World · India Bureau
BRICS nations forge stronger labour cooperation framework
Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa are intensifying collaborative efforts on workforce development, gig economy regulation and cross-border worker mobility. The initiative addresses emerging labour market challenges including skills training, social protection and vocational preparedness across the bloc.
LSN India ·
The BRICS nations are moving to deepen cooperation on labour market issues, recognising the need for coordinated responses to evolving employment patterns in their economies. The collaborative push encompasses multiple areas including skills development, regulation of gig and platform-based work, labour mobility between member states, and social protection frameworks for workers in non-traditional employment arrangements.
Vocational training and workforce preparedness have emerged as key focus areas, with member countries seeking to align standards and share best practices. The initiative reflects growing recognition that rapid digitalisation and the expansion of gig economy platforms are reshaping labour markets across South and Southeast Asia and beyond, creating gaps in worker protections and skills alignment.
The cooperation framework is expected to facilitate better labour mobility within the BRICS bloc while ensuring minimum standards for worker welfare. Member nations are exploring mechanisms to recognise qualifications across borders and develop common approaches to regulating platform-based employment, which has expanded significantly in recent years.
For India, participation in the BRICS labour cooperation initiative comes amid the country's own efforts to formalise the gig economy and extend social security coverage to non-traditional workers. The framework offers opportunities to learn from peer experiences while contributing India's emerging models for workforce development and digital employment regulation to broader regional discussions.