Ethiopia garment unions agree for collective action

Textile workers in Ethiopia demand improvements in their labor conditions. This week, the main leaders of the 125 unions that form the Industrial Federation of Textile Leather and Garments Workers Unions (Iftlgwu), allied with IndustriAll, have met in Addis Ababa.

The goal of the meeting was to work together so they could achieve better wages and working conditions. The organizations committed to work together toward a common set of demands for collective bargaining.

In this way, organizations will stop negotiating individually with employers. “We need to strengthen unions in Ethiopia, a weak union does not have the power to confront employers, but strong unions can achieve far more,” stated Mesfin Adenew, president of Iftlgwu.