On the sidelines of the 113th Session of the International Labour Conference (ILC) in Geneva, a high-level meeting was held today between the Somali Congress of Trade Unions (SOCOTU) delegation and the leadership of the Turkish trade union confederation HAK-İŞ.
The SOCOTU delegation, led by President Mohamed Osman Haji, along with Hamdi Osman and Mohamud Ali, held productive talks with HAK-İŞ President Mahmut ARSLAN and the Director of International Relations, Mr. Ahmed Alfaya.
The meeting focused on strengthening bilateral relations between the two trade union centers and exploring areas of cooperation in the spirit of international solidarity and mutual support. Key topics discussed included:
• Enhancing trade union capacity building and leadership training
• Knowledge exchange in organizing and defending worker rights
• Coordinated regional efforts to defend trade union independence
• Launching joint programs focused on youth and women workers
• Strengthening representation in global labour platforms
President Mohamed Haji emphasized the long-standing brotherhood between Somali and Turkish workers and expressed appreciation for HAK-İŞ’s continued support for democratic and independent trade unionism in Africa.
The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to advance the dignity of workers, defend freedom of association, and collaborate on common challenges facing unions globally.
