In 2023, our labor movement celebrated significant victories, and we’re gearing up to achieve even more in 2024. Here’s our resolution outlining the goals we’ll be actively pursuing in the upcoming days, weeks, and months.
SOCOTU SOCIETAL PRIORITIES
a) Constitutional Commission
In preparation for the ratification of the Somali Constitution, which is now in its provisional form, the SOCOTU seeks to hold a Constitutional Conference in 2024 with members of the Constitutional Commission aimed at including stronger worker rights and social justice language in the Constitution which is to be put before the public to be voted on in a referendum. In particular, the SOCOTU will seek to strengthen language related to freedom of association, trade union rights, social justice, and economic opportunity for Somali citizens.
b) Legislation
As the Somali Federal Parliament proceeds with debating key economic legislation, the SOCOTU will prepare position papers in consultation with trade union affiliates from sectors affected by the proposed legislation aimed at promoting and protecting worker interests.
The SOCOTU will continue to lobby members of parliament to incorporate worker friendly language in all economic legislation and will educate workers and members of the public on the implications of proposed legislation. The SOCOTU will begin to post all relevant draft parliamentary bills online on our website and will comment on legislation through public media as appropriate. The legislative priority for the SOCOTU will be the adoption of a private sector labour law which currently does not exist in Somalia. The SOCOTU currently has a good working relationship with the Social Affairs Committee in the Federal Parliament. Key to this effort will be support from development partners.
c) Promotion of Worker Rights & Democracy in a Federal System
The SOCOTU will continue to promote worker rights in a Federal System through increased engagement with workers in Federal States of Somalia as they continue to form. This will include the strength of SOCOTU branches in all Federal States and the education of workers on rights guaranteed in adopted legislation and the Provisional Constitution. The SOCOTU newsletter will be an important tool in this effort. The SOCOTU national structure will continue to evolve such that it is compatible with the evolving Federal structure of the country allow for advocacy and organizing of workers on the State and national level.
d) Increasing Engagement with Trade Union Partners.
The SOCOTU will continue to pursue broader engagement with International Development Partners and Trade Union Organizations in order to increase the capacity of Somali workers to understand and promote worker and trade union rights. Key to this effort will be the inclusion of the SOCOTU in the International Labour Organizations (ILO) Decent Worker Country Program (DWCP). The DWCP is an important ILO programme which seeks to develop social partners in a country (Government, Employer’s Associations & Trade Unions) to engage in social dialogue aimed at promoting economic development and establishing a functioning and legitimate industrial relations mechanism. Somali workers represented by the SOCOTU are currently not included in this framework effectively excluding Somali trade unions from capacity building programs supported by the ILO.
The SOCOTU will continue to pursue members in relevant international trade union bodies including the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), the Organization of African Trade Union Unity (OATUU), the East African Trade Union Confederation (EATUC), The Trade Union Federation of Eastern Africa (TUFEA) as well as other trade union bodies in Africa, Europe, Asia, America, Australia, and the Arab World as appropriate.
e) Promotion and Protection of The Rights of Women Workers
The SOCOTU will seek support to establish a Women’s desk for the purposes of receiving worker rights and sexual harassment complaints by women workers and addressing those complaints directly with employers and through Government enforcement authorities when necessary. The status of women workers in Somalia is dismal and the SOCOTU will seek to support women workers who currently have no means of filing complaints to protect themselves from sexual harassment and unequal compensation and other discriminatory practices women face in the workplace.
