Minutes of Regional Stakeholders Conference

<= Click to Download: 01/07/2010

I. Introduction

A Regional Stakeholders Conference was held on 01st October 2014 in Arusha-Tanzania as part of the Project on Promotion of Social Dialogue in East Africa, funded by DANIDA and implemented by the East African Trade Union Confederation (EATUC) and the East African Employers Organizations (EAEO) in collaboration with the Federation of Danish Industries (DI) and the LO/FTF Council (The Danish Trade Union Council for International Development Cooperation).

The conference brought together representatives of EAC Partner State governments, namely from Ministries of labour, Ministries of home affairs (Immigration) and Ministries of EAC affairs and National Social Security Funds / Authorities along with representatives from national employers organizations affiliated to EAEO and national trade union centres affiliated to EATUC. In addition, representatives of ILO Geneva (on behalf of ACTRAV and ACTEMP) and ILO Dar es Salaam Office and of East African Law Society (EALS) participated along with representatives of ITUC-Africa, Business Africa, those of DI and LO/FTF Council and members of the media.

The Conference served to present the historical collaboration between social partners (Trade unions and employers organizations) in the EAC region and to present and disseminate the EAEO and EATUC joint position paper on removing barriers for free movement of labour to national and regional stakeholders.

It also served to present and confirm social partners willingness and readiness to engage and participate in moving the integration process and advocate for the development of a (tri-partite) framework and road map for the promotion of the social agenda (free movement of workers and people) at national and regional levels as part of the implementation of the EAC Common Market Protocol (CMP) – necessary for furthering the wider EAC integration process.

The EATUC and EAEO membership potential outreach currently stands at over 8.500 companies and business entities and 100 associations and chambers affiliated to national employers organizations and more than 2.5 million workers organized in unions affiliated to the national trade union centers across the EAC). Social Dialogue in East Africa – Minutes of Regional Stakeholders Conference Lastly, the Regional Stakeholders Conference provided a platform for political decisions makers, regional and international organizations (stakeholders) and donors to discuss how to further the integration process (social agenda).

The programme for the Regional Stakeholders Conference and list of participants are herein enclosed together with copies of presentations given as per the programme. Furthermore the EAEO/EATUC joint position paper is enclosed. The program of the day had to be readjusted and tailored according to available presenters as some representatives cancelled their participation at the last minute due to circumstances beyond their control.