Wage policies and living wages

Minimum and living wages: everything you always wanted to know
Photo © Unsplash/Niels Steeman
Online

Wage policies and living wages

2 June–4 July 2025
The course is available in English, Français, Español
Introduction to the course

Around the world, millions of workers are paid wages that are insufficient to cover their basic needs. When wage policies are well designed and effectively implemented, they can be a powerful tool to protect workers against unduly low pay and ensure a just share of the fruits of progress to all. Poorly designed, by contrast, they can put workers' well-being at risk, undermine effective implementation, and risk encouraging informality. The concept of "living wages" has garnered significant attention in recent years, with many initiatives created in response to the persistence of low pay, including in supply chains. Multinational enterprises have taken voluntary action to pay wages based on a living wage estimates that exceeds legal minimums. These initiatives are encouraged to align with ILO principles, with a view to elevate living standards for workers and their families. Join this course to learn what you always wanted to know about minimum and living wages! Take this opportunity to place yourself at the forefront of creating impactful change through wage policies.

Who attends this course?

Representatives from ministries of labour and employment, and other interested ministries such as finance or economics; Members of national minimum wage commissions; People involved in gender equality or equal pay institutions; Representatives of employers' and workers' organizations involved in collective bargaining; National statistical offices and research institutions supporting wage policy formulation; Other relevant stakeholders involved in wage policy creation; Legal actors such as labour inspectors.

What will I learn ?

The course has a modular structure. Four modules will be offered over the four weeks:

Module 1: Minimum wages: International standards and country experiences on wage setting

Module 2: Collective bargaining and wage setting

Module 3: Wage policies to tackle gender pay gaps

Module 4: Living wages and the ILO principles of wage-setting processes

Questions? We have the answers