Trade unions in Africa and Arab plan to devise ways in which they can contribute to the achievement of rights-based migration governance that protects and fulfills migrant workers’ rights, as well as contribute to sustainable development goals in both origin and destination countries.
The parley which took place early this month was hosted by the General Union of Algerian Workers (UGTA) and supported by the African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), Arab Trade Union Confederation (ATUC) and Just Transition Centre, unionists from Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon and Jordan from the Middle East, Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco from North Africa and Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana.
The participants reiterated the importance of union solidarity and collaboration to uphold workers’ rights, fight against xenophobia, hate crimes, racism and other attacks against migrants and ensure fair recruitment practices for migrant workers.
The meeting highlighted the dire situation faced by women migrant workers, in particular, domestic workers and migrants in an irregular situation.
They affirmed the urgency to contribute to reversing conditions that push people to migrate rather than choice that expose them to human and labour rights violations.
Alongside decent work gaps in the origin countries, inequalities and poverty, they highlighted the role of climate change and conflict as push factors. The participants equally reiterated the importance of tripartite social dialogue to overcome these challenges.
The meeting identified embarking on effective advocacy to overcome adverse drivers of migration, including advocacy for deepening and expanding democratic spaces and for universal social protection as well as advocacy to end conflicts.
The meeting also stressed the need to organise migrant workers into unions both in countries of origin and destination. Also, the provision of services to migrant workers, such as through Migrant Resource Centres and actively participating in migration governance processes concerning their regions to ensure social dialogue in all policy discussions and decisions, such as the Arab States.
Africa Labour Migration Conference, expected to be held later in the year and the Abu Dhabi Dialogue. Continuing to work on fair recruitment practices through closer collaboration between unions in origin and destination countries, through expanding and utilising migrant recruitment advisor platform, monitoring the implementation of bilateral labour migration agreements and production of advocacy and awareness-raising materials were also stressed.
The continental labour bodies also advocated for just transition to address the effects of climate change on workers and communities, through a study on the effects of climate change on jobs and migration patterns in Africa and Middle East.
Indeed, the ITUC-Africa and ATUC have been working together on rights-based migration governance through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) they signed in 2018, along with other regional union organisations. The MOU was renewed last month, with the joining of ITUC in the presence of the Director General of the International Labour Organisation, Gilbert Houngbo.
