Decent Work in Trade and Investiment Agreements:Role and Actions of Trade Unions in Africa

Executive Summary of the Project The International Labour Organizations’ Declaration of Philadelphia calls for ‘effective international and national action . . . to promote a high and steady volume of international trade’ in order to serve ‘the central aim of national and international policy’ that is, the goal of social justice, where ‘all human beings, irrespective of race, creed or sex, have the right to pursue both their material well-being and their spiritual development in conditions of freedom and dignity, of economic security and equal opportunity’. Paragraph 52 of the MNE Declaration states the following: “Where governments of host countries offer special incentives to attract foreign investment, these incentives should not include any limitation of the workers’ freedom of association or the right to organize and bargain collectively.” The ILO adopted its Centenary Declaration for the future of work at a time of transformative change in the world of work, driven by technological innovations, demographic shifts, environmental and climate change, and globalization, as well as at a time of persistent inequalities, which have profound impacts on the nature and Future of Work, and on the place and dignity of people in it. At the core of this project is the advancement of the Decent work Agenda and the need for adequate policy frameworks that centrally place decent, sustainable employment and workers’ rights as objective outcomes of all trade and investment agreements and programs. What is needed are national trade union organizations able to productively engage and influence the design and implementation of trade, industrial and investment policies, as well as regional integration processes in favor of workers; contributing to the progressive realization of employment and decent work as objective outcomes of industrial, trade and investment policies and programs, in line with the African Union Agenda 2063 and ILO centenary declaration, both emphasizing inclusive and sustainable socio-economic development. More specifically, the project aims to expand the trade union knowledge base and skills capacities to better participate in industrial trade and investment policy formulation, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation; with the view to ensure that trade unions can identify, analyze, and report noticeable decent work deficits both in law and practice and offer appropriate solutions for redress.Through increased awareness, trade unions in participating countries will be aware of the nature and type of industrial, trade, and investment regimes and arrangements, as well as their implications for countries' ability to create and sustain high-quality employment opportunities, particularly for young people. Furthermore, the project will assist trade unions in identifying opportunities, providing alternative policy positions for advocacy on accelerating regional integration through the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), and advocating for targeted investments in economic sectors with the greatest potential for job creation and the realization of the decent work agenda. More specifically, the project will support the efforts of trade unions in Senegal, Namibia, Rwanda,and Uganda to promote workers’ rights, fundamental principles, and rights at work and the application of International Labour Standards in national trade, industrial, and investment policies. Trade unions in the target countries will be empowered to promote the interconnections between trade, investments, and decent work through the integration of their positions in the Decent Work Country Programs and in the UN Cooperation Frameworks. The strategic intervention methods shall include national and cross-national learning exchanges: national workshops and seminars,production and dissemination of trade union policy/position papers; high-level meetings with policy makers at the regional and national level and engagements with the United Nations Cou

Project symbol

RAF/22/05/SAK

Admin unit

ACTRAV

Start date

17/02/2023

End date

31/12/2025

Total allocation

328525

Total expenditure

Status

Active

313425

Development Partners

Finland, Trade Union Solidarity Centre of Finland (SASK)

Country/Countries

Africa - regional

Outcomes

Outcome 2: Strong, representative and influential tripartite constituents and effective social dialogue