Celebrating the International Labour Organization’s International Day of Decent Work.-The Seychelles Federation of Workers Union’s perspective |08 October 2009

The ILO urged that every effort should be made to establish a Decent Work Agenda and to implement a strategy that aims to offer women and men the opportunity to work in freedom, equity, security and human dignity.
 
The approach advocated by the ILO has also been adopted by other UN organisations. The promotion of decent and productive work is one way of helping to alleviate poverty and reduce inequality. The Decent Work Agenda is part of the first Millennium Development Goal (MDG 1) of halving extreme poverty by 2015.
 
The International Trade Union Confederation ITUC and all other the Global Unions encourage their member organizations to celebrate World Day for Decent Work (WDDW). The Seychelles Federation of Workers Union(SFWU) has always been a firm advocate of the Decent Work Agenda and was amongst the first national organizations to celebrate this important international day in its first launch in Seychelles in 2007. 

In 2008 the ILO adopted a landmark declaration which emphasized yet again that decent work and sustainable enterprise are prerequisites for social justice and a fair globalization in the Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization. In appreciation to this appeal the Seychelles Federation of Workers Union organized a second national workshop with union workplace representatives on the different aspects of Decent work. 

What is Decent Work?

In short the idea behind Decent Work is:

• An income which allows the working individual a good life

• At work everybody has an equal chance to develop themselves, and discrimination does not occur

• There are proper and safe circumstances

• Trade unions are allowed, a real say in work related matters is in place

• The state maintains a social safety net for the sick, weak, elderly and for expecting women

What does Decent Work involve precisely?

Work is only considered to be 'decent' work if it meets four conditions:

1.Employment
Firstly there has to be employment. The Decent Work Agenda urges governments to implement a policy that promotes sustainable and productive employment. Policy makers must also seek to ensure that everyone has equal access to work.

2.Social protection
Work must be safe and it must provide security. Working conditions must meet health and safety regulations and the work must provide an income that a person can live on. The work must be dignified and it must offer prospects for personal development. It must also be linked to some form of social security that provides protection if the employee is unable to work.

3.Fundamental rights
Decent work respects a person's fundamental rights at work, which include the right to set up trade unions and employers' organisations and the right to collective bargaining. There should be no child labour, no forced labour and no discrimination. These rights, which were established in 1998 and set out in the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, are regarded as human rights and employees' rights. They are universal and apply at all times in all situations.

4.Social dialogue
Employees and employers must both be involved in planning a sound approach that assures Decent Work. Consultation and the freedom to express one's concerns contribute to decent work at all levels.
 
These four conditions for Decent Work are set out in ILO conventions. These are international laws that define and uphold the rights of employees and employers. The Seychelles has signed 31 of these conventions and the challenges remain in the complete domestication of these conventions.

The role of the SFWU in the  Decent Work agenda.

The Seychelles Federation of Workers Union is formed by two member unions being The Seychelles Transport and General Workers Union (STGWU) and The Teachers Medical And Other Public Service Employees Unions(TMPU) formed under the aegis of the Industrial Relations Act 1993. The biggest challenge hampering the role of the present union in effectively engage in the social dialogue strategic agenda of decent work is caused by the unwillingness of certain employers to sign recognition agreements with the union as stipulated in the Industrial Relations Act 1993. Barred from recruiting members, the SFWU is deprived of members and funding to set up negotiation and internal legal structures to represent aggrieved workers in mediation and arbitration practices.

After years of uncooperative attitude and delay tactics from employers, the SFWU will now be taking these employers to court as sole remedy to formalize working relationship with organizations where it has the legally required membership for recognition and check off agreement with these employers. This is the only way that the workers of Seychelles will benefit from the full privileges and securities of the ILO Decent work agenda.

The Seychelles Federation of Workers Union looks forward to the finalization of the Decent Work Country Programme which identifies common priorities for tripartite action by the Three ILO constituents in Seychelles being The Government, The Employees and The Employers as a springboard to address many other challenges of the Labour Market.