UNI affiliates sign two new agreements with Ericsson in West Africa

UNI Global Union affiliates in Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal have concluded two new agreements at Swedish telecoms giant Ericsson. The Ericsson Trade Union network, which is supported by Swedish donor Union to Union, has been an important factor in the successful negotiations in West Africa.

“These new agreements improve the living and working conditions for employees at Ericsson. It is fantastic how we are now sharing experiences within the network and the negotiations in Senegal are a brilliant example. Unions in other countries in the region have contributed during the process by sharing best practice,” says UNI Global Union’s Innocent Tsumbu who is responsible for the coordination of the Ericsson Trade Union Network in Africa.

During the 2023 collective agreement negotiations with Ericsson, UNI’s Senegalese affiliate SNTPT-SYNEES, received advice and support from CWU, UNI’s affiliate in Ghana, which has already signed a collective agreement with Ericsson.

“Ghana has inspired and supported us. When they shared their collective agreement with us during the process, we were able to improve our draft. And now that we have our collective agreement, we have shared it with other countries in West Africa. Sharing knowledge is the win,” says Seringe Kinde Sene, coordinator at Ericsson Africa Union/SNTPT-SYNEES, who led the negotiations in Senegal.

In Côte d’Ivoire, UNI affiliate SYNAPOSTEL, negotiated an agreement related to social security and misalignment of benefits, and it is now in dialogue with Ericsson for a collective agreement.

“These agreements showcase the power of collaboration and knowledge sharing within the Ericsson Global Trade Union Network, facilitated by Union to Union. It’s inspiring to see unions from different regions coming together to support one another, ultimately leading to positive outcomes for workers. This achievement underscores the importance of international solidarity and the vital role that collective bargaining plays in shaping better futures for Ericsson workers around the world,” said Keith Jacobs, UNI Africa Regional Secretary.

The news of the new agreements was shared at a meeting of the Ericsson Global Trade Union Network at the company’s headquarters in Sweden on 29-30 November 2023. Established in 2016, the network is a project to to support Ericsson employees, wherever they are in the world, to organize and bargain collectively. It is a joint initiative between Union to Union, UNI Global Union and IndustriALL Global Union, and the Swedish unions Unionen, Sveriges Ingenjörer and SEKO.