Trade Unions in Transformation
Trade Unions in the rural economy
Despite serious decent work deficits in the rural economy, successful examples exist of trade unions servicing and representing workers in the rural economy worldwide.
8 July 2022
The ACTRAV study “Decent work deficits among rural workers. Key findings and recommendations for trade unions” , which was launched on 7th of July 2022 provides 16 case studies on decent work and existing opportunities for trade union organizing in rural economies worldwide.
The rural sector is often characterized by serious decent work deficits and an overall complicated environment for trade union work, including the violation of trade union rights.
ACTRAV Director, Ms. Maria Helena André highlighted that “many rural workers do not enjoy the protection of trade unions”.
In many sectors, trade unions are weak and find difficulties in representing traditionally underrepresented groups of works, such as informal, casual, seasonal, temporary or self-employed workers.
ACTRAV Workers’ Specialist Ms. Hilma Mote added that “organizing and collective bargaining for rural workers remains problematic”.
Furthermore, most rural workers operate in the informal economy, which includes a large proportion of women. Additionally, women and children are heavily involved in unpaid family and child labour. Trade union members may find themselves unable to pay their membership fees owing to unemployment, informality or engagement in seasonal work. Workers also report challenges related to being geographically remote or trade union internal governance issues.
Notwithstanding the complicated trade union environment, the report also highlights successful examples of dynamic unionism and trade union revitalization, ranging from banana production in Cameroon and Ecuador, tea production in India, palm oil production in Indonesia, to coco farmers in Ghana.
Mr. Edward Kareweh, Secretary-General from the General Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU) from Ghana stated that “what we have done is, we have organized the coco farmers (). We organize them into farmer groups, and then to look for their needs () and advocate for policy change.”
Trade unions have adopted policies to address workers’ concerns that emerged in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic, they have been successful in attracting new members, in representing workers in the rural economy through inclusive social dialogue, or in entering into broad coalitions with other stakeholders. In Cameroon, trade unions have joined forces to operate under one common platform; in Indonesia, trade unions entered into coalitions with other civil society organizations to support sustainable production in the palm oil industry; and in India, trade unions at the national and local levels collaborate in different regions, while trying to manage effective relationships with political parties.
During Covid-19, trade unions in the different case studies denounced labour rights violations, lobbied governments and employers to take measures to safeguard jobs, workers’ health and safety and labour rights, participated in social dialogue to negotiate protections for workers and handled workers’ complaints and grievances. In the case of Ghana, social dialogue improved in certain sectors. Trade unions called for greater government support specifically directed at the agricultural sector, including declaring farm work an essential service, educating farmers on COVID-19 prevention measures, and distributing masks and hand sanitizers to farms. Also in the Philippines and Liberia, positive outcomes of bi- and tri-partite negotiations were reported in various agricultural sectors.
Ms. Leda Celis from the National Congress of Unions in the sugar industry of the Philippines (NACUSIP) asked the question: “How can trade unions help? The unions help facilitate claims from various government agencies, especially Covid-19 assistance during the pandemic, online capacity building, leadership techniques and CBA (collective bargaining agreements) negotiations, grievance meetings, active participation in social dialogues, facilitate social protection benefits, use of online communications for organizing, union meetings, legal assistance, consultation and anything that would benefit the sugar workers. The unions (are) in the frontlines.”
The report suggests a series of recommendations to overcome decent work deficits in rural economies. Trade unions call for better enforcement of existing laws through more comprehensive inspection and monitoring, reforms to national legal frameworks to support the protection of rural workers, the formalization of informal sectors and workers, the integration of rural economic sectors and diverse categories of rural workers into social dialogue processes, and the ratification of relevant ILO Conventions and adherence to international labour standards.
In this regard, Mr. George Owidhi from the University of Nairobi, Kenya highlighted that: “trade unions now have a role to ensure that ILO standards and labour rights are adhered to by enterprises wherever they are”.
Furthermore, the capacity of trade unions to service and represent rural economy workers can be strengthened, including through improved crisis preparedness and access to social protection, and supporting smallholder farmers through innovative services, such as improved access to credit, land and other resources necessary for them to engage in production and employment creation. Overall, trade unions can apply a “rural lens” to broader advocacy efforts, considering for instance the impact for rural workers of more general economic, development and labour policies, as such putting decent work for rural workers at the centre of sustainable development.
By means of conclusion, the director of ACTRAV, Ms Maria Helena André stressed that “this overarching and inclusive approach is essential for all (). The message in the report is resolute, it is calling on all of us to act, and to act now.”
The rural sector is often characterized by serious decent work deficits and an overall complicated environment for trade union work, including the violation of trade union rights.
ACTRAV Director, Ms. Maria Helena André highlighted that “many rural workers do not enjoy the protection of trade unions”.
In many sectors, trade unions are weak and find difficulties in representing traditionally underrepresented groups of works, such as informal, casual, seasonal, temporary or self-employed workers.
ACTRAV Workers’ Specialist Ms. Hilma Mote added that “organizing and collective bargaining for rural workers remains problematic”.
Furthermore, most rural workers operate in the informal economy, which includes a large proportion of women. Additionally, women and children are heavily involved in unpaid family and child labour. Trade union members may find themselves unable to pay their membership fees owing to unemployment, informality or engagement in seasonal work. Workers also report challenges related to being geographically remote or trade union internal governance issues.
Notwithstanding the complicated trade union environment, the report also highlights successful examples of dynamic unionism and trade union revitalization, ranging from banana production in Cameroon and Ecuador, tea production in India, palm oil production in Indonesia, to coco farmers in Ghana.
Mr. Edward Kareweh, Secretary-General from the General Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU) from Ghana stated that “what we have done is, we have organized the coco farmers (). We organize them into farmer groups, and then to look for their needs () and advocate for policy change.”
Trade unions have adopted policies to address workers’ concerns that emerged in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic, they have been successful in attracting new members, in representing workers in the rural economy through inclusive social dialogue, or in entering into broad coalitions with other stakeholders. In Cameroon, trade unions have joined forces to operate under one common platform; in Indonesia, trade unions entered into coalitions with other civil society organizations to support sustainable production in the palm oil industry; and in India, trade unions at the national and local levels collaborate in different regions, while trying to manage effective relationships with political parties.
During Covid-19, trade unions in the different case studies denounced labour rights violations, lobbied governments and employers to take measures to safeguard jobs, workers’ health and safety and labour rights, participated in social dialogue to negotiate protections for workers and handled workers’ complaints and grievances. In the case of Ghana, social dialogue improved in certain sectors. Trade unions called for greater government support specifically directed at the agricultural sector, including declaring farm work an essential service, educating farmers on COVID-19 prevention measures, and distributing masks and hand sanitizers to farms. Also in the Philippines and Liberia, positive outcomes of bi- and tri-partite negotiations were reported in various agricultural sectors.
Ms. Leda Celis from the National Congress of Unions in the sugar industry of the Philippines (NACUSIP) asked the question: “How can trade unions help? The unions help facilitate claims from various government agencies, especially Covid-19 assistance during the pandemic, online capacity building, leadership techniques and CBA (collective bargaining agreements) negotiations, grievance meetings, active participation in social dialogues, facilitate social protection benefits, use of online communications for organizing, union meetings, legal assistance, consultation and anything that would benefit the sugar workers. The unions (are) in the frontlines.”
The report suggests a series of recommendations to overcome decent work deficits in rural economies. Trade unions call for better enforcement of existing laws through more comprehensive inspection and monitoring, reforms to national legal frameworks to support the protection of rural workers, the formalization of informal sectors and workers, the integration of rural economic sectors and diverse categories of rural workers into social dialogue processes, and the ratification of relevant ILO Conventions and adherence to international labour standards.
In this regard, Mr. George Owidhi from the University of Nairobi, Kenya highlighted that: “trade unions now have a role to ensure that ILO standards and labour rights are adhered to by enterprises wherever they are”.
Furthermore, the capacity of trade unions to service and represent rural economy workers can be strengthened, including through improved crisis preparedness and access to social protection, and supporting smallholder farmers through innovative services, such as improved access to credit, land and other resources necessary for them to engage in production and employment creation. Overall, trade unions can apply a “rural lens” to broader advocacy efforts, considering for instance the impact for rural workers of more general economic, development and labour policies, as such putting decent work for rural workers at the centre of sustainable development.
By means of conclusion, the director of ACTRAV, Ms Maria Helena André stressed that “this overarching and inclusive approach is essential for all (). The message in the report is resolute, it is calling on all of us to act, and to act now.”