The Building and Wood Workers International (BWI) is a Global Union Federation of trade unions in the building, building materials, wood, forestry and allied sectors. The federation was established in 2005 with the mission to promote the development of trade unions in our sectors throughout the world and to promote and enforce workers’ rights in the context of sustainable development. The BWI represents workers/trade unions in building, building materials, wood, forestry and allied sectors at various international forums including the International Labour Organization (ILO), ADB, WB and the UN. The organization works closely with the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and the other Global Union Federations and has a Special Consultative status to the Economic and Social Committee of the United Nations.
SEWA is a trade union registered in 1972. It is an organisation of poor, self-employed women workers. These are women who earn a living through their own labour or small businesses. They do not obtain regular salaried employment with welfare benefits like workers in the organised sector. They are the unprotected labour force of our country. Constituting 93% of the labour force, these are workers of the unorganised sector. Of the female labour force in India, more than 94% are in the unorganised sector. However, their work is not counted and hence remains invisible. In fact, women workers themselves remain uncounted, undercounted and invisible. SEWA’s main goals are to organise women workers for full employment. Full employment means employment whereby workers obtain work security, income security, food security and social security (at least health care, child care and shelter). SEWA organises women to ensure that every family obtains full employment. By self-reliance, we mean that women should be autonomous and self-reliant, individually and collectively, both economically and in terms of their decision-making ability.