ILO Experts Clarify the Classification of the Self-Employed and the Term “Dependent Contractors”
“Dependent contractors are workers who maintain contractual relationships of a commercial nature (but not an employment contract) to provide goods or services to another economic unit, or through it. They are not employees of that economic unit, but they depend on it for the organization and performance of their work, for their income, or for access to the market. These are workers engaged with the aim of generating profit, but who rely on another organization that controls their productive activities and directly benefits from the work they perform,” the ILO experts explained.
Examples include hairdressers renting a chair in a salon, who depend on the salon owner for access to clients. Another example is a driver taking ride orders via a digital platform while using their own car.
This category was first defined in the International Classification of Status in Employment (ICSE-18). According to the ILO, dependent contractors are now having a growing impact on the economy and the labour market. Data collected from 16 countries demonstrate that their share in total employment varies significantly by region and level of economic development—from fractions of a percent (0.3% in Russia) to nearly one-fifth of all workers (18.9% in Tanzania). The weighted average stands at 6.5% of the employed.
“Dependent contractors represent a distinct group of workers at the boundary between paid employment and self-employment. Their characteristics—including their potential for job creation and their high level of dynamism—make them key actors in labour markets worldwide,” the ILO specialists concluded.
At the same time, the ILO highlights that questions continue to arise regarding whether labour rights and protections apply to dependent contractors, and whether some of them should be legally recognized as employees.
GCTU News
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A Unified Registry of Collective Agreements Should Be Established in the CIS
A unified registry of collective agreements in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) will enable the regulation of labor relations at a cross-border level, according to the General Confederation of Trade Unions. The proposal by GCTU to include the creation of such a registry in the draft Plan of Activities for the Year of Social Development and Quality of Life in the CIS was approved by participants of the working group of the Advisory Council on Labor, Employment, and Social Protection of the Population of the CIS Member States. The working group meeting took place today at the CIS Executive Committee in Minsk, using video conferencing.
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Nominal Wages in the CIS Show Steady Growth
Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan lead with the highest growth rates
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Experts from the GCTU analyzed wage data in the CIS, published in the latest report Socio-Economic Situation of the CIS Countries in the First Half of 2026 by the CIS Statistical Committee.
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Belarusian Trade, Consumer Cooperation and Entrepreneurship Workers' Union Turns 95
The Trade, Consumer Cooperation and Entrepreneurship Workers' Union of the Republic of Belarus celebrated its 95th anniversary on July 31. Today, the union unites over 143,000 industry workers across the country, with 1,681 primary trade union organizations. The union reliably protects the rights of industry workers in the Republic and actively operates on the international stage as part of the International Confederation of Trade Unions of Workers in Trade, Catering, Consumer Cooperation, and Various Forms of Entrepreneurship.