Strengthening industrial relations in Morocco - Phase I

This USDOL-funded project was launched in March 2002, with a scheduled end date of 2004. Its objectives were directed towards improving industrial relations in Morocco in target sectors (construction, tourism and agro-industry). More specifically, the project was expected to: (a) improve labour administration practices; (b) strengthen the social dialogue and bargaining skills of the social partners; and (c) ensure that the social partners were informed of the (then) new Labour Law. The contract of the CTA of the project was terminated within 3 months of the commencement of the project. At the Government’s request, a revised project needs assessment was conducted and a new CTA was hired in June 2003. In parallel, a second USDOL labour project was established (see MOR/03/02/USA) late in 2003 to strengthen labour capacity. It had a series of objectives which were practically identical to those of the first USDOL-funded project. [These objectives were to: (a) increase knowledge among employers and workers of national labour law and means of accessing Ministry of Labour services to enforce rights under those laws; (b) strengthen Labour Ministry inspection systems to enforce effectively national labour laws; (c) create or strengthen existing dispute-resolution mechanisms within the Ministry; and (d) field test for possible replication a model to retrain workers impacted by economic restructuring as a result of the US-Moroccan Free Trade Agreement]. It was understood that to facilitate management and coordination, the two projects would be integrated. However, as a result of continuing opposition to the project strategy within the Moroccan Labour Department and resultant delays in project implementation, the second CTA resigned in April 2004. A third CTA began work in September 2004. Consultations with the Project Advisory Committee led, in early 2005, to agreement on an integrated strategy combining the management and operations of both projects, but retaining separate financial reporting. From July 2003 – April 2004, project MOR/01/50/USA undertook 12 activities primarily consisting of seminars to increase knowledge and understanding of the Labour Code and specific issues (e.g. collective bargaining; the right to strike; etc.) and training (e.g. training of trainers; facilitating meetings; conflict resolution; and construction site safety and security). For later developments in the integrated project, see entry for MOR/03/02/USA.

Project symbol

MOR/01/50/USA

Admin unit

DIALOGUE

Start date

01/08/2001

End date

31/12/2007

Total allocation

1487603

Total expenditure

Status

Closed

1487603

Development Partners

USA, United States Department of Labor, Bureau for International Labor Affairs, Office of Child Labor, Forced Labor and Human Trafficking

Country/Countries

Morocco

Outcomes

Improve capacity of tripartite constituents to implement labour policies/programmes, including through coordination at regional and subregional levels