Challenges affecting regional labour mobility and employment will, in the near future, be easily addressed following the extensive deliberations between the East African Community (EAC) and the East African Trade Union Confederation (EATUC) on strengthening the labour, employment and migration agenda, held Friday, November 19, at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
Participants at the meeting committed to operationalize a regional technical working group that will always, and promptly, address pertinent challenges whenever they crop up.
According to the EAC Secretariat, the two organizations committed to operationalise a Technical Working group, that will address matters and challenges affecting labour mobility in the region and implementation of the Joint Programme for the exchange of young workers among EAC partner states.
MP Pierre-Celestin Rwigema, a Rwandan member of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) on Monday, November 22, told The New Times that the establishment of the technical working group will be a good initiative.
Rwigema said: "It can be the first step in resolving a problem. I appreciate it if there is a technical working group to handle these things.
"If the Council of Ministers was really, strongly dynamically committed, everything can move on well because it is the them (Council) who implementation things. For us, as lawmakers, we (pass laws) and do oversight activities.”
A Memorandum of Understanding guiding the process – which will this week be presented to the EAC Council of Ministers for consideration – was endorsed by the fifth forum of EAC Ministers responsible for labour and employment during their meeting in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on October 29.
During last week’s meeting, EAC Secretary General, Peter Mathuki, urged the EATUC to proactively drive the finalization and implementation of the draft EAC Labour Migration Policy.
"Once finalised, the policy will guide national laws, policies, and regulations on labour migration within and outside the region,” Mathuki said.
Mathuki noted that a meeting of Directors in charge of labour will be held in February 2022 to scrutinise the draft policy in readiness for adoption by the EAC Council of Ministers.
Fast-tracking Mutual Recognition Agreements for professionals to move freely
Mathuki also urged the EATUC to also contribute to fast-tracking the finalization and operationalization of the Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRA) for professionals to move freely within the region.
David Singano, the East African Law Society CEO, on November 10 told The New Times that the regional bar is consulting and working closely with sister bar associations at the national level to have Partner States recognize qualifications in legal practice from other countries as guaranteed under the Common Market Protocol.
The stalled MRA for lawyers, he said, is being reviewed in readiness for signature and once it’s signed it will provide a framework for recognition of qualifications from other countries. Singano said that there are also discussions towards resuscitating the Cross Border Legal Practice Bill at the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA).
The EALS and national Bar Associations have, since 2012, been at the forefront of steering the process of negotiations to present a framework governing cross-border legal practice within the Community under the Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA).
The agreement which aims at enabling cross-border legal practice in the region up to now remains unsigned by Attorneys General of the bloc.
EATUC chairperson, Peter Werikhe, called on the EAC to establish a Sectoral Council of Ministers responsible for labour and miigration and increase the frequency of meetings to address critical issues on labour, employment and migration.
"We also call on EAC to involve all relevant stakeholders, on EAC recovery plans and strategies post-Covid-19, to ensure that the decent work agenda is enshrined,” Werikhe noted.
The Central Organization of Trade Unions, Kenya (COTU-K), Secretary-General, Dr. Francis Atwoli, among others, called for the establishment of a desk at the EAC Secretariat, that will address regional labour issues at the Secretariat, an idea that was welcomed by Mathuki.