ILO and KSTL support informal workers through outreach and training in Timor-Leste

ILO and KSTL support informal workers through outreach and training in Timor-Leste

Community outreach and training in Aileu Municipality helped informal workers organize, access social protection and build more secure livelihoods in Timor-Leste.

1 May 2026

An outreach session at Aileu town market engaged informal workers and strengthened their representation in Timor-Leste. 4/2026

AILEU MUNICIPALITY, Timor-Leste (ILO News) - Two new informal economy worker groups have been established in Aileu Municipality, Timor-Leste, following a series of community outreach activities organized by the Timor-Leste Trade Union Confederation (KSTL) with support from the International Labour Organization (ILO).

Held from 23 to 25 April, the initiative brought together leaders of informal workers' groups to strengthen their knowledge of social protection, cooperatives and economic opportunities.

The session on managing family income and expenses was especially useful and will help me strengthen my business.

Antónia Gonçalves, a small business owner from Madabenu village

The activities combined community outreach with practical training. An outreach session at Aileu town market served as an entry point to engage informal workers, expand community-based forums and strengthen the representation of informal economy workers in Timor-Leste.

The initiative also provided an opportunity for the ILO to introduce its European Union-funded projects: Strengthening Social Inclusion and Nutrition, which aims to expand social protection coverage for informal workers and farmers, and Agroforestry Skills for Employment and Resilience, which seeks to promote green, sustainable economic diversification and resilience in Timor-Leste.

Participants were introduced to cooperative development and agricultural value chains in Timor-Leste. 4/2026

In collaboration with the National Institute for Social Security (INSS), the Social Inclusion project provided participants with an overview of social protection, including the national social security system. Through the Agroforestry Skills project, participants were introduced to cooperative development and agricultural value chains, with contributions from the Secretary of State for Cooperatives in Aileu. These sessions aimed to strengthen workers' capacity to improve their livelihoods through collective approaches and better integration into local value chains.

The event helped us understand how the social security system benefits workers and their families, especially through long-term pensions. I will share this knowledge with others so they understand the importance of registering and contributing.

Lourenço Mendonça, a horticulture group leader from Seloi Kraik village

The event helped us understand how the social security system benefits workers and their families, especially through long-term pensions," said Lourenço Mendonça, a horticulture group leader from Seloi Kraik village. "I will share this knowledge with others so they understand the importance of registering and contributing."

Antónia Gonçalves, a small business owner from Madabenu village, highlighted the practical relevance of the sessions on cooperatives and household financial planning. "The discussions on agricultural value chains were very engaging, especially for products such as coconut, cocoa and vanilla. The session on managing family income and expenses was especially useful and will help me strengthen my business," she said.

The initiative contributes to broader efforts to support the transition from informal to formal employment in Timor-Leste by strengthening workers' organizations, expanding access to social protection, and promoting inclusive economic opportunities. Through community-based forums and targeted training, KSTL and its partners are empowering informal workers to better articulate their needs, access essential services, and participate in shaping labour policies.

ILO support was provided through its Regular Budget Supplementary Account (RBSA) intervention, "Preparing Timor-Leste's workers and policymakers for a just transition and the formal economy." The RBSA is a flexible funding mechanism that enables the ILO to respond to emerging needs, strengthen institutional capacity and support member States in advancing decent work priorities, including the transition from the informal to the formal economy.