From late 2020 and throughout 2021, the easing of lockdown restrictions in the wake of the pandemic spurred a massive revival of employment in high-demand retail and service sectors. This trend not only strengthened but also broadened the commercial sector’s impact on both overall economic activity and the employability of the economically active population.

In the specific context of Venezuela, this phenomenon was reflected in an increase in domestic economic activity, driven significantly by the boom of trade, which manifested itself in the emergence of the so-called ‘bodegones’ and the rapid revival of the retail sector.

In the face of this reality, the Observatory for Dignity in Work (Observatorio para la Dignidad en el Trabajo, an initiative driven by activists from the labour and popular movements, and particularly by former members of the JOC) deems it essential to deepen our understanding and analysis of wage labour relations in these sectors.

On this May 1st, International Workers’ Day, we, the young people of the International Young Christian Workers (IYCW/JOCI), raise our voices together across the world.

We speak from our concrete realities — from factories and homes, from streets and digital platforms, from rural communities and urban neighbourhoods. We are part of a living history of more than a century of struggle, where generations of young workers have organized not only to defend the dignity of work, but to transform society through solidarity, collective action, and hope.

During a recent visit to the Philippines, a strong message resonated across regions and communities: young workers are actively organizing, learning from one another, and building collective strength to shape a more just and dignified future. Through dialogue, exchange, and shared reflection, the Young Christian Workers (YCW) movement continues to be a vital space where young people transform lived realities into collective action.

Today, on International Women’s Day, we stand in solidarity with every woman whose voice has been silenced by fear, violence, discrimination, or stigma — including in the very spaces where she should feel safe and valued: her workplace. While this day celebrates women’s achievements all through history, it must also confront a persistent reality: gender inequality and gender-based violence remain deeply embedded in the world of work.

In December 2025, YCW Argentina marked its 85th Anniversary, in the year of the Centenary of the Young Christian Workers (JOC/YCW). This was not a commemorative act detached from reality, but a week of militant presence, collective reflection, and public struggle, rooted in the daily lives of young workers. The activities were accompanied by the presence of an international team member of the International Young Christian Workers, whose participation strengthened international solidarity and reaffirmed the global dimension of the struggles faced by young workers in Argentina and around the world.