Cultivate trade union unity for decent work, says ILO

NAIROBI (ILO News) – The ILO Assistant Director-General and Regional Director for Africa, Aeneas Chapinga Chuma attended the 50th anniversary of the Central Organization of Trade Unions of Kenya, COTU (K) in Nairobi, Kenya with a call to a strong trade union unity.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr Chuma underscored that “trade union unity is now seen as the new approach for the labour movement to modernize its structures, broaden its membership base and promote solidarity”.

Moreover, “trade union unity now constitutes a formidable response to a myriad of external and internal challenges facing workers’ organization at all levels - sectoral, national, regional and international”, Chuma emphasized during a Golden Jubilee attended by Kenya’s President, H.E. Uhuru Kenyatta, senior government officials and trade union leaders from the Organization of African Trade Union Unity(OATUU), the International Trade Union Confederation(ITUC), the East African Trade Union Confederation(EATUC), the Trade Union Federation of Eastern Africa(TUFEA) as well as the Federation of Kenyan Employers.

“As we move forward, the ILO wish to encourage COTU (K) to further spearhead trade union solidarity, bearing in mind that unity between and amongst trade union federations has become a common feature in all countries”, Aeneas Chuma added.

The ILO and Kenya have extensively worked in the past in the fields of labour law reform, elimination of child labour, entrepreneurship development, labour inspection, social dialogue, social protection, youth employment, and workers’ education.

The Decent Work Agenda is embedded in Kenya’s national constitution and the fundamental principles and rights at work are also guaranteed by the constitution, including the rights associated with freedom of association.

The ILO will continue “to work with the Government of Kenya, the Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE) and, of course, COTU (K) towards further strengthening labour relations in Kenya”, concluded Aeneas Chuma.