Unions in Africa pushing the ILO’s Decent Work and social justice agenda
African trade unions need to mobilize to promote the ILO’s Decent Work and social justice agenda, participants said at a regional trade union conference in Nairobi.
NAIROBI (ACTRAV INFO)-African trade unions need to mobilize to promote the ILO’s Decent Work and social justice agenda, participants said at a regional trade union conference in Nairobi.
Union leaders at the conference, organized by the ILO Bureau of Workers' Activities (ACTRAV) and the Central Organization of Trade Union (COTU-Kenya) supported by the ACTRAV/Norway project "Trade Unions for Social Justice"; also emphasized the importance of unity in the African labour movement.
“I think that the ILO’s global agenda on decent work will be implemented by the trade unions within Africa. They are committed to it,” said Francis Atwoli, General Secretary of Central Organisation of Trade Union (COTU-Kenya).
Rabiatou Diallo, Honorary President of the Confederation nationale des travailleurs de Guinée (CNTG) said unions should strengthen tripartism and social dialogue in their countries to achieve Decent Work and social justice for all. “Social dialogue is one of the keys to achieve decent work and to reduce poverty, HIV AIDS and the informal sector which primarily affect workers. Unions must also involve women and youth in their efforts to achieve these goals,” she said.
Caroline Mugalla, Executive Secretary of East Africa Trade Union Confederation (EATUC) stressed that the Decent Work agenda is a key message for trade unions. “It clearly brings about what we as trade unions are fighting for. In the case of East Africa, all the countries have recorded economic growth; however this growth has not necessarily resulted to job opportunities. It has been a jobless growth which has in turn contributed to a high increase of the informal economy. In terms of development, trade unions need to implement the Decent Work agenda and work on the issues such as social protection and social justice for all”.
Owei Lakemfa, General Secretary of Organization of African Trade Union Unity (OATUU), also highlighted the importance of promoting the Decent Work agenda. “Unions need to think about how they can mobilise the rest of the society to implement Decent Work because social protection and social justice for all are important factors.
There is no reason why anybody in Africa or in the World should go to bed hungry. Workers must have access to employment benefits and unions need to ensure that children have the right to education”.
Speakers also stressed the need to strengthen trade unions in the region."We want to improve Union movement in Africa", Maria Helena André, Director of ACTRAV – told participants at the conference, which brought together more than 130 delegates from over 40 African countries, sub-regional and regional trade union organizations.
Kwasi Amankwah, General Secretary of ITUC-Africa, for his part, said that unions “played an important role towards the development of this continent and they should maintain their strength in achieving workers’ rights in each of our countries. They need to work together both at national and regional levels to ensure that policy makers give priority to the interest of working people”. For more information, please contact:
Mamadou Kaba Souare, Communications Officer, ILO Bureau for Workers’ Activities- Geneva, +41 22 799 74 08, [email protected]
