KHARTOUM DECLARATION TRADE UNION FEDRATION OF EASTERN AFRICA “TUFEA” HIGH LEVEL MEETING Khartoum, Sudan January 9 – 11, 20012 “ THE FUTURE IS IN THE HANDS OF AFRICAN TRADE UNIONS”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) January 11, 2012 -- TUFEA, in close coordination with the SWTUF, organized a high-level meeting on the future of African trade union movement challenges and opportunities. The meeting took place in Khartoum, Sudan from January 9-11, 2012, with over 50 participants, 35 delegations from the East African trade union federation plus ETUF of Egypt as an observer, also with attendance of OATUU and WFTU representatives.

Taking into account the valuable contributions of the first vice president of Sudan his Excellency Mr. Ali Osman Mohammed Taha, the Minster of Labour honorable Mr Farh Mustafa and Dr. Al-Tijani Al-Sisi The Transitional Darfur Regional Authority (TDRA) Chairman, the participants have come up with the following Resolutions and Recommendations as follows ..
1. The Participants support the good and co- operation relationship between Sudan and Southern Sudan state in order to spread peace and stability in all the region.
2. The participants commend the Doha Peace Agreement aimed at restoring Peace in Darfur region.
3. Encourage the constructive international involvement in the Darfur peace process while condemns the unnecessary foreign interference ..

4. Recognizing the vested foreign forces in Africa, We call upon the African workers to unite and jealously defend their interest for the battement of the African people
5. We call upon all states of the region to establish a more close social and economic cooperation among its people and various institutions in order to promote regional and sub regional strategy for promoting intra-regional trade and accelerating development and structural transformation.
6. Recognizing the need of human resources development and motivation . the trade unions call upon the governments to put in place proper mechanism and strategy for human resources development.

7. Taking into account the importance of social security protection systems in stimulating and accelerating the output of more production the trade unions call for and adequate economic and social protection during unemployment, ill health, maternity, child rearing, widowhood, disability and old age.”
8. To call upon the trade unions to play an important role assisting in reducing the causes of conflicts, in the conflicts resolution activities reconciling and rehabilitating in post-conflict countries;
9. We support and appreciate the stand taken by the Kenyan trade unions rejecting the decision taken be the Kenyan courts implementing the arrest warrant endorsing the so called resolution of ICC against the president of Sudan Omer Hassan Albashir as opposed to Rome Statute on serving heads of States .

Recommendations :

a) To strengthen the trade unions organization in their respective countries with attention of being self sustainable .
b) An urgent need to take a variety of global and concerted actions to contain the AIDS pandemic makes the ILO initiatives aimed at combating HIV/AIDS crucially important. However, any such action must include access to anti-AIDS treatments.
c) To be aware and Strengthen our understanding of the links between the environment, labour and poverty. Decent Work should be taken to embrace environmental sustainability, as essential to sustainable livelihood.

d) Making fundamental rights of workers and their unions a central feature of sustainable development strategies, e.g. for freedom of association, collective bargaining and the right to occupation safety and health at work place.
e) Guaranteeing the participation of trade unions and other like minded civil society groups in decision-making in political . economical and social issues polices. And Promote tripartite dialogue, collective bargaining and implantation of decent work agenda

f) Trade unions should pressurise the governments to assume their roles in properly regulating companies and world markets, especially as it relates to human rights principles eg. the provision for goods and services, sanitation, health, water, energy, housing, education, public transportation and social security, i.e. as indispensable elements for overcoming poverty.
g) OATUU and the entire African Trade Union movement should play an important role in supporting and enhancing public freedom.
h) African trade union movement should work closely with AU to support human and peoples right in the continent.
i) Trade unions call for Strengthening and coordination a proper utilization of training centers in the region for the purpose of attaining high quality trade unions leadership.

j) TUFEA members urging to mobilize the resources for the implementation of common trading progarmmes including gender programmes. Social security schemes. Ect.
k) TUFEA members have enthusiastically support the idea of creating the general African workers banks and it gives the responsibility of the follow up of its realization to SWTUF.
l) TUFEA to look for all possible means of engaging the relevant government through the ministries of labour for the purpose of implanting resolutions and recommendations of this high level meeting.
Adopted by all participants:
1. Kenya
2. Djibouti
3. Burundi,
4. Uganda
5. Rwanda
6. Tanzania,
7. Eretria
8. Ethiopia
9. Sudan
10. Somalia

11. Zanzibar
12. Mauritius
13. Seychelles
14. Egypt (Observer)
15. OATUU ( observer)
16. WFTU ( guest )

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