Center for Human Rights (CHR) of Addis Ababa University (AAU) organized a two days National Policy Dialogue Forum with a theme “Taking the Decent Work Agenda Seriously in Ethiopia: Issues for Policy Intervention,” at Sarem Hotel on the first week of April 2021.

The forum aimed to open dialogue among relevant stakeholders: academics, practitioners and key institutional actors on the decent work agendas and suggest relevant policy options to protect labor rights and build a comfortable working environment.

The practical challenges to the enforcement of labor rights, national and international legal frameworks, work policies and declarations in the labor markets of Ethiopia were among the discussion points on the Forum.

Fasil Mulatu (PhD), Head for Center for Human Rights of AAU, addressed that the Center does different problem solving researches, facilitates significant trainings and dialogue forums since its establishment; it also provides valuable policy recommendations to concerned organizations by facilitating such vital forums on different serious agendas.

“Today’s discussion forum aims to promote the policy gaps and problems which hinders from creating comfortable work environment. Regarding to this, CHR carried out action research on ‘Rights Protection in the labor Markets of Ethiopia’,” Dr. Fasil said.

According to the information from the Forum, the research which was carried out under STRACE-CHR Project covered six selected towns and cities: Addis Ababa, Adama, Hawassa, Ambo, Semera and Gambella to assess the practical challenges in the protection of labor rights.

The findings of the research indicate that labor rights are not seriously taken; employees are denied their leaves and fired at will; labor associations are discouraged or in some cases made unviable and employment insecurity is quite common in general.

In the Forum held for two days, scholars and researchers presented their assessments and research findings on decent work issues, and then, warm discussions and recommendations followed the presentation to insight further relevant solutions.

By: Tsion Aysheshim

Photo: Andualem Aseffa

Editor: Abraham Girmay