Windhoek: Secretary General of the African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa), Akhator Odigie, has urged the Namibian government to advocate for the inclusion of international labour standards in trade protocols. Speaking at a press conference in Windhoek, Odigie highlighted Namibia’s pivotal role in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which promotes economic growth, trade expansion, and industrialisation, aligning with the principles of respectable work.
According to Namibia Press Agency, Odigie emphasized the importance of incorporating labour rights into AfCFTA protocols to ensure that vulnerable groups are the first to benefit from trade and economic collaboration. He stated that workers are central to economic production, and labour rights must be integral to all AfCFTA protocols to prioritize and include women, youth, and informal workers in the benefits of increased trade and economic cooperation.
Odigie encouraged the Namibian government
to push for the inclusion of international labour principles in all relevant protocols. He highlighted specific protocols such as trade in services, settlement of disputes, investment, intellectual property rights, competition, digital trade, and women and youth in trade.
At the same event, Mahongora Kavihuha, president of the Trade Union Congress of Namibia (TUCNA), stressed the importance of including agreements that protect and advance workers’ rights in all trade arrangements. Kavihuha stated, “We are also advocating that every trade agreement should contain the labour provisions.”