By Spokesman Newsroom
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (Thursday 29th June 2023)-Workers’ Activities Specialist, ILO (International Labour Organization) Bureau for Workers’Activities (ACTRAV) in Geneva Dr. Grayson Koyi has highlighted the relevance of collective agreement processes in relation to the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals [SDGs]. “…we also realize that for trade unions to be heard and to be taken seriously when they come to the table of policy making they need to be able to generate a portfolio of evidence around the issues that they articulate and to be able to justify their space and why they are unique in terms of the mandates that they have to bring to the agenda 2030…” He expressed such sentiments while appearing on a virtual panel dubbed ‘Strengthening Collective Agreement’ hosted by the Elma Francois Institute for Research & Debate Cipriani College of Labour and Cooperative Studies in Trinidad on Wednesday 28th June 2023.
The session was held as part of a series of seminar for Labour Week 2023 under the theme ‘Commemorating The legacy of Labour’. highlighted the work that is being done by the ILO on sustainable development goals with trades unions and how such is being included in work plans and work processes. Highlighted the relevance in relation to collective bargaining
“The work that ILO does is,and that is, the ILO Bureau for Workers’ Activities on the SDGs with trade unions is informed by the conviction that achieving Agenda 2030 is humanity’s best chance for ensuring the progressive realization of workers’ rights And the future of peace and prosperity for all. The implementation of Sustainable Development Goals demands greater institutional capacity of workers’ organizations, especially in relation to mainstreaming the ILO agenda on decent work into national priorities,” he shared about the organization.
He continued: “And so our work as ILO ATRAV has largely been about communicating the messages and spreading an awareness and as to the significance of the SDGs, and as to the significance and consistency of the SDGs particularly SDG 8 with
the work that the trade unions do around collective bargaining, and that indeed they can be reinforcing each other and that the engagements of the trade unions in SDG processes. As a matter of fact…to further the people’s interest of trades Unions.” According to Dr.
Koyi, the bureau also do realize that the trades unions may be at different levels of capacity in terms of institutional capacity to appreciate and engage effectively in policy processes and dialogue processes that relates to the SDGs. “and so we’ve been working around building the institutional capacity of the trade unions in addition to the sensitization and the awareness to be able to ensure that the trade unions are at the same level of appreciation and wave length in so far as the agenda 2030 is concerned, and how that relates to the purpose for interest for which trade unions exist including collective bargaining and protecting and pursuing the interests and protecting the interests of the workers…”, he explained. He added: “but in so doing, we also realize that for trade unions to be heard and to be taken seriously when they come to the table of policy making they need to be able to generate a portfolio of evidence around the issues that they articulate and to be able to justify their space and why they are unique in terms of the mandates that they have to bring to the agenda 2030 and for instance in terms of the United
