Trade unions in Mali define their action strategy against child labour: A great step towards the eradication of child labour

Bamako, Mali, March 13, 2024 - As part of the ACCEL Africa project, trade unions have consensually defined a plan of action for workers aimed at eliminating child labour through decent work for adults. This plan represents a crucial step in the fight against child labour, especially at lower levels of supply chains, and aims to enhance the capacity of workers' organizations to engage and adopt concrete solutions to prevent and reduce this scourge.

The Workers' Action Plan, finalized with the invaluable contribution of the ACCEL Mali project teams and the Specialist for Workers' Activities (ACTRAV) Ms. Kattia PAREDES, focuses on around ten strategic activities planned from March 2024 to December 2025. These initiatives are designed to strengthen the capacities of trade unions in the fight against child labour and to expand their representational bases at lower levels of the supply chains as a starting point in the search for decent work for adults.

A significant milestone of this action plan is the creation of a specialized trade union platform, composed of twenty unionists representing the focal points of each trade union center (UNTM, CSTM, CDTM, CMT) in Bamako. These focal points will be responsible for identifying local focal points in agricultural areas, who will in turn be tasked with carrying out recruitment campaigns, organization, and unionization of agricultural workers. This initiative aims to coordinate efforts and foster powerful collective action against child labour, leveraging the diversity and richness of trade union experiences.

The activities defined in the action plan revolve around two main axes: joint actions carried out within the trade union platform and specific initiatives conducted individually by each center. These combined efforts will address the issue of child labour holistically, by strengthening the capacities of workers at the bottom of the supply chain.

This action plan is part of a broader context of strengthening trade unionism and promoting unity of action among trade unions. The ACCEL Africa project, in close cooperation with ACTRAV, aims to support unions in this direction to forge a unified and powerful trade union voice, capable of defending the rights of all workers and fighting against child labour with increased effectiveness.

About the ACCEL Africa project

The ACCEL Africa project, being implemented by the International Labour Organization (ILO), aims to eliminate child labour in supply chains through targeted initiatives and the mobilization of key stakeholders, including workers' organizations, for concerted and effective action.