In the context of neo-liberal governance of markets that has often taken place at workers’ expense, in many cases workers have nevertheless struggled successfully to (re-)establish their rights and improve their working conditions. The Forum on “Worker-driven Innovation in the Globalized Economy – Learning from Encounters” that took place at the International Institute of Social Studies at Erasmus University Rotterdam (ISS) from 13-15 June 2016 offered an open space to share, discuss and learn from a diverse and exciting range of such initiatives.