By Jacinta W. Odongo, Media Officer, Uganda Episcopal Conference
In an effort to promote decent work for workers in the region, labour experts from 11 African countries converged in Uganda last month from March 26-27 for a regional conference to deliberate on the current status of workers in the region.
The two-day conference, which was held at Kampala Kolping Hotel, was aimed at helping the experts identify some critical issues for the development of South-South regional cooperation including poor working conditions, in relation to the International Labour Organization (ILO) principles and standards, as well as the Sustainable Development Goals and the challenges related to the African continent.
The meeting was organized by the Joint Action Committee on Decent Work in Uganda (JACODeWU) in partnership with the German Commission for Justice and Peace and the ILO, under the theme; Developing a South-South Regional Cooperation for Joint Efforts to Transform Working Conditions.
The Chairperson of JACODeWU, Dr Kiiza Aliba, who is also the Executive Secretary of the Justice and Peace Department of the Uganda Episcopal Conference (UEC), said that people, including workers, their families and communities should be placed at the centers of sustainable development policies.
“We are mindful of the commitment taken in Rome during the Global Seminar organized by the Pontifical council for Justice and Peace, together with the Catholic inspired organizations working group on decent work,” Aliba said adding, “We envision that our profound discussions and reflections, held during this conference have opened the path for further reflection, dialogue and cooperation between our organizations as well as other faith based and social organizations for the promotion of decent work for all especially at the regional level, within a South-South framework.”
The Secretary General of UEC, Msgr. John Baptist Kauta said, some Ugandans are working under dehumanizing conditions especially those in the informal sector, thus such problems may limit work output.
Meanwhile, Africa as a Continent and East Africa as a region are faced with challenges in the world of work including unemployment and underemployment, inadequate education system, poverty, labour export, migrants and refugee’s crises.
According to a new World Employment and Social Outlook – Trends 2017, the global unemployment rate is expected to rise modestly from 5.7 to 5.8 per cent in 2017 representing an increase of 3.4 million in the number of jobless people, a new ILO report shows.
The number of unemployed persons globally in 2017 is forecast to stand at just over 201 million with an additional rise of 2.7 million expected in 2018 – as the pace of labour force growth outstrips job creation. At the same time, it warns that global uncertainty and the lack of decent jobs are, among other factors, underpinning social unrest and migration in many parts of the world.
The two-day workshop brought together over 80 representatives from ILO, faith based organizations, civil society organizations, trade unions and employers’ associations and other key bodies from the region. Some of the countries represented include Burundi, Ethiopia, Gabon, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Zambia and hosts Uganda.
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