Who We Are

Labora – Fund for Decent Work is an initiative that strengthens the autonomous organization, representation, and leadership of workers in debates and decision-making spaces regarding contemporary challenges.

For Labora, decent work for all people, with racial, gender, and climate justice, is a fundamental premise for overcoming the deep inequalities that shape Brazil’s social and economic structure and for strengthening democracy.

We believe that workers’ participation is crucial for urgently adapting to accelerated climate change and achieving a just transition to a low-carbon economy that leaves no one behind.

Created, implemented, and operated by the Brazil Human Rights Fund, Labora emerged from a collective effort initiated by the Laudes Foundation in Brazil, with participation from the Ford Foundation and Open Society Foundations. The three foundations are partners in the initiative and contribute to the governance board.

Impact

Labora was launched in December 2022 and published its first call for proposals, titled Strengthening Informal Workers’ Fight for Rights. This call selected 25 projects.

In December 2023, the second call selected 40 more projects across two focus areas: strengthening grassroots workers’ organizations and advocacy for policies and labor rights standards.

The third call, in July 2024, focused on supporting the fight of workers from the fields, waters, and forests. Another 15 projects were selected.

Thus, Labora has supported 81 projects through its calls for proposals, with a total of R$ 5,2 million (about US$ 1 million).

Labora also provides direct grants to 8 organizations, with a total of R$ 16,2 million (about US$ 2,8 million).

Additionally, it has issued 7 invitation letters with a total value of R$ 4,3 million (about US$745,000). It has also allocated R$570,000 (about US$100,000) to support 40 mobilization, advocacy, and networking activities for the supported groups.

Furthermore, Labora has organized two formative seminars for these groups, with discussions focused on decent work and its intersection with the global climate agenda, addressing the just transition and its challenges. It also held four panels with leaders of the fight for decent work, researchers, and philanthropic organizations.

Through an exchange program, 25 supported projects visited each other to explore, on the ground, the challenges and strategies for organizing and advancing collective struggles in various territories across all regions of Brazil.

Supported Organizations

The intersectionality of race, gender, territory, and other indicators of inequality is the guiding principle behind Labora’s support methodologies. In this regard, grassroots organizations, trade unions, groups, collectives, and movements contribute to this debate by representing various segments of the Brazilian population most affected by informality and lack of access to labor rights.

Some of the categories and populations we support include:

-App-based workers

-Domestic workers

-Waste pickers

-Rural workers

-Extractive workers

-Street vendors

-Sex workers

-Immigrants and refugees

-LGBTQIAPN+ workers

-Fashion industry workers

-Indigenous, Quilombola, and other local community workers