Unionists from Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon and Jordan from the Middle East, from Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco from North Africa and from Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana reiterated the importance of union solidarity and collaboration to uphold workers’ rights, to fight against xenophobia, hate crimes, racism and other attacks against migrants and to ensure fair recruitment practices for migrant workers, highlighting the particularly dire situation faced by women migrant workers, in particular domestic workers, and migrants in an irregular situation.
They affirmed the urgency to contribute to the reversing of conditions, which push people to migrate out of necessity rather than choice, and expose them to violations of their human and labour rights. Alongside decent work gaps in origin countries, inequalities, and poverty, they highlighted the role of climate change and conflict as such push factors and reiterated the importance of tripartite social dialogue to overcome these challenges.
The meeting was concluded with the identification of joint action points in the following areas:
- Advocating 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
- Organising migrant workers into unions both in countries of origin and destination
- Provision of services to migrant workers, such as through Migrant Resource Centers
- 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 2023 as well as the Abu Dhabi Dialogue.
- Continuing to work on fair recruitment practices through closer collaboration between unions in origin and destination countries, through expanding and utilizing Migrant Recruitment Advisor platform, monitoring implementation of Bilateral Labour Migration Agreements and production of advocacy and awareness raising materials.
- Continue advocating for Just Transition to address the effects of climate change on workers and communities including through a study on the effects of climate change on jobs and migration patterns in Africa and the Middle East
Background
The ITUC-Africa and ATUC have been working together on a rights-based migration governance through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) they have signed in 2018 along with other regional union organisations. The MOU was renewed in June 2023, with the joining of ITUC, in the office and presence of the Director General of the International Labour Organisation, Mr Gibert Houngbo.
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