Niger/Senegal: Child labour, discrimination and union rights

INTERNATIONAL CONFEDERATION OF FREE TRADE UNIONS (ICFTU)

ICFTU Online...
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New ICFTU Report on labour standards:

Niger and Senegal: Child labour, discrimination and union rights

Brussels, September 24, 2003 (ICFTU online): In a new report on Niger
and Senegal, produced to coincide with the 22-24 September WTO review of
those countries' trade policies, the ICFTU details continued violations
of core International Labour Organisation conventions that the two
countries have ratified. The ICFTU calls on the authorities to comply
fully with core labour standards and to ensure that more than just a
handful of people enjoy these basic rights.

The report criticises Senegal's Labour Code, and the broad powers the
Ministry has to dissolve trade unions. This follows attacks by the
authorities on trade union organisations, leading to the destabilisation
of the largest trade union center.

The report also notes that there are a number of restrictions on the
right to strike in both countries, including the government powers to
force striking workers to provide certain services.

Workers in the informal economy and agriculture, the large majority of
the workforce in both Senegal and Niger, have no protection of their
labour rights. In Niger, up to 95% of the working population is involved
informal or unprotected work.

The report documents pervasive discrimination against women in both
countries. Women in rural areas in particular have less access to
education than men, partly as a result of long-standing practices and
existing high illiteracy rates. A result of this discrimination is that
many women are deprived of access to decent employment.

The situation concerning child labour is alarming. The vast majority of
children in Niger (70 percent) work, whereas around 40 percent of
Senegalese children work. Most are active in subsistence agriculture and
urban informal activities. In Niger child labour in mining occurs under
extremely hazardous conditions.

Forced labour is prohibited by law but occurs in practice. Examples
include trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation and for domestic
work, and forced begging.

The report calls for a series of measures to be taken by the governments
to comply with internationally-recognised core labour standards. These
include measures to respect freedom of association and the right to
strike. Determined action is needed to end discrimination, whether on
ethnic, gender or other grounds. Both governments must work with the
ILO to address effectively the problem of child labour. The governments
must also ensure, with assistance from the ILO, that their Labour Codes
apply to all working people, and not only those in the formal economy.

For the full report, please go to:
http://www.icftu.org/displaydocument.asp?Index=991217394&Language=EN

* Editorial note: This report evaluating Niger's and Senegal's adherence
to internationally-recognised core labour standards is part of a series
produced by the ICFTU since the Ministerial Declaration adopted at the
first Ministerial Conference of the WTO (Singapore, December 1996) and
re-affirmed on November 14, 2001 in Doha, by which all WTO members
stated their commitment to respect core labour standards. It is
submitted to the WTO trade policy review board.

The ICFTU represents 158 million workers in 231 affiliated organisations
in 150 countries and territories. The ICFTU is also a member of Global
Unions: http://www.global-unions.org

For more information, please contact the ICFTU Press Department on +32 2
224 0210.