ILO to sensitize West African Trade Unions on Decent Work and Future of Work Initiative

Abuja (ILO News) – The Director of ILO Country Office, Abuja, Mr Dennis Zulu, has called on the Organization of Trade Unions of West Africa (OTUWA) to mobilize their members to effectively contribute to the ongoing Future of Work Initiative and the development of the Sub-Regional Decent Work Programme (SRDWP).

The call came on 11 May 2016 during OTUWA Strategic Planning Workshop in Abuja during which Dennis Zulu highlighted the relocation of the Headquarters of OTUWA from Abidjan to Abuja, permanent seat of ECOWAS Secretariat.

“This would enhance social dialogue at the regional level and ensure quality services to national trade unions”, Zulu said.

Informing participants about the ongoing Future of Work Initiative, he asked OTUWA to mobilize its members in the West African Sub-Region to effectively articulate its position for the benefit of its members across the region.

According to the ILO, climate change, technology and other factors are shaping the world of work making the Initiative a necessity. To promote decent work as a key component of regional development strategies, Dennis Zulu also reminded them of the need to actively get involved in the ongoing formulation of the Sub-Regional Decent Work Programme.

Mobilized for the Future of Work

In his welcome remark, the President of OTUWA, Comrade Mademba Sock stated that the West African sub-region has been facing a lot of challenges such as poverty, under-development, austerity, unemployment, super-exploitation of human and natural resources and growing gaps between the ‘haves’ and the have-nots’. These, according to him have been made worse by growing incidences of corruption, insurgencies and breakdown of laws and order.

Trade union movements have stood the test of time as they have played a decisive role in the resolution of many of the crises that West Africa has witnessed over the years, said Mr Sock calling on trade unions in West Africa to be prepared to represent the interest of workers across West Africa.

Furthermore, he urged employers, and governments across the region to work with the workers for the common good of the sub-region and the continent. He thanked the ILO for the support given to OTUWA.

In his remark, the President of NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba called on trade unions in the sub-region to be interested in “interrogating spurious bilateral and multilateral trade Agreements signed by governments that seek to further enslave rather than make African economies robust and independent to serve the interest of the working people and the poor”. He thank the ILO for its contribution in making the re-launch of OTUWA a reality.

In his opening remark, the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment of Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator (Dr) Chris Ngige, called on governments and employers across West Africa to endeavour to pay workers as and when due. He however regretted the current economic recession which is being experienced by West African Countries. He urged workers across West African countries to engage their governments in a constructive dialogue and support them to diversify their economies to enable them overcome the current economic recession.

The three days strategic workshop is being attended by executive members of OTUWA, representatives of trade unions across West Africa, regional and international trade union leaders across Africa, ILO, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, and American Centre for International Labour Solidarity amongst others.