The Ministers of Labour and Employment in the ECOWAS region, at a meeting in Abuja, have adopted key policy documents on the future of work and decent job for all in the West African region.
The two documents – Directive on Minimum Standards Towards Harmonization of Labour Laws in the ECOWAS region and the ECOWAS Regional Programme for Decent Work (DWRP)- were extensively deliberated, revised, validated and adopted during the two-day meeting. a Social Dialogue Forum.
The theme of the meeting, which was: “Strengthening Social Dialogue for the Promotion of Decent Work in the ECOWAS Region,” was to promote decent work for the citizens of ECOWAS.
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According to the President of ECOWAS Commission, Jean-Claude Kassi Brou, the two documents will be key frameworks that ECOWAS and member states can apply to achieve the ILO Centenary Declaration for the future of works, adopted by the International Labour Conference at its 108th Session held in June in Geneva.
Specifically, the policy documents will address the challenges to shape a fair, inclusive and secure future of work with full, productive and freely chosen employment and decent work for all.
Besides, the president of ECOWAS Commission, whose speech was delivered by the Commissioner for Social Affairs and Gender, ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Sigma Fatima Jagne; will foster the achievement of the goal of human-centered approach to the future of works; which put worker’s rights and the need, aspirations and rights of all people at the heart of economic, social and environmental policies.
He urged the ministers to adopt the documents and all the recommendations therein, “to enable the ECOWAS Commission to put in place, regional mechanisms that facilitate and enhance the social integration of our citizens in our community space and create conditions for a job decent and regulated at member state level without xenophobia and other forms of discrimination.”
He pointed out that the presence of the labour ministers at the Abuja meeting was a strong demonstration of their commitment to resolving the critical issues on Labour and Employment in the region.
The President of ECOWAS Commission commended the Nigerian Government and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Mr. Williams Alo, for hosting a good meeting and a warm welcome; while also commending the International Labour Organization (ILO) for the mutual collaboration being enjoyed in their work on labour and employment in the ECOWAS region.
Meanwhile Nigeria has called on Member States of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to employ commitment and political will in the implementation of labour policies and programmes in the sub-region.
In his address the Permanent Secretary, Mr. William Alo, emphasized that the sub-region needed renewed commitment and passion to drive the tenets of Decent Work and other labour policies.
He said: “We cannot continue to be paying lip service to issues of labour administration in the sub-region. The time has come for us to make a radical departure from the past if we are to bequeath onto future generation an ECOWAS sub-region that prides itself in the attainment of the tenets of decent work.”
The Permanent Secretary pledged the continued support of Nigeria to the ECOWAS Commission in its determination in addressing knotty employment and labour issues in the sub-region.
Also speaking, the Director, ILO Country Office and Liaison Office for ECOWAS, Mr. Dennis Zulu, advised the ministers and the partners to use the opportunity provided by the meeting to ensure that the ECOWAS Social Dialogue Forum, realizes its potential and be an effective, efficient and durable mechanics enhancing the quality of work and results in the labour and employment sector in the ECOWAS region.
Mr. Zulu assured that as tripartite organization, social dialogue will always be ready to provide technical support for the work.
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