Union to Union und SIDA besuchen BHI-Mitgliedsgewerkschaften in Kenia

Delegierte schwedischer Gewerkschaften und der SIDA, angeführt von Union to Union Generalsekretärin Maria Neyberg, waren für zwei Tage bei BHI-Mitgliedsgewerkschaften in Kenia, um mit eigenen Augen die Auswirkungen der von ihr gesponsorten Projekte auf regionaler, subregionaler und nationaler Ebene zu sehen.

In a seminar held on 25 April, the  delegation, which was also comprised of SEKO International Relations Jens Saverstam, Union to Union Program Officer Lennart Rainios, SIDA Desk Officer Yusra Imsheiel and Union to Union Kenya consultant Angela Lomosi, talked to some of the Kenyan trade unions, which are direct beneficiaries of the said projects.

A worksite visit was organised by the Kenya Building, Construction, Timber, Furniture Industries Employees’ Union at a road construction site under the China Jiangxi Transportation Engineering (JXTE), which employs over 742 workers. The project, which is funded by the Africa Development Bank, involves the construction of the Kenol-Sagana-Marua road to a Trans-Africa Highway, TAH4 (Cairo to Cape town), from Nairobi to Moyale.

The worksite visit checked if workers’ rights, international labour standards and occupational health and safety mechanisms are respected at the workplace, and if there are union-management negotiations to improve the workers’ labour conditions. 

To mark the International Workers’ Memorial Day on 28 April, the delegation took the opportunity to educate workers on the importance of recognising workplace health and safety as a fundamental worker right to ensure that jobs don’t kill workers