The Organisation of Trade Unions of West Africa (OTUWA) has urged the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to strengthen the voice of workers’ representatives in countries under military rule.
Speaking when she paid a courtesy visit to the Director-General of the ILO, Gilbert Houngbo, in Geneva, Switzerland, the Acting President of OTUWA, Sophie Kourouma said workers’ organisations and their leaders have continued to be singled out for arbitrary maltreatment and abuse.
She particularly mentioned Liberia and The Gambia where obstacles are placed in the way of public sector unionisation and the consolidation of trade unionism.
In the case of Liberia, OTUWA noted the report of the ILO Direct Contact Mission (DCM) to Monrovia on the 14th and 15th of May 2025 and the commitment to assist the Liberian government through the Ministry of Labour by providing the ILO’s expert support to help lawmakers amend two laws – the Decent Work Act of 2015 (DWA) and the Civil Servants Standing Orders (CSSO) – to ensure that all workers in both the public and private sectors can unionise without hindrance.
She added that while ITUC-Africa and OATUU have visited Liberia and met with relevant stakeholders to persuade the government to allow unions in the public sector, it is essential for the ILO to urge the Liberian authorities to end their interference, harassment, and intimidation of trade union leaders in both the public and private sectors.
Concerning The Gambia, OTUWA stated that the havoc wrought by Yahya Jammeh’sregime significantly weakened trade union cohesion in the country.
She explained that in collaboration with the ITUC, ITUC-Africa, and other stakeholders, OTUWA has worked to strengthen a unified trade union structure in the country over the years.
Kourouma submitted that Houngbo’s direct intervention with the state authorities in The Gambia will allow for the formation of an inclusive Labour Centre which will ensure that workers in the public service as well as the private sector are given free access to belong.
“We believe that conditions in The Gambia are now more favourable, as the current minister overseeing the labour portfolio, Honourable Baboucarr Ousmalla Joof – who combines Trade, Industry, Regional Integration, and Employment – was appointed from the ranks of the largest trade union in The Gambia, the Gambia Teachers Union,” she disclosed.
Kourouma observed that over the past decade or more, the West Africa sub-region has been seriously affected by the heinous activities of insurgency groups such as Boko Haram, rural banditry and terrorist cells operating as religious fundamentalist groups in the Sahel area of West Africa.
According to her, workers in rural and semi-urban centres in the countries affected by this menace have borne the brunt of their brutal activities.
The OTUWA Acting President emphasised that while the ILO Recommendation 205 of 2017 provides useful guidelines on how trade unions and other stakeholders can handle situations of this nature in a resilient manner, ongoing support for training and capacity development is essential.
Kourouma, who reiterated the importance of ILO in fostering global peace and cohesion, added: “As organised labour, we are not unmindful of the unfolding developments at the global level and their effect on the funding of international organisations. However, it is our hope and belief that the member states of the ILO will not allow the funding of this key UN body – with its unique tripartite composition – to suffer the fate of sister bodies and agencies. The work the ILO does in providing critical information, research, and support for capacity development across the globe, as well as setting standards for the world of work, is too important to be undermined.”
On his part, the ILO chief, Gilbert Houngbo, who lauded OTUWA’s leadership for the visit, said the issues raised by the delegation were genuine and that the global labour watch body will take action on issues that are within his office while he will engage relevant governments on those that are country-specific.
