XV-th BRICS Trade Union Forum. Hyderabad (India) July 14–16, 2026

In the year of India’s chairmanship in BRICS, the 15th BRICS Trade Union Forum was held in Hyderabad on July 14–16, 2026 under the overall motto of India’s chairmanship — “Strengthening resilience, innovation, cooperation and stability”. The Forum was attended by delegates from the trade union centers of the founding countries — Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa — as well as by representatives of the “new” member countries — Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, the UAE, Ethiopia, and Saudi Arabia — and by representatives of partner countries — Belarus, Malaysia. In total, 53 delegates and guests from 13 countries participated in the XV BRICS Trade Union Forum.

Over three days, delegates discussed the major challenges shaping the future of work: rapid digitalisation, artificial intelligence and automation, changing production systems, the growth of platform work, persistent informality, labour migration, skills development, social protection and gender equality.

Programme and structure

The Forum opened with an inaugural session, during which the host country introduced the programme and released the reports of the thematic taskforces on skills, social security, women and future of work, and human-oriented technology and AI. This was followed by four parallel thematic sessions:

Social Security for All
Skills for the Future World of Work
Women and the Future of Work
Human-Oriented Technology and Artificial Intelligence

On the first evening, a public meeting “From Shopfloor to Summit: The Workforce Leads the Way” was held, allowing delegates to engage directly with local workers and trade union activists.

The second day focused on country reports, best tripartite practices from BRICS+ countries, reporting back from the parallel sessions, and a high-level discussion on cooperation between trade unions in BRICS. The day concluded with the presentation and debate of the Joint Draft Declaration.

On the third day, delegates visited an industrial enterprise and key sites in Hyderabad, combining direct interaction with workers and management with an overview of local economic and social realities.

Key messages of the Hyderabad Declaration

The Hyderabad Declaration of the 15th BRICS Trade Union Forum sets out a shared vision for a just, inclusive and sustainable future of work. Among its key messages:

Technology and AI must assist human beings and not replace them. The Declaration stresses that technological innovation and AI governance must be human-oriented, transparent, accountable and inclusive. Workers and their organisations must be involved in the design, deployment and monitoring of AI systems.
Decent work in new forms of employment. The Forum calls for gig work and digital platform work to be governed by decent work standards, with labour rights guaranteed regardless of employment classification.
Social Security for All. Social security is recognised as a universal human right. BRICS governments are urged to expand universal, adequate and sustainable social protection systems to cover all workers, including informal, self-employed, migrant, platform and agricultural workers, and those in non-standard forms of employment. Particular emphasis is placed on the portability of social security rights across borders and jurisdictions.
Lifelong learning, reskilling and upskilling. The Declaration identifies continuous learning as a fundamental pillar of resilient employment systems. Technological transitions must not render existing jobs and workers redundant; instead, workers should be equipped and trained for new roles and opportunities. BRICS countries are encouraged to strengthen cooperation through skill-development partnerships, mutual recognition of skills and certifications, and the establishment of a BRICS Skill Development Network.
Working women and just transition. The Forum reaffirms that women workers are indispensable contributors to economic development and must be recognised as agents of change. Priority areas include gender-responsive technological transformation, access to childcare and elder care, protection of paid care workers, gender-responsive occupational safety and health, promotion of women’s entrepreneurship, and ensuring that green jobs and just transitions are inclusive and gender-sensitive.
Trade unions in BRICS governance. The Declaration underlines that trade unions must have an institutional role in BRICS governance mechanisms and decision-making processes. Meaningful social dialogue and effective tripartite cooperation are seen as essential to ensuring that economic growth translates into improved living standards for working people.

Outcomes and follow-up

At the close of the Hyderabad meeting, delegates adopted the Declaration of the 15th BRICS Trade Union Forum, setting out a common vision for a human-oriented, socially just and sustainable future of work in the BRICS countries and beyond. The Declaration consolidates the Forum’s positions on the impact of artificial intelligence and technology, decent work in new forms of employment, universal social security, lifelong learning and skills development, women’s rights and economic empowerment, and the institutional role of trade unions in BRICS governance.

Participants agreed to strengthen cooperation among BRICS trade unions on these priority areas, including:

developing national and international frameworks for human-oriented AI and technology governance;
advancing “Social Security for All” and portability of social protection rights;
building a BRICS Skills Development Network and promoting mutual recognition of skills and qualifications;
enhancing gender-responsive labour policies, green jobs and just transition;
deepening social dialogue and tripartite cooperation at national and BRICS levels.

The Trade Union Forum in Hyderabad was held back-to-back with the 12th BRICS Labour and Employment Ministers’ Meeting (LEMM), convened on 15–16 July 2026 in the same city to adopt the 2026 ministerial declaration on labour and employment cooperation. This sequencing gave trade union delegates an opportunity to coordinate their positions, formulate demands and proposals, and convey the workers’ perspective to the ministers’ track.

The Forum also reaffirmed its commitment to South–South cooperation, fair and inclusive global economic governance and the objectives of the Global Coalition for Social Justice. Delegates expressed their intention to continue engaging with BRICS Labour and Employment Ministers and relevant international organisations to ensure that the Hyderabad Declaration is translated into concrete policies and programmes benefiting workers across all BRICS countries.