Four-year project to unlock trade unions’ potential launched
A four-year decent-work-in-trade project was recently launched by the Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment Creation.
The International Labour Organization’s four-year project targets Namibia, Rwanda, Senegal, and Uganda and will be executed in direct partnerships with the national trade unions.
The project aims to among others; enhance trade union organizational effectiveness and impact in the promotion of decent work in trade, industrial and investment policy formulation, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation, the statement said.
“It will also unlock trade unions’ potential of active participation by timely and effectively responding to employment and decent work challenges and opportunities, both in law and practice, which are being presented by the current and future trade and investment agreements and industrial programs and policies at the national level,” the statement from the ministry said.
Labour Minister, Utoni Nujoma said the launch timing is impeccable as the country is faced with turmoil, namely; economic, social, and political.
He further emphasized the consideration of decent work pillars being standard and rights at work, employment creation, social protection, and social dialogue as critical guides in trade and investment aspirations.
“Trade unions in Namibia have always played a crucial role in national development and we wish to see their role and that of the employers even more amplified, venturing into new areas of engagements such as trade and investments for decent work creation,” he concluded.
