Brazil is one of the countries hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, and one of the groups hardest hit within Brazil are the waste pickers, who salvage materials for recycling. They really are at the bottom of the pile.

Even before the term COVID-19 had entered our vocabulary, burnout, stress and anxiety were significant issues in the workplace. With the pandemic, things have become much worse. In recent months many workers have felt helpless in the face of the profound changes they have experienced.

Before the pandemic there was already a lot of discussion about the implications of technology for the future of work. The message of the ILO Centenary Declaration for the Future of Work, adopted in June 2019, is clear; the future of work is not pre-determined, it is up to us to shape it.