The subject of the article is the activity of the International Labour Organization regarding the minimum wage. The author draws attention to the varied interest of the ILO in this subject in particular periods, and she attempts to identify its causes. The author analyzes the development of ILO legal instruments in the field of minimum wage against the background of social and economic changes. She highlights the changing function of the minimum wage that with time became one of the tools for implementing the ILO global strategy for decent work and sustainable development. The author notes the influence of ILO on activities of the United Nations, the Council of Europe and the European Union. She stresses the importance of ILO regulations concerning the minimum wage to counteract the dehumanization of human work in the face of globalization.