Activities

Cotonou Social

Since 2003, the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) Benin organises a yearly gathering of young trade union leaders in the sub-region called the Summer University "Cotonou Social".

The purpose of the Summer University is to provide a forum for sharing experiences and information, staging training sessions and organising debates between young trade union leaders who aspire to attaining strategic positions within their unions. By doing so, they are able to analyse the stakes of social and economic development, identify strategies and propose alternative solutions that are compatible with the context shaped by globalisation.

By initiating these gatherings, the FES aims at meeting the requirements of developmental trade unionism that places the trade unions at the centre of all social, political and economic reforms which have an impact on workers’ livelihoods. Considering that only adequately trained trade union leaders can appropriately discuss and propose alternative solutions to political decision makers, the said gatherings also contribute to ensuring high quality succession within trade union organisations.

Trade Union Regional Working Group

In order to support trade union confederations in developing their trade policy related expertise and actively participate in the sub-region’s development, a trade union regional working group, made up of six countries (Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria and Senegal) was formed in May 2005 with the support of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES).

Within this group, national associations develop common positions on issues concerning the region’s socio-economic development and coordinate their strategies towards meeting the challenges confronting West Africa together.

The rationale for setting up this group can be summed up into the following points:

• Influencing trade policies, right from the drafting process up to their implementation, particularly through lobbying;
• Working towards an effective regional integration;
• Striving towards the realisation of the social responsibilities of the state and the private sector;
• Developing an employment promotion and protection policy, at both the national and regional levels;
• Ensuring unity of workers’ organisations and
• Striving towards the attainment of food security at the regional level.

Since its inception, the Working Group has been able to attain the following achievements, amongst others:

• The holding of regular regional meetings on various and diversified themes related to the Economic Partnership Agreement currently under negotiation between the Economic Community of West African States and the European Union, food security and regional integration;
• Systematic development of position on international trade challenges in connection with the Economic Partnership Agreement, food security and regional integration;
• Organisation of study trips, advocacy and lobbying activities in Africa and Europe, with a view to sharing view points and information with leaders of various institutions on the stakes of globalisation and the consequences of the Economic Partnership Agreement;
• The compilation of various positions developed and approved by the Secretaries-General of trade union organisations that are members of the working group.