Integrating Social Dialogues in creating more decent jobs in the agro-processing sector - The ProAgro Ethiopia project experience
21 June 2023
Linking good practices in labour standards with job creation is one of the approaches of the ILO ProAgro initiative in ‘Promotion of Decent Work in Agribusiness in Ethiopia. Tailored capacity strengthening, business support, and mentoring services for entrepreneurs have been coupled with orientation in labour standards, and social dialogues in collaboration with the relevant constituents (Workers and Employers organization, and Government). This combination ensures that jobs are created, skills matched appropriately, entrepreneurial ventures nurtured and job seekers absorbed in an industrial ecosystem that maintains the desired compliance with principles of decent employment, safety, wellbeing, and rights at work.
The ProAgro Ethiopia approach is localized and engagement is based on the local realities. Recognizing that policy instruments relating to Social Dialogues, Unionization, Collective Bargaining, and Rights at Work often take a long time to operationalize, the stakeholders (in this regard the employers, workers and trade unions) collectively identify alternative measures through dialogues. These innovative local level approaches to communicating and building awareness of international labour standards, collective bargaining and social dialogues are contributing to peaceful industrial relations and employment creation in the agri-business sector with a focus on the poultry, fruits and vegetables and edible oil sub-sectors.
The second quarter of 2023 implementation of the ProAgro Ethiopia has given special focus to creating a conducive environment for social dialogues between government, workers and employment providers within the agro-processing sector to promote the objective of decent employment creation. Over 65 participants (9 females) from enterprises of the Agro-Industrial Parks, regional and federal level Workers’ Organization Employers Federations, and market actors in the agro-processing sector actively participated in a series of orientations and feedback mechanisms on the related International Labour Standards (ILS) to their situations. It is also to promote the platform for sharing lessons, highlighting potential challenges and identifying capacity needs.
The Ethiopia agro-processing sector provides huge employment opportunities and is one of the key priority sectors for the government of Ethiopia aimed to bring economic development and job creation. The few entrepreneurs in the sector are motivated not only by the profit potentials, but by their ability to maximize small investments in an agribusiness start up. On the social dimension, it is largely an informal sector, with poor adherence to safety, social protection, and wage conditions. Nonetheless, the Government of Ethiopia is committed to promoting the agro sectors through its Ten Years Perspective Plan (2020/21-2030/31) and a recent drive on Job Creation in collaboration with Private sectors in digitalization, financing, market development and entrepreneurship.
In their feedback, the training participant from the Amhara Employers Federation reiterated the importance of dialogues to motivate international enterprises to adhere to the basic rights of workers to association which can contribute to productivity and a peaceful working environment. ILO, through ProAgro project, is leveraging these interests and commitments to promote safer, and better jobs for all.
The ProAgro Ethiopia approach is localized and engagement is based on the local realities. Recognizing that policy instruments relating to Social Dialogues, Unionization, Collective Bargaining, and Rights at Work often take a long time to operationalize, the stakeholders (in this regard the employers, workers and trade unions) collectively identify alternative measures through dialogues. These innovative local level approaches to communicating and building awareness of international labour standards, collective bargaining and social dialogues are contributing to peaceful industrial relations and employment creation in the agri-business sector with a focus on the poultry, fruits and vegetables and edible oil sub-sectors.
The second quarter of 2023 implementation of the ProAgro Ethiopia has given special focus to creating a conducive environment for social dialogues between government, workers and employment providers within the agro-processing sector to promote the objective of decent employment creation. Over 65 participants (9 females) from enterprises of the Agro-Industrial Parks, regional and federal level Workers’ Organization Employers Federations, and market actors in the agro-processing sector actively participated in a series of orientations and feedback mechanisms on the related International Labour Standards (ILS) to their situations. It is also to promote the platform for sharing lessons, highlighting potential challenges and identifying capacity needs.
The Ethiopia agro-processing sector provides huge employment opportunities and is one of the key priority sectors for the government of Ethiopia aimed to bring economic development and job creation. The few entrepreneurs in the sector are motivated not only by the profit potentials, but by their ability to maximize small investments in an agribusiness start up. On the social dimension, it is largely an informal sector, with poor adherence to safety, social protection, and wage conditions. Nonetheless, the Government of Ethiopia is committed to promoting the agro sectors through its Ten Years Perspective Plan (2020/21-2030/31) and a recent drive on Job Creation in collaboration with Private sectors in digitalization, financing, market development and entrepreneurship.
In their feedback, the training participant from the Amhara Employers Federation reiterated the importance of dialogues to motivate international enterprises to adhere to the basic rights of workers to association which can contribute to productivity and a peaceful working environment. ILO, through ProAgro project, is leveraging these interests and commitments to promote safer, and better jobs for all.