing living wages globally and locally. Five papers cover diverse approaches, from harmonized global estimates to culturally grounded research in South Africa, Suriname, Türkiye, and among gig workers. The session aims to advance understanding of living wages as both a theoretical concept and practical policy tool.
Date and Time: 3 July, 11 AM - 12:30 PM
Chair: Paulien Osse
Discussant: Damian Grimshaw
Paper presenatations
- Global Benchmarks for Decent Living: Measuring and Validating the Living Wage Against Minimum Wage and Other Adequacy Standards | by , , ,
- Calculating Living Wage Levels via Quality of Life Indicators | by Ines Meyer,