- The cooperation was initiated after a visit to Ethiopia, where I asked the Norwegian ambassador if he could help me to organize a meeting with the construction labour union in Ethiopia, says Lars Mamen from the local labour union Byggfag Drammen Bærum in Drammen.
- This led to a fruitful meeting where the labour union leadership showed me different construction sites and introduced me to local labour union representatives. After returning home I proposed a cooperation with the Ethiopian labour union, and our labour union Byggdag Drammen Bærum decided to sign an agreement. Then the international departement of LO wanted to extend the cooperation after a series with consultations with our Ethiopian counterparts, says Mamen.
- Byggfag Drammen Bærum and LO’s experience with this project is great. We visited Ethiopia in 2008 as a part of the project, and we made many valuble contacts. LO will continue the cooperation with the construction labour union in Ethiopia. The future plan is not agreed yet, but the support will probably continue on todays level. We are impressed by the work made by our cooperation partner in Ethiopia. It is also important that local labour organizations in Norway has a international involvement, says Mamen.
The Report – from the Ethiopian Trade Union
The overall objectives of the project has been to organize unorganized workers found in ten entreprises, to provide awareness on how to organize and to strengthen the working capacity of trade unions.
Totally 1911 workers were organized in six basic trade unions, states the trade union. This is a great achievement obtained in the process of the project based on the intended goals. 19 male and 9 women, totally 28 Basic Trade Union leaders learned more about leadership and started to lead their workers unions with new planning, organizing, coordinating and task-controlling mechanism. This improvement is reflected from the daily communication and activities of the trade unions.
19 Male and 9 females, totally 28 workers obtained knowledge and skill of how to bargain or negotiate with their respective employers. 21 Male and 9 female, totally 30 workers were made aware of Ethiopian Labour proclamation and on the core conventions of ILO. This helps workers to realize their rights and responsibilities in line with legal rights.
Activities That Contributed to obtain Achievements
Short-term training programs were organized and conducted in different areas of the country where there are high concentrations of members. Activities like lobbying and awareness work was conducted to organize unorganized workers in basic trade unions. Field observations were done with the federation executives. Continual discussion was made in between federation and basic trade unions to systematize the project implementation in good faith based on its objectives. No negative effect is observed yet while the project is implemented. Special internal or external condition, (risk factors) that affected the implementations of the plan included the following:
- Some employers were hesitating to give permission to their employees to participate in some training activities.
- Some employers do not have good faith to make collective agreement with their employees at all.
- There was time limitation to conduct some activities of the project.
- Many workers wanted to participate in awareness programs; however the financial limitation was hindered to satisfy the workers needs.
We appreciate LO Norway for its contribution in the form of technical advices and suggestions given to our federation on top of the financial Support Rendered to us.
Concrete measurement, is taken by confederation of Ethiopian Trade Unions, to strengthen working women committees in all public and private enterprises with strengthening of the civic societies activities near the work places in both the rural and urban areas regarding empowerment of women.
The federation consider that the project helps to create awareness of the gender issues and problems faced due to lack of knowledge and skills - as well as to understand the need for unionism in workplaces.
The designed project helped to promote LO-Norway’s objectives such as empowering working women and improving the capacity of trade unions in Ethiopia. Besides the implementation of the project sensitize the use of social dialogue as instrument to discuss on some industrial relation issues OHS, collective agreement, decent work, HIV/AIDS, as well as in improving work culture. In Ethiopia, Trade unions are established only with limited objectives like struggling for the right and benefits of the workers. However, trade union members, as the rest of citizens, can support on condemned any political party, individually, or as party members based on their political feelings and out looks.
The political situation of trade unions movement is not that strong due to many reasons. For instance, public enterprises, government –employed, teachers, nurses, taxi drivers and other sectors workers, are not legally allowed to join trade unions movements. These factors weakened the trade unions movements the country.