ILRF

What ILRF does

Global Labor Justice (formerly the International Labor Rights Forum, or ILRF) is an independent U.S. nonprofit founded in 1986 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., with 11–50 employees. It supports workers and trade unions worldwide in exercising freedom of association and collective bargaining, working through national, regional, and global partners to address forced and child labor, gender-based violence and harassment, poverty wages, and unsafe working conditions in transnational supply chains.

Its core portfolio comprises interconnected advocacy programs (Freedom of Association; Global Finance and Labor Rights; Accountable Development Finance), specialized coalition campaigns (Cotton Campaign targeting state-imposed forced labor in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan; Coalition on Labor Justice for Migrants in the Gulf), and negotiated binding labor agreements (Dindigul Agreement to Eliminate Gender-based Violence and Harassment; Central Java Agreement for Gender Justice, signed July 2024). The organization also publishes policy tools such as the Model Operational Guidelines for Wi-Fi Access and Fishers' Rights on Distant Water Fishing Vessels (February 2025) and runs public-facing campaigns such as #SeeUsNike and the Honduran melon workers campaign at Fyffes farms.

Global Labor Justice does not sell products or services and operates a donation-based revenue model. Income is derived from donations collected through a NeonCRM portal and from grants, with no disclosed revenue figure, no funding rounds, and no parent or subsidiary structure. The organization generates impact through coalition building, policy advocacy, campaign organizing, investor engagement on responsible business conduct, and capacity building for worker movements and unions across Central Asia, Central America, the Gulf, and South and Southeast Asia.

Name

ILRF

Legal name

Global Labor Justice

Website

https://laborrights.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Global Labor Justice is a U.S.-based independent nonprofit (founded 1986, formerly ILRF) that supports workers and trade unions worldwide in exercising freedom of association, combating forced and child labor, and securing binding supply chain labor agreements through coalition campaigns and policy advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Labor Rights Advocacy

NAICS

Labor Unions and Similar Labor Organizations (813930)

akta.pro primary industry

Labor, Social Protection & Occupational Safety Standards Cooperation (BPADANAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Inclusive Trade (Gender, Youth, Marginalized Groups) (BPADAMAM), Labor Relations & Union Management Training (EDABAIAK)

Keywords

• Labor rights advocacy
• Worker rights
• Freedom of association
• Supply chain accountability
• Forced labor elimination

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Global Labor Justice is an independent nonprofit that supports workers and unions worldwide in exercising freedom of association and collective bargaining. It delivers this through advocacy programs, multi-stakeholder coalitions, and negotiated labor agreements aimed at ending forced labor, securing supply chain accountability, and embedding labor rights protections in trade and development finance policy.

Product overview

Global Labor Justice (formerly International Labor Rights Forum) operates as a unified advocacy organization offering multiple interconnected programs and campaigns focused on labor rights. The portfolio includes core advocacy programs (Freedom of Association, Global Finance and Labor Rights, Accountable Development Finance), specialized campaigns (Cotton Campaign, Coalition on Labor Justice for Migrants in the Gulf), landmark labor agreements (Dindigul Agreement, Central Java Agreement for Gender Justice), and policy guidance tools (Model Operational Guidelines for Wi-Fi Access and Fishers' Rights). These initiatives work collectively to advance workers' rights, combat forced labor, and promote democratic participation in global supply chains.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cotton Campaign: A coalition of international human and labor rights NGOs, independent trade unions, brand and retail associations, responsible investor organizations, supply chain transparency groups, and academic partners working to end state-imposed forced labor in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan cotton industries.
• Coalition on Labor Justice for Migrants in the Gulf

Products and services

• Freedom of Association Program Core advocacy program that protects and promotes freedom of association as defined by the ILO and national law, fundamental to the work of labor rights defenders, the workplace, and broader democracy. Targeted at workers, unions, labor rights defenders, and policymakers.
• Global Finance and Labor Rights Advocacy Advocacy program that engages investors on responsible business conduct, providing advocacy tools to financial stakeholders on labor rights protections. Targeted at investors and supply chain actors.
• Accountable Development Finance Initiative Initiative ensuring development finance institutions maintain worker rights safeguards and promote decent work in funded projects, by requiring that DFI funds advance development goals and protect against serious abuses. Targeted at development finance institutions and policymakers.
• Cotton Campaign Coalition International coalition of human and labor rights NGOs, trade unions, brand and retail associations, responsible investor organizations, supply chain transparency groups, and academic partners using independent reporting, advocacy, supply chain research, and accountability actions to end state-imposed forced labor and establish strong labor practices in the cotton industries of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.
• Coalition on Labor Justice for Migrants in the Gulf International coalition of human and labor rights organizations, migrant rights organizations, and independent trade unions calling on GCC governments and employers to respect migrant workers' fundamental human and labor rights throughout recruitment, migration, employment, and return.
• Dindigul Agreement to Eliminate Gender-Based Violence and Harassment Landmark agreement between a garment supplier and a local women and Dalit-led union, backed by binding agreements between fashion brands and a local union, international NGO, and Asian trade union alliance, using training, grievance procedures, and freedom of association to prevent and remediate gender-based violence and harassment.
• Central Java Agreement for Gender Justice Groundbreaking agreement negotiated by women workers to implement a union-led gender justice program after organizing against gender-based violence and harassment on the factory floor, signed in July 2024.
• Model Operational Guidelines for Wi-Fi Access and Fishers' Rights Model guidelines providing essential guidance on how Wi-Fi should be implemented by vessel owners at sea to protect fishers' labor rights on distant water fishing vessels.

Quantifiable outcome

• Central Java Agreement for Gender Justice signed July 2024 - groundbreaking union-led gender justice program after organizing against gender-based violence and harassment
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Central Java Agreement PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2024Agreement signed in July 2024 between women workers who organized against gender-based violence and harassment, creating a union-led gender justice program. Signatories include local union, international NGO, and Asian trade union alliance.
• Cotton CampaigncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of international human and labor rights NGOs, independent trade unions, brand and retail associations, responsible investor organizations, supply chain transparency groups, and academic partners working to end state-imposed forced labor and establish strong labor practices in cotton industries of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.
• Coalition on Labor Justice for Migrants in the GulfcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational coalition of human and labor rights organizations, migrant rights organizations, and independent trade unions calling on governments and employers to respect migrant workers' fundamental human and labor rights throughout recruitment, migration, employment, and return in GCC countries.
• International Union of Food and Allied Workers (IUF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership with IUF on campaigns including the Honduran melon workers campaign at Fyffes farms and development finance advocacy through Accountable Development Finance initiative.
• Dindigul Agreement PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLandmark agreement between garment supplier and local women and Dalit-led union, supported by binding agreements between fashion brands and local union, international NGO, and Asian trade union alliance. Uses training, grievance procedures, and freedom of association to prevent and remediate gender-based violence and harassment.
• Nike (Campaign Target)minorOthersSubject of #SeeUsNike campaign demanding wage justice. More than 1,000 garment workers from South and Southeast Asia went public demanding Nike raise wages and uphold human rights in its supply chain.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Worker Rights Consortium: Independent labor rights monitoring organization focused on protecting the rights of workers who produce apparel and other goods for major brand-name retailers. Closely comparable to GLJ in mission (worker rights enforcement in global supply chains) and constituency (workers, unions, brands), though more narrowly focused on apparel and university licensing.
• Fair Labor Association: Multi-stakeholder initiative focused on improving working conditions in supply chains through assessment, remediation, and public reporting. Operates in the same labor rights in supply chains space as GLJ, with similar brand and investor engagement model.
• Solidarity Center: AFL-CIO affiliated nonprofit that works to advance worker rights and democracy worldwide through supporting independent trade unions. Shares GLJ's core mission of strengthening freedom of association and collective bargaining globally, with comparable geographic and sectoral programs.
• Anti-Slavery International: World's oldest international human rights organization, focused on ending slavery and forced labor globally. Directly comparable to GLJ's Cotton Campaign mandate on state-imposed forced labor in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, with similar advocacy and coalition-based operating model.
• Verité: International labor rights nonprofit specializing in research, assessment, and remediation of labor abuses in global supply chains. Closely comparable to GLJ in operating model (advocacy + research + corporate engagement) and in serving investors and brands seeking supply chain due diligence.

Broad incumbents

• International Trade Union Confederation: Global confederation of national trade unions representing workers worldwide. Operates in the same labor rights advocacy space as GLJ but at a much larger scale, functioning as the umbrella body for many of the union partners GLJ works with directly.
• Human Rights Watch: Large international human rights organization conducting investigations and advocacy on a wide range of issues including labor rights. Comparable to GLJ in advocacy methodology and coalition-building, though broader in scope and substantially larger in resources and media reach.
• Amnesty International: Global human rights NGO with a long history of labor-related advocacy, particularly on freedom of association, migrant worker rights, and supply chain accountability. Comparable in advocacy methodology and international footprint, with significantly larger scale and broader mandate.
• International Labour Organization: United Nations agency setting international labor standards through conventions and recommendations on freedom of association, forced labor, and collective bargaining. Directly comparable to GLJ in mandate scope, though operates as a tripartite intergovernmental body rather than an advocacy NGO.

Emerging players

• Migrant Rights: Regional advocacy organization focused on migrant worker rights in the Middle East, particularly the GCC countries. Overlaps directly with GLJ's Coalition on Labor Justice for Migrants in the Gulf, with complementary focus on a single high-priority geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ilrf
• Facebookfacebook.com/internationallaborrights
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-labor-rights-fund

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ILRF