Workshops in Uzbekistan for cotton growing communities, constituents, farmers’ council and concerned civil society organizations on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work

On 16-17 April 2024, two trainings on the Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work (FPRW) were organized in Kokand city for following representatives from Buvayda and Uchkoprik districts of Fergana region of Uzbekistan:

• On 16 April 2024 – Interactive workshop on the five Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work (FPRW) with the cotton growing communities as well as with district branches of constituents, farmers’ council and concerned CSOs;
• On 17 April 2024 – Interactive training for community mobilisers to identify causes of FPRW deficits, to raise awareness of FPRW and to report progress in exercising the 5 FPRW to the project team.

During the trainings, participants learned what the International Labour Organization is and what it does, what the ILO Conventions and Recommendations are, what are the five fundamental principles and rights at work. They also learned about their labour rights, what conditions should be created for persons employed in agriculture, including cotton growing, why the labour rights of men and women are equal, how labour relations are expressed in the national legislation of the Republic of Uzbekistan and other issues.
This event aroused great interest among the local population engaged in the cultivation and harvesting of cotton, who debated a lot on various labour issues. The workshops were also widely covered in the local press.

Awareness-raising posters developed and adapted by the project in the form of posters were also presented during the training, informing about fundamental principles and rights at work:

The participants expressed the need to continue similar trainings to promote fundamental principles and rights at work, thus contributing to further development of decent working conditions in Uzbekistan.

The two trainings were organized by the ILO-INDITEX Project Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work in the Cotton Supply Chain: RISE for Impact – A New Phase, A New Vision.