Building Sound Industrial Relations for Sustainable Development and Competitiveness

Project background

Sound industrial relations and effective social dialogue are means to create virtuous cycle by translating productivity and competitiveness gains into better working conditions. Despite the enabling policy environment for industrial relations and social dialogue in Ethiopia, institutional framework and capacity for ensuring continuous improvement of working conditions through improved industrial relations, is very week.

Limited capacity of the workers' and employers' organizations prevents the use of social dialogue platforms and opportunities to improve working conditions and productivity. There is a need for strong industrial relations and social dialogue structures and processes at enterprise, sectoral and national level to resolve important economic and social issues and create an enabling environment for the realization of decent work in the country an aspiration enshrined in the DWCP for Ethiopia signed by the tripartite partners.

Project Summary

The project aims to contribute to decent work through peaceful industrial relations for sustainable development and competitiveness.

The project will build the institutional and technical capacity of Confederation of Ethiopian Trade Unions (CETU) and Ethiopia Employers Federation (EEF) at national, regional, sectoral level as the presence of strong workers’ and employers’ organization is a precondition for sound industrial and employment relations.
The presence of strong workers’ and employers’ organization at the regional level will also pave the way for the establishment of tripartite advisory boards at the regional level, which does not exist at the moment.
Moreover, the project will provide technical capacity of EEF and CETU on social dialogue, collective bargaining, dispute prevention and settlement.

The project will also collaborate with the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MOLSA) and Bureau of Labour and Social Affairs (BOLSAs) to raise awareness on labour legislation in order to enhance effective implementation of the ratified Conventions.

It will also strengthen institutions that can facilitate sound industrial relations i.e Labour advisory boards and tribunals, dispute prevention and resolution machineries including promotion of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms.

The project will be guided by a project Advisory Committee (PAC) and supported by Technical Working Group (TWG). The PAC will provide guidance on policy and technical matters relating t the implementation and smooth coordination of the project and TWG will support the day to day implementation the project in collaboration with the project coordinator.