INTERNATIONAL CONFEDERATION OF FREE TRADE UNIONS (ICFTU)

ICFTU OnLine...
030/120202/JL

Spotlight on Regina Amadi-Njoku- ILO African Regional Director

Brussels 12 February, 2002 (ICFTU OnLine): Regina Amadi-Njoku has been
director of the ILO African Regional Office for a year and a half, operating
closely with ICFTU affiliates and ICFTU regional organisation (AFRO) across
the continent to improve the precarious working situation for millions of
people. James Lorenz had the opportunity to speak to her for the spotlight
interview on the occasion of her attending a meeting with the ICFTU in
Brussels.

What are the main priorities for the ILO in Africa?

The main priorities from the ILO mandate in Africa is to combat the evils of
conflict, AIDS/HIV and poverty, and to work to improve governance and
regional integration. None of these issues stand alone, they are deeply
intertwined, so if we are to successfully deal with one issue, it will by
successfully dealing with them all. AIDS is in many cases a poverty- related
disease, conflict is fed by poverty, there are links between all of these
five issues and they must be combated together. Within these issues are a
whole host of other important challenges- such as bridging the digital
divide and coping with migration- these must also be addressed, and
addressed quickly.

Personally, one of my greatest challenges is the fight for equality and
women's rights. I was once told that there are three indicators that you
have to look at when you go to a country that will give you a rough guide to
the state that it is in: cartoons for the political situation, jobs ads for
the economic and finally, the obituaries. When I travel around African
countries now, I notice that there are more and more young women in the
obituaries, and this is a very bad sign, as women are for the most part the
people who bring back the money and support the family. At the ILO, we are
striving to get women involved at higher levels in African society, but it
is a difficult task. Not least for the women themselves, who have both
productive and reproductive roles to play.

How is the ILO equipped to deal with these not inconsiderable challenges?

The ILO is one of the few international institutions which participates in
the meetings of the Organisation of African Unity. We play an important role
in the labour and social affairs at that level. We also have a placement in
the regional groupings such as Economic Community of West African States
(ECOWAS) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and 12
offices spread across Africa. From this we are able to work closely with the
governments and civil society.

What role can trade unions play in improving the lives of ordinary working
Africans?

In many cases, trade unions and the media are forced to play the role of the
effective opposition in African countries. In this way they are able to
bring the issues of the man in the street to the table of the government,
especially highlighting the need to protect the rights of workers. And this
is critical, because in Africa, when one worker may have to feed and house
up to 20 people with his salary, that worker needs a great deal of support.

Very often, the trade unions already have an important effect, one example
is their role in developing social insurance systems in Cote D'Ivoire, but
the work they carry out is significant across the continent.

The role of the trade unions will also increase with the new drives in
Africa for governance and democratisation, which at present are in an
embryonic stage. The IMF and the World Bank (under the Poverty Reduction
Strategic Papers (PRSP)) are pushing African governments to move in this
direction, and the trade unions will be important partners, especially in
assuring that any developments which ensue pay full attention to the social
dimension that can be ignored by the international financial institutions.
The workers are well placed to address these rights issues as players and
also as social partners, as well as being in partnership with the ILO in
promoting growth with equality and justice.

How can the millions working in the burgeoning informal economy in Africa be
aided?

Given that the majority of the workforce in Africa works in the informal
sector, this is one of the greatest challenges. Among many other things,
these people need organisation, which can in turn provide them with the
power to collectively bargain and to ensure that they have social
protection. The trade unions can play a role in making their work as decent
as is possible, they should be the architects of developments in the
informal economy as they are best placed to have a positive effect.

What role can the ICFTU/AFRO play in Africa?

The ICFTU has an extremely important role to play. With these changes which
I have just been talking about there is a considerable shortage of skills.
There is a need for training in lobbying and advocacy skills so the trade
unions on the ground can get their voices heard on issues such as the PRSP
programmes. Lobbying for greater social dialogue is essential. The ILO is
working with the ICFTU/AFRO at the moment to do just this, but more help is
needed, both financially and technically. Teaching new skills is key to
capacity building.

As I said, the ILO works very closely with AFRO. They run a lot of
programmes in Africa, but it is important for us that they improve the
documentation process, so that the results can be used in negotiations with
the World Bank and the IMF. Since I have been in office, there has been a
strengthening of the relationship between the ILO and AFRO, and I am sure
this will continue.

For the full spotlight interview, please go to:
http://www.icftu.org/displaydocument.asp?Language=EN&Index=991214760

The ICFTU represents 157 million workers in 225 affiliated organisations in
148 countries and territories. ICFTU is also a member of Global Unions:
http://www.global-unions.org

For more information, please contact the ICFTU Press Department on +32 2 224
0232 or +32 476 62 10 18.

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